The verdict in three sentences
For a business invoicing in dirhams, CMI through a Moroccan bank is usually the cheapest option once online volume passes roughly MAD 500,000 (about USD 50,000) a month. A local aggregator makes sense to start quickly without a heavy banking file, but its higher fee weighs on B2B baskets worth several hundred dollars. An international gateway only really fits a company with a foreign entity, for example in Dubai or London, that invoices in dollars, UAE dirhams or pounds.
The context: a foreign supplier selling into Moroccan clinics
Consider a medical supplies company headquartered in Dubai, with a Casablanca sales subsidiary. It supplies consumables, diagnostic devices and small equipment to about 340 customers: private clinics in Casablanca and Rabat, pharmacies, testing labs. It handles 1,200 orders a month with an average basket of MAD 4,500, about USD 450. Payment today is mostly by cheque or bank transfer, with an average collection time of 45 days.
The goal: let pharmacies pay by card at checkout and let clinics settle invoices online from a customer portal. The first question is which entity collects the money, because it decides which payment options are open.
| Criterion | CMI via Moroccan bank | Licensed local aggregator | International gateway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contracting entity | Moroccan subsidiary | Moroccan subsidiary | Dubai or London entity |
| Setup fees | A few hundred USD, bank-dependent | Often zero or low | Zero to low |
| Fee per transaction | 1.5 to 2.5% by volume | 2.5 to 3% | 2.9% and up, plus FX fees |
| Settlement | 2 to 3 business days | 3 to 5 business days | 2 to 7 days, in foreign currency |
| 3D Secure | Mandatory, native | Mandatory, native | Native |
| Time to open | 3 to 6 weeks | A few days | Varies by country |
| Currency | MAD | MAD | USD, AED, GBP |
These are 2026 market ballparks: exact terms are negotiated with the bank or aggregator and depend on volume, sector and track record. Moroccan cards paying a foreign entity also raise foreign exchange rules, which often makes the local subsidiary the simpler collector.
Integration: what actually costs money
The technical link uses a redirect to the hosted secure payment page, an automatic return to the site and a server notification. Casablanca agencies typically charge MAD 20,000 to 50,000 (about USD 2,000 to 5,000) to add CMI to an existing site, depending on whether it is a simple pay button or a portal with invoice payment. London agencies quote GBP 4,000 to 12,000 for comparable work with a UK gateway.
| Integration item | Complexity | Indicative time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkout payment | Low | 1 to 2 weeks | Redirect and signed return |
| Server notification and matching | Medium | 1 week | Essential to avoid ghost orders |
| Invoice payment in a customer portal | Medium | 2 to 3 weeks | Linked to accounting |
| Refunds | Medium | 1 week | Often through the CMI back office |
| Bank acceptance testing | Variable | 1 to 3 weeks | Test environment mandatory |
| Accounting export of receipts | Low | A few days | Format matched to the ledger |
At Kolonell, a B2B customer portal with ordering, invoice payment and reconciliation is a simple custom application, FCFA 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 (EUR 3,810 to 6,100). Adding a single payment method to an existing site is priced on quote.
Regulatory points to watch
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The CMI contract goes through a Moroccan bank, which asks for the trade register, tax ID, terms of sale and a compliant site with legal notices and a visible refund policy. 3D Secure is mandatory and protects the merchant against chargebacks. Customer personal data falls under Law 09-08 and the CNDP, which require a declaration or an authorisation depending on the processing. Never store card numbers: the provider's hosted page does that.
Mini case study
Omar, CFO of the Dubai group, targets 40% of Moroccan orders paid online in year one, 480 orders a month and about MAD 2,160,000 collected (roughly USD 216,000). With CMI at 1.8%, fees come to about MAD 38,900 a month. With an aggregator at 2.8%, they rise to about MAD 60,500, MAD 21,600 more each month, close to MAD 259,000 (USD 25,900) a year. Routing through the Dubai entity's international gateway at 2.9% plus 2% FX would cost even more.
Cash matters more still. Moving from 45 days to 3 days on MAD 2,160,000 a month frees about MAD 3,000,000 of working capital. At a 7% overdraft rate, that saves about MAD 210,000 (USD 21,000) a year in interest. Omar starts on an aggregator during the 6 weeks it takes to open CMI, then switches.
FAQ
How long does a CMI contract take? Plan on 3 to 6 weeks as a ballpark, covering the bank file, site validation and technical testing. An aggregator can be live in a few days.
Does 3D Secure hurt conversion? Slightly, often 2 to 5 points in consumer retail, much less in B2B where buyers are used to it. Above all it shifts chargeback liability to the issuing bank.
Can clinics pay by bank transfer instead of card? Yes, the portal can offer card and transfer with a unique invoice reference. Transfers avoid the 1.5 to 3% fee, but matching must be automated.
Can our Dubai or London entity collect directly? It can through an international gateway, but Moroccan cardholders and FX rules make it costlier and slower. Most groups collect through the Moroccan subsidiary.
What does integration cost? In Casablanca, MAD 20,000 to 50,000 depending on scope, as a 2026 ballpark. A full portal with invoice payment sits at the top of the range.
Let's scope your project. We scope your B2B customer portal, the right collection method and accounting reconciliation, live in 6 to 10 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. 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.
