Payments/LB
Lebanon
ISO LB · 3 schemes
Summary
- E-wallets legalized January 2020 (BDL Circular 539)
- Areeba QR at 14,000+ POS terminals (50%+ market)
- OMT Pay QR payments with loyalty points
- $3,000 wallet limit (Circular 667, April 2023)
- Economic crisis driving digital wallet adoption
Banking landscape
Central Bank
- Name: Banque du Liban (BDL)
- Website: https://www.bdl.gov.lb/
- Role: Monetary policy, e-wallet licensing
Major Banks (2024)
| Rank | Bank Name | Type | Digital Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bank Audi | Commercial | Audi Mobile |
| 2 | BLOM Bank | Commercial | BLOM App |
| 3 | Byblos Bank | Commercial | Byblos Mobile |
| 4 | Fransabank | Commercial | Fransa App |
| 5 | Bank of Beirut | Commercial | BOB Mobile |
Market Structure
- Areeba: 14,000+ POS terminals (50%+ market)
- OMT: Licensed e-wallet operator
- Economic crisis: Bank trust issues
- Remittances: $6.5 billion (2023)
Payment infrastructure
National Payment Systems
| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BDL-RTGS | BDL | Settlement | Active |
| Areeba QR | Areeba | Merchant QR | Active |
| OMT Pay | OMT | E-wallet QR | Active |
| Suyool | Suyool | E-wallet | Active |
E-wallet Landscape
- 5+ major e-wallets
- OMT licensed by BDL
- Interpay licensed
- Zaky, WeePay, Whish wallets
Areeba POS Network
- 14,000+ terminals
- 50%+ market share
- QR code infrastructure
- Multi-wallet acceptance
QR code standards
Areeba QR
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Operator | Areeba |
| Terminals | 14,000+ |
| Market Share | 50%+ |
| Wallets | Zaky, WeePay, Whish |
Areeba QR Features
- Printed on POS receipts
- No separate device needed
- No merchant sign-up fee
- Any business size adoption
Supported E-wallets
- Zaky
- WeePay
- Whish
- More via areeba infrastructure
OMT Pay QR
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Operator | OMT |
| Type | E-wallet QR |
| Features | Loyalty points |
| License | BDL regulated |
OMT Pay Features
- Scan QR code at stores
- No additional fees
- Earn loyalty points
- Points redeemable for cash
Mobile payment apps
| App | Provider | QR | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| OMT Pay | OMT | Yes | Payments, loyalty |
| Suyool | Suyool | Yes | Transfers, cards |
| Zaky | Zaky | Yes | Wallet |
| WeePay | WeePay | Yes | Wallet |
| Whish | Whish | Yes | Wallet |
OMT Pay
- Store QR payments
- Money transfers
- Bill payments
- Loyalty rewards
Suyool (November 2024)
- TerraPay partnership
- Local QR merchant payments
- International remittances
- Platinum Debit Card
E-wallet Services
- P2P transfers
- Airtime top-ups
- QR merchant payments
- Bill payments (utilities)
Schemes
| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Areeba QR | Merchant QR | POS | 14K+ POS | areeba-qr |
| OMT Pay | E-wallet | Proprietary | Active | omt-pay |
| BDL Circular | Regulation | Legal | Licensed | — |
Sources
- LinkedIn - Digital Wallets Lebanon
- BDL - National Payment System
- OMT - OMT Pay
- OMT - QR Payment News
- IBS Intelligence - Areeba QR
- PRNewswire - TerraPay Suyool
- Google Play - OMT Pay
- BDL - Payment System Overview
- Areeba - QR Rollout
- L'Orient Today - Digital Wallets
Full country report
Schemes
Standards
Mentioned · 1