How do people in Somalia pay online?
Mobile money is the main way to pay. World Bank survey work published in 2017 found that 73% of the population used mobile money, against 15% with a formal bank account. 88% of Somalis over 16 owned at least one SIM card, and nearly two thirds of users kept money in their mobile accounts instead of cashing out. Bill, salary and merchant payments typically ranged from USD 20 to USD 200.
The wallets work as a dollar currency. The World Bank described the services as a virtual, dollarised currency and named making payments in Somali shillings possible alongside US dollars as a policy priority.
Hormuud’s EVC Plus is the best-known wallet. In February 2021 the Central Bank of Somalia (CBS) gave Hormuud Telecom the country’s first mobile money licence, bringing EVC Plus under central bank regulation. Reuters, as carried by CNBC Africa, reported at the time that about 3 million people used EVC Plus and that Hormuud put the share of payments made through mobile money at more than two thirds. The CBS now lists six mobile money providers: Hormuud, Somtel, Golis, eBesa, Amtelkom and Somnet. Telesom’s Zaad is another long-standing wallet named by the World Bank.
Bank rails are newer. The Somalia Instant Payment System (SIPS) launched in January 2025, run by the Somalia Payment Switch, a partnership between the CBS and 13 commercial banks. Seven banks connected first. Fully integrated, it would link 14 commercial banks and eight mobile money and e-wallet providers, and it already supports person-to-person transfers, merchant payments and government payments. SOMQR is the national QR standard for merchant payments. World Bank figures from the ITU put internet use at 27.9% of the population in 2024.
What rules shape online payments in Somalia?
Mobile money is now licensed. Since the first licence to Hormuud in 2021, mobile money providers operate under CBS supervision, and the CBS publishes the list of providers on its website.
Instant payments follow a national scheme. The Somalia Payment Switch is the scheme manager and operator of SIPS, which is built on the ISO 20022 messaging standard and runs at all hours. In July 2026 the CBS governor said mobile money operators would be integrated next, and that SIPS would connect to the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) before the end of 2026.
Dollars and shillings both matter. Wallet balances are mostly held in US dollars, so a merchant needs to decide which currency to show and settle.
We could not find a published VAT or digital services tax rule for foreign online sellers in the sources reviewed for this guide, so check tax obligations locally before selling at scale.
How would Omno route payments in Somalia?
A merchant would connect once and set routing rules per method, currency and customer group. In Somalia:
- EVC Plus pay-ins would go to a provider with a Hormuud merchant connection, with the order pending until the customer approves on the phone.
- Other wallets such as Zaad or Golis’s service could each be routed to a provider that holds that wallet.
- Bank transfers through SIPS could be offered as providers connect to the switch, with the result confirmed by the provider’s notification.
- Card pay-ins 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, and the routing-decision log would show which provider handled it and why.
What should merchants plan for?
Plan for EVC Plus first, then the regional wallets. A checkout with one wallet leaves out customers on other networks.
Plan for US dollar pricing. Mobile money works mostly in dollars, so a USD checkout matches how customers hold money.
Plan for SIPS to grow. As mobile money operators join the instant payment system, transfers between wallets and banks should become easier to accept.
Plan for tax and compliance checks. Published guidance for foreign online sellers is thin, so confirm obligations with local advisers.