How do people in Solomon Islands pay online?
Cash still dominates. The Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) assessment of the retail payments ecosystem, prepared with Kapronasia and UNCDF, says cash accounted for 80% of transactions in 2020, and that cards, mobile wallets and online banking remain underused. The four commercial banks have 15 branches, more than 70% of them in Honiara. The World Bank puts internet use at 29.0% of the population in 2024.
Visa cards are the main way to pay online. BRED, ANZ and BSP issue cards; the fourth bank, POB, does not. Of 96,848 debit and credit cards in use in August 2023, 40,349 (41%) were open-loop Visa-enabled cards and 56,499 (59%) were closed-loop cards that work only at the issuing bank’s ATMs and terminals. No cards were issued on the Mastercard network. More than 90% of card transactions were at ATMs, mainly to withdraw cash.
Online and mobile banking are growing. All four commercial banks offer online and mobile banking platforms. Since 24 August 2026, the CBSI’s Instant Funds Transfer service lets bank customers send money to other participating banks almost instantly, with a limit of SBD 5,000 per transaction.
Mobile wallets are new. Three wallets operate: EziPei, IumiCash and Our Telekom’s M-Selen, launched in 2020, 2021 and 2023. In July 2023 there were about 13,400 wallet accounts, of which only 10 to 15% were active. EziPei and IumiCash offer merchant and bill payments, and QR payments are offered only by BRED Bank and IumiCash, without interoperability.
Google Pay is on Google’s list of countries where people can pay online and in apps. Apple Pay is not on Apple’s list for Solomon Islands.
What rules shape online payments in Solomon Islands?
Goods tax applies to imports. The Inland Revenue Division (IRD) says goods tax is 15% on imported goods and 10% on locally manufactured goods; importers, including consumers importing for private use, pay it to Customs at the border.
Sales tax applies to listed services. Sellers of the goods and services in the IRD’s sales tax rates table, such as telecommunications, restaurant and professional services, register and charge sales tax, mostly at 10%.
A VAT is planned. VATupdate reported in July 2025 that a VAT bill with a single 15% rate had been introduced to replace several existing taxes, with roll-out expected over 18 to 24 months. Sellers should check its status before relying on it.
Exchange controls apply. The CBSI administers exchange control under the Exchange Control Act 1976 and the Exchange Control (Foreign Exchange) Regulations 1977, covering financial transactions between residents and non-residents. Commercial banks act as authorised dealers under delegated authority.
How would Omno route payments in Solomon Islands?
A merchant would connect once and set routing rules per method, currency, amount and customer group. In Solomon Islands:
- Visa card payments in SBD would be routed by BIN to a provider that acquires Visa, with cascading to the next provider in the rule if one is unavailable or rejects the request.
- Google Pay would be offered on the hosted checkout and routed under the same card rules.
- Bank transfers could be accepted through a provider that confirms incoming payments by notification, within the SBD 5,000 instant transfer limit.
- Mobile wallet payments would go to a provider connected to a local wallet, with the order held until the wallet confirms.
What should merchants plan for?
Plan for Visa. It is the only international card network issued locally, and closed-loop cards work only within the issuing bank’s network.
Plan for a small online audience. Cash made up 80% of transactions in 2020 and internet use was 29.0% in 2024.
Plan for tax change. Goods tax and sales tax apply today, and a 15% VAT bill was introduced in 2025.
Plan for FX. Payments between residents and non-residents fall under exchange control administered through the commercial banks.