The verdict in three sentences
In 2026, the bank card exposes you to chargebacks — the customer disputes, the bank debits your account up to 120 days later, with a fixed 3,000 FCFA (≈€4.60) fee per dispute. Mobile money ignores chargebacks: once a payment is confirmed, the money is yours, which divides the dispute rate by 8 (0.1% versus 0.8%). The right strategy isn't to drop cards but to organise a payment mix that keeps international reach while pushing local mobile money.
Card chargeback: anatomy of the risk
A chargeback is a cardholder right, governed by the networks (Visa, Mastercard). Rough 2026 figures for a Dar es Salaam merchant:
| Parameter | Card | Mobile money |
|---|---|---|
| Dispute window | 120 days | 0 (irreversible) |
| Fee per dispute | 3,000 FCFA | 0 FCFA |
| Average dispute rate | 0.8% | 0.1% |
| Burden of proof | Merchant | Customer |
| On-the-fly fraud risk | High | Low |
| Resolution time | 30-90 d | 24-72 h |
A lost chargeback costs the product plus the fee plus the case-handling time. Above a 1% chargeback rate, networks can place the merchant under enhanced monitoring.
The optimal payment mix
Dropping cards shuts the door on the diaspora and travellers. The 2026 logic: route by profile.
| Customer profile | Recommended channel | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Local Dar es Salaam | Mobile money (Airtel, M-Pesa) | 0 disputes, low fees |
| European diaspora | Card / mobile money EUR | International access |
| Purchase > 500,000 FCFA | Mobile money + check | Reduces card fraud |
| Traveller / tourist | Card (Stripe) | No local account |
| Recurring subscription | Tokenised mobile money | Avoids serial chargebacks |
A merchant pushing 70% of volume through mobile money and keeping 30% on card cuts chargeback exposure by roughly 65% while keeping 100% addressability.
Mini case study
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Ibrahim sells electronics online in Dar es Salaam. In 2026 he does 6,000,000 FCFA (≈€9,150) in sales/month. All on card: 0.8% chargeback = 48,000 FCFA of lost goods + 16 disputes × 3,000 FCFA = 48,000 FCFA in fees, i.e. 96,000 FCFA/month in dispute cost. Shifting 70% of volume to mobile money, his average dispute rate falls to 0.31%, monthly cost drops to 34,000 FCFA. Saving: 62,000 FCFA/month, i.e. 744,000 FCFA/year — enough to fund a store redesign.
Cutting fraud without losing international
Three 2026 levers: require mobile money above a threshold, enforce 3-D Secure on every card, and tokenise subscriptions. Combined, these take the card fraud rate from 0.8% down to around 0.3%.
FAQ
Can mobile money be charged back? No. Once a Wave, Orange Money, M-Pesa or Airtel payment is confirmed, the transaction is irreversible — no bank dispute is possible, hence the 0.1% dispute rate.
How much does a card chargeback cost in 2026? On average 3,000 FCFA in fixed fees per dispute, plus the lost goods. A merchant at 0.8% on 6,000,000 FCFA loses about 96,000 FCFA/month.
Should I drop cards? No: they remain essential for the diaspora and tourists. Aim for a 70% mobile money / 30% card mix to cut exposure by around 65%.
Does 3-D Secure change the risk? Yes, it shifts the burden of proof to the issuer and drops the card fraud rate from 0.8% to about 0.3%.
Which channel for subscriptions? Tokenised mobile money: it avoids the serial chargebacks that can hit a card disputed after several debits.
Let's talk about your project. We design your card/mobile money payment routing to cut fraud. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
