How do people in Sierra Leone pay online?
Mobile money is the main digital channel, but use is still narrow. Bank of Sierra Leone data, reported by Agence Ecofin, counted 8.2 million mobile money accounts at the end of 2023, of which 1.7 million were active. The International Growth Centre notes that only 24% of adults had an account at a financial institution or mobile money provider in 2019, and that in 2022 only 21.5% of the population used mobile internet.
Two operators lead. When the national instant payment service went live on 13 February 2025, it connected seven banks and two mobile money providers, with the heads of Afrimoney Sierra Leone (Africell) and Orange Money Sierra Leone speaking at the launch. Orange lists Sierra Leone among the countries where its Orange Money Web Payment service lets merchants take payments on their own sites. Wave also names Sierra Leone among its 11 African markets.
Wallets now come with cards. Orange launched a prepaid card linked to Orange Money in March 2026, and in May 2026 Africell launched the Afrimoney Prepaid Visa Card with Visa and Ecobank. Both let wallet holders pay online, at home and abroad, without a traditional bank account.
Banks and wallets are joining up. The Bank of Sierra Leone launched the national payment switch in April 2023, then made bank cards and points of sale interoperable. Its instant payment service runs 24 hours a day and handles person to person, business, consumer to business and government payments between banks and mobile money operators, with settlement in seconds or minutes. Google Pay is available for online and in-app payments in Sierra Leone.
What rules shape online payments in Sierra Leone?
Prices must be in leones. A Bank of Sierra Leone public notice of 20 August 2019 cites section 26(4) of the Bank of Sierra Leone Act 2019, under which prices for all transactions in Sierra Leone are shown in leones, and prohibits quoting prices or taking payments in any other currency. The notice warns that a violation can bring a fine, imprisonment or both. The central bank also prohibits holding or taking out more than USD 10,000 in foreign currency outside the banking system.
Foreign digital sellers charge GST. According to VATupdate, Sierra Leone applies 15% GST to electronic services sold by non-resident suppliers to consumers, with registration above an annual threshold of SLE 350,000. The Finance Act 2026, in force from 1 January 2026, made supplying digital services to consumers in Sierra Leone a registration trigger whether or not the supplier has a physical presence, and requires non-resident digital suppliers to appoint a local representative in writing, according to Lookuptax’s reading of the Act.
Instant payments have a clear failure rule. The Bank of Sierra Leone’s instant payment FAQ says a failed payment triggers an immediate notification and no funds move, and each institution sets its own transaction limits.
How would Omno route payments in Sierra Leone?
A merchant would connect once and set routing rules per method, currency and customer group. In Sierra Leone:
- Orange Money pay-ins would go to a provider with an Orange Money connection in Sierra Leone, with the order pending until the customer confirms the payment.
- Afrimoney pay-ins would be offered in the hosted checkout next to Orange Money and routed to a provider that holds Africell’s wallet.
- Card pay-ins, including wallet-linked prepaid Visa cards, can be routed by BIN, with cascading to the next provider in the rule if one is unavailable or rejects the request.
Webhooks would carry the final status of each payment, the record a back office should trust before shipping an order, and the routing-decision log would show which provider handled each payment and why.
What should merchants plan for?
Plan for leones. Prices for transactions in Sierra Leone must be quoted in SLE, so show and charge local customers in the national currency.
Plan for two wallets. Orange Money and Afrimoney each have their own customers, and a checkout with only one leaves many out.
Plan for GST on digital sales. Register when the rules apply and appoint a local representative if you supply digital services without a presence in the country.
Plan for pending payments. Wallet payments wait for the customer’s confirmation, so orders need a pending state and webhook confirmation.