How do people in Tunisia pay online?
Cash on delivery still leads. The US International Trade Administration, citing the Ministry of Communication Technologies, says more than 80% of online transactions are paid on delivery. Online payment is growing from a small base. The Central Bank of Tunisia’s bulletin on payments, as reported by La Presse, counted 19.3 million e-payment transactions in 2025, up 19%, worth TND 1,375 million, up 31%.
Cards are the main online method. The Central Bank counted 5,851,000 bank cards at the end of 2025 and 164.8 million card transactions worth about TND 29,498 million in the year. The director general of Monétique Tunisie told La Presse in December 2025 that about 2,000 e-commerce sites exist, that only half are really active, and that many of them are used for bill payments and phone top-ups. Online card payments go through a secure server run by Monétique Tunisie.
Tunisian cards stay at home. The International Trade Administration notes that Tunisian bank cards cannot be used for transactions in other currencies or on foreign sites. Individuals can get a card for foreign online purchases, with an allowance of up to TND 1,000 a year.
La Poste offers e-Dinar. It is a prepaid payment card and account that customers top up at post offices, accepted by many public services. Since July 2025 La Poste has offered a free e-Dinar wallet in all its offices, managed in its D17 app, that pays affiliated merchants and e-commerce sites. Mobile payments are rising too: the Central Bank’s 2025 annual report counted 8.4 million mobile payments worth TND 1,769 million and 469,000 wallets.
What rules shape online payments in Tunisia?
Shoppers can withdraw within 10 working days. Under Law 2000-83 of 9 August 2000 on electronic exchanges and commerce, the seller must give the price, delivery terms, withdrawal period and refund method before the contract, and let the shopper review and confirm the order. A consumer can withdraw within 10 working days of receiving goods, or of concluding the contract for services. The seller refunds within 10 working days of the return, and the consumer pays the cost of sending the goods back. Personalised or perishable goods, unsealed recordings or software, and newspapers are excluded.
Late or wrong orders give more rights. If a product does not match the order or arrives late, the consumer can return it within 10 working days of delivery and must be refunded the price and related costs within 10 working days. If a product is unavailable, the seller must tell the consumer at least 24 hours before the agreed delivery date and refund the full amount.
VAT is 19%. PwC lists a standard rate of 19% and reduced rates of 13% and 7%. Services are taxable in Tunisia when they are used there. Invoices also carry a stamp duty of TND 1, with some exemptions.
Data transfers need approval. Organic Law 2004-63 requires a prior declaration to the national data protection authority, INPDP, before processing personal data. Transfers abroad need the authority’s prior authorisation and the data subject’s explicit consent. A draft law modelled on the GDPR has been before Parliament since 2018 and had not passed by February 2026, according to DLA Piper.
How would Omno route payments in Tunisia?
A merchant would connect once and set routing rules per method, currency and customer group. In Tunisia:
- Tunisian card pay-ins in TND would go to a provider connected to the Monétique Tunisie online payment server through a Tunisian acquiring bank, with the final status confirmed by webhook.
- e-Dinar could be offered in the hosted checkout through a provider that accepts La Poste’s e-Dinar card and wallet.
- International cards would follow a separate rule for shoppers paying from abroad, routed by BIN to an acquirer for Visa or Mastercard, with cascading to the next provider in the rule if one is unavailable or rejects the request.
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 a local setup. Tunisian cards pay only in dinars on sites connected to the domestic payment server, so reaching Tunisian shoppers online needs a provider with a Tunisian acquiring connection.
Plan for shoppers who prefer cash. More than 80% of online orders are still paid on delivery, so a clear card and e-Dinar checkout, with the total in dinars, helps move orders online.
Plan for three-decimal amounts. The Tunisian dinar has three decimal places under ISO 4217, so amounts sent in minor units are multiplied by 1,000.
Plan for withdrawals and data approvals. Refunds are due within 10 working days of a return, and personal data sent abroad needs INPDP authorisation and the shopper’s explicit consent.