Cash on delivery vs online payment in Morocco
Cash on delivery or card: official ANRT and Bank Al-Maghrib figures, refused parcels, collecting payment, and how payments work on Wasal.
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In Morocco, most online shoppers still pay in cash, on delivery. Card payment is nonetheless growing every year. Here is what the official figures say, what each method changes for you, and how payments work on Wasal.
What the figures say
The ANRT ICT survey 2024-2025 (Morocco's National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency) surveys Moroccans aged 5 and over. Among those who bought online in 2024:
| Payment method used | 2019 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash on delivery | 79.2% | 84.1% |
| Bank card | 34.2% | 43.3% |
| Mobile payment (account linked to a phone number) | 2% | 9.9% |
| Online payment service (PayPal type) | 3.3% | 4.8% |
The same buyer can use several methods, so the total exceeds 100%. The trend is clear: cash on delivery remains the majority, but card payment is gaining ground.
On the banking side, Bank Al-Maghrib's 2025 annual report counts 44.8 million e-commerce card payments in 2025, up 16%. Their value reached MAD 12.1 billion, up 10%.
These 44.8 million transactions are not all product purchases. Bank Al-Maghrib also attributes this growth to online bill payments and online government services.
Cash on delivery: what it implies
Cash on delivery, or COD, reassures buyers: they only pay when they receive the parcel. For you, it has three consequences.
- The customer can refuse the parcel. As long as they have not paid, they can change their mind at the door. The parcel goes back, and the sale does not happen.
- The money passes through the courier. You are only paid once the amount has been collected and then transferred.
- The order is less binding. A customer who orders without paying is less committed than one who has already paid.
Reducing refusals on delivery
Two causes of refusal are within your control: a gap between what the customer expected and what they receive, and waiting too long. You can act on both:
- An accurate product listing: real photos, dimensions, material, true size. See Create a product listing and Taking great product photos.
- A price with no surprises: the law requires you to display the total price to pay, including taxes and compulsory services (Article 5 of Law 31-08).
- Fast preparation: the sooner the parcel leaves, the less time the customer has to buy elsewhere. See Processing an order.
- Up-to-date stock: an order cancelled for lack of stock disappoints as much as a refused parcel. See Managing stock and variants.
Card payment: what it implies
With a bank card, the customer pays when ordering.
- The order is paid before shipping: the customer is committed.
- No cash to handle, and no parcel refused because of a change problem.
- Processing fees apply to each card payment.
- Refunds must be fast if the customer withdraws: Law 31-08 requires you to refund the full amount no later than 15 days after the withdrawal (Article 37).
On your own website, accepting cards means a contract with a payment provider and a technical integration. The law also makes you the guarantor of the security of the payment methods you offer (Article 35 of Law 31-08).
How it works on Wasal
On Wasal, the buyer chooses the payment method when ordering. You have nothing to configure.
You see the chosen method. In the order list, the Payment Type column shows, for example, "Cash on delivery".
You prepare the order the same way, whatever the payment method. The courier of the 3PL assigned by Wasal comes to collect it.
With cash on delivery, the courier collects the money. You do not handle any cash. With card payment, the transaction is validated by the CMI (Centre Monétique Interbancaire) before the order reaches you.
Wasal pays your sales by bank transfer, twice a month, on the 15th and the 30th, once the sale is validated. The amount is net of the commission and applicable fees.
Payment-related fees, CMI (Card) and Cash / COD, are shown on the Special Conditions page of your portal. The amount due to you for each order appears in its details: this is the Net Collect Amount.
A sale is only included in a transfer after delivery and the end of the return window. The full cycle is explained in Understanding how your Wasal payment works.
Incorrect bank details block all transfers. Your bank details are entered only once, at registration. To correct them, call your account manager on 05 22 09 43 43.
Frequently asked questions
Does the payment method change how I prepare the order? No. You approve, pack and mark the order as ready in the same way. Only the collection of payment differs.
The customer refused the parcel: what should I do? Check the order status in the portal. For any question about a specific order, open a ticket from the Helpdesk Module.
Where can I track my transfers? In My invoices, and in Analytics with the Payouts metric. See Track Your Wasal Payments.
Going further
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