Payments/BI
Burundi
ISO BI · 3 schemes
Summary
- Lumicash dominant mobile money (Viettel)
- LumiPAY QR merchant payments
- Ecocash first mobile money (Econet)
- CRDB SimBanking bank integration
- Agent-based cash access network
Banking landscape
Central Bank
- Name: Banque de la République du Burundi (BRB)
- Website: https://www.brb.bi/
- Role: Monetary policy, payment oversight
Major Banks (2024)
| Rank | Bank Name | Type | Digital Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CRDB Bank Burundi | Pan-African | iBank/SimBanking |
| 2 | Interbank Burundi | Local | IB Mobile |
| 3 | BCB (Banque Commerciale) | Local | BCB App |
| 4 | Ecobank Burundi | Pan-African | Ecobank Mobile |
| 5 | KCB Burundi | Regional | KCB App |
Market Structure
- Mobile money: Primary payment channel
- Low banking: Limited physical branches
- Agent networks: Critical infrastructure
- Unbanked majority: Financial inclusion focus
Payment infrastructure
National Payment Systems
| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumicash | Lumitel/Viettel | Mobile money | Dominant |
| Ecocash | Econet | Mobile money | Active |
| SimBanking | CRDB | Bank mobile | Active |
Mobile Money Dominance
- Primary payment method
- Rural penetration
- Agent network extensive
- No bank account required
Bank Integration
- CRDB SimBanking transfers
- Ecocash/Lumicash integration
- Cardless ATM withdrawals
- Multi-language support
QR code standards
LumiPAY QR
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Operator | Lumitel/Viettel |
| Type | Merchant QR |
| App | LumiPAY |
| Feature | Scan to pay |
LumiPAY Features
- Money transfers
- Cash withdrawals
- Airtime purchase
- Merchant payments
- QR code scanning
Merchant Network
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Supermarkets
- Bar clubs
- OBR documents
- Mairie documents
BePAY (Lumicash Channel)
- Mobile financial management
- Deposit and withdraw
- Transfer money
- Recharge and data plans
- USSD: *163#
Mobile payment apps
| App | Provider | QR | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| LumiPAY | Lumitel | Yes | Full wallet |
| Lumicash Channel | Lumitel | Limited | Agent app |
| Ecocash | Econet | Limited | Mobile money |
LumiPAY App
- Transfer money
- Withdraw cash
- Buy airtime
- Pay merchants
- QR code payments
- Low-cost transactions
CRDB iBank/SimBanking
- Fund transfers to Ecocash/Lumicash
- Startimes TV subscription
- Airtime purchase (Econet, Lumitel)
- Salary advances
- Cardless ATM withdrawals
- Multi-language (English, French, Kirundi, Kiswahili)
Schemes
| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LumiPAY QR | Mobile QR | Lumitel | Growing | lumipay-qr |
| Lumicash | Mobile money | USSD | Dominant | — |
| Ecocash | Mobile money | Econet | Active | — |
Sources
- LumiPAY - Google Play
- Lumicash Channel - Google Play
- Lumicash Channel - App Store
- CRDB Burundi - SimBanking
- Transfi - Burundi Payment Rails
- Lumitel - Lumicash
- WorldRemit - Burundi
- SOS Médias - Ecocash
Full country report
Schemes
Standards
Primary · 1