How do people in Libya pay online?
Many Libyans are online but few use banking services. The World Bank, using ITU data, puts internet use at 82.0% of the population in 2024. In the World Bank’s 2024 Global Findex survey, 33.1% of adults had an account and 26.1% owned a debit card.
Local cards run on a national network. The central bank (CBL) describes a national switch that lets customers use national cards at any bank’s ATMs and point of sale terminals, while Visa and Mastercard cards work through the global networks. The CBL licenses companies to issue and accept local cards, including Moamalat, Tadalul Technology, Masarat Information Technology and Oboor for E-Payment Solutions.
Instant payments are growing fast. The CBL launched LYPay on 1 August 2024. It allows immediate transfers between people and purchases from merchants by QR code, with the money reaching the merchant’s account instantly. From 1 to 23 January 2025, LYPay had 1,364,284 individual subscribers and 14,122 merchant subscribers, and handled transactions worth LYD 507.6 million. A second instant payment service, OnePay, had 2,497,063 clients, 45,067 point of sale terminals and 30,604 active merchants in the same period.
E-wallets are licensed by the central bank. The CBL’s directory lists licensed e-wallet companies including Almadar Aljadid, International Union Company, Meza Financial Services, Dalil Libya, Fawry for E-Payment Services, Albidaya Fintech and Mousahamat Digital Payment (RUNPAY).
Google Pay is listed for online and in-app payments in Libya, while Apple Pay is not on Apple’s list of supported countries.
What rules shape online payments in Libya?
There is no VAT. PwC reports that Libya has no VAT and no excise taxes. Customs duties were abolished in 2005 except on tobacco, but a 5% service fee applies to the value of most imports, and stamp duty applies to some contracts and to payments to the Tax Department.
Electronic payment companies need a central bank licence. The CBL licenses e-wallet operators and card processors, and has issued circulars on mobile phone payment services (No. 10 of 2017) and on contracting with electronic payment companies (No. 7 of 2020).
The dinar has been devalued in steps. The CBL cut the dinar’s value by 70% from 3 January 2021, by 13.3% from 6 April 2025 and by 14.7% from 18 January 2026, when one dinar became worth 0.1150 SDR. On 29 October 2026 the CBL’s rates were 6.4143 dinars per US dollar to buy and 6.4465 to sell.
How would Omno route payments in Libya?
A merchant would connect once and set routing rules per method, currency and customer group. In Libya:
- Local card pay-ins would be routed by BIN to providers that process Libyan national cards, with cascading to the next provider in the rule if one is unavailable or rejects the request.
- LYPay and e-wallets could be offered through providers that support them, with the order pending until the provider confirms the payment.
- International cards could go to international providers, with currency rules sending LYD and other currencies to the providers set for them.
Webhooks would report the final status of every payment, and the routing-decision log would show which provider handled each payment and why.
What should merchants plan for?
Plan for local cards and LYPay. Libyan national cards and the central bank’s instant payment service are the main digital channels, so a checkout with only international cards misses most shoppers.
Plan for a moving exchange rate. The dinar was devalued in April 2025 and January 2026, so check how often you update LYD prices.
Plan for licensed partners. Electronic payments in Libya run through banks and companies licensed by the central bank, so work with providers that are connected to them.