Support Fund to Equip Small Merchants with POS Terminals in Morocco
Bank Al-Maghrib is launching a fund to equip small merchants with POS terminals. What it is and how your shop can prepare to benefit from it.
A Fund to Equip Small Merchants with POS Terminals
Morocco is about to take an important step for proximity electronic payment. Bank Al-Maghrib is preparing a fund to subsidize equipping small merchants with payment terminals (POS) and to encourage card acceptance in proximity commerce. For the neighborhood grocer, the café, or the small shop, this is a concrete opportunity to get equipped at a lower cost and to serve a customer base that increasingly pays by card. This article explains what is known today about the scheme and, above all, how your shop can prepare right now to take advantage of it.
Why This Fund? Acceptance, the "Weak Link" of Electronic Payment
In Morocco, card issuance and the use of electronic payment are progressing, but acceptance among small merchants remains behind. The head of payment-systems oversight at Bank Al-Maghrib described this acceptance among small merchants as the "weak link" of electronic payment in the country. In plain terms: many Moroccans hold a card, but too few proximity shops are equipped to accept it.
The result is that cash still dominates proximity commerce. The cost of getting equipped and the limited familiarity with electronic payment hold back many small merchants. For a small shop, the upfront cost of a terminal and the uncertainty about ongoing fees can feel like reasons to stick with cash, even when customers would prefer to pay by card. The fund is aimed precisely at removing this barrier by making POS equipment more accessible.
This move is part of a broader picture. A reduced interchange cap of 0.15% excluding tax now applies specifically to small proximity merchants, to make card acceptance less costly for them. We cover this in our dedicated article on the interchange fee reduction. The equipment fund and the reduced interchange cap form a coherent whole: on one side the cost of the terminal is lowered, on the other the cost of each transaction is lowered.
What Is Known About the Scheme
It is important to stay factual and cautious: some details are not yet public. Here is the state of the confirmed information:
- Sponsor: Bank Al-Maghrib, the Kingdom's central bank.
- Purpose: subsidize POS equipment and encourage the acceptance of electronic payment among small proximity merchants.
- Timeline: the scheme's details were firmed up in November 2025, and a pilot phase was planned for the first half of 2026.
- To be confirmed: the subsidy amount, the precise eligibility list, and the application process are not yet officially published. The exact launch date is not confirmed.
In other words, the direction is set, but the final terms will be published by Bank Al-Maghrib and the acquirers. We recommend relying only on official communications and not committing on the basis of amounts or procedures that are not confirmed.
Small Shop: Before and After Getting Equipped
To picture the value of getting equipped, here is a simple comparison between a cash-only shop and a shop equipped with a POS terminal.
| Situation | Without POS (cash only) | With POS (equipped) |
|---|---|---|
| Customers without cash | Lost sale | Completed sale |
| Collection | Manual counting, error risk | Exact amount, traceable |
| Security | Cash in the till, theft risk | Less cash to handle |
| Sales tracking | Notebook, memory | Transaction dashboard |
| Shop image | Seen as traditional | Seen as modern and convenient |
| Access to support schemes | Difficult | Easier with a clean file |
Getting equipped with a POS is therefore not just a compliance matter: it is a commercial lever. A customer who has no cash and cannot pay by card is quite simply a lost customer.
How to Prepare Your Shop Right Now
The best way to benefit from the fund the day it opens is to be ready administratively and operationally. Here is a preparation checklist to follow without waiting for the final terms.
1. Have a Declared and Registered Business
Support schemes generally target compliant businesses. Make sure your activity is declared and registered (tax identifier, commercial registry, or self-employed status depending on your situation). A clean administrative file is often the first condition.
2. Have a Dedicated Bank or Payment Account
To receive settlement for your card transactions, you need a bank account or a payment account tied to your business. Open one if you have not already: it is an unavoidable step in accepting electronic payment.
3. Choose a Transparent Provider
The choice of acceptance partner is decisive. Favor a provider that is transparent about its pricing, with no hidden fees or opaque commitments. Our guide on how to choose a payment terminal details the criteria to compare: pricing, any terminal rental, quality of support, and simplicity of onboarding.
4. Gather Your Supporting Documents
Prepare the usual documents in advance: the manager's ID, proof of business activity, the bank details of the professional account. Having these ready will save you time when the moment comes.
5. Stay Informed Through Official Communications
Finally, follow the announcements from Bank Al-Maghrib and the acquirers. The exact terms will be published by them, and it is these official sources you should rely on.
TKpay: The Ideal Partner for a Merchant Getting Equipped
For a small merchant getting equipped for the first time, the choice of partner makes all the difference. TKpay was designed for exactly this:
- Transparent pricing: no hidden fees, the advertised rate is the actual rate.
- No terminal rental: SUNMI P2 and P3 terminals are provided as part of your contract.
- Simple onboarding: a clear sign-up journey, built for proximity merchants.
- Dashboard: every transaction is tracked, with the detail of the amount collected and the net settled.
- Bank Al-Maghrib agrément: TKpay operates within the Moroccan regulatory framework, through the national payment network.
With close to 600 equipped merchants, TKpay supports businesses of all sizes in their move to electronic payment every day. If and when the support fund opens and your shop is eligible, a clean file and a clear partner like TKpay will let you take advantage of it with peace of mind. Discover our TKpay payment terminals to prepare your equipment.
Conclusion: Prepare Now, the Opportunity Is Built in Advance
Bank Al-Maghrib's fund to equip small merchants with POS terminals is good news for Moroccan proximity commerce. It directly tackles the "weak link" of acceptance and complements the reduced interchange cap for small shops. Even though the final terms are still to be published, you can prepare right now: declared business, dedicated account, transparent provider, documents ready. Contact TKpay to review your equipment and approach this opportunity on the best possible terms.
