Paying without a bank card in Morocco: cash options close to home

Without a bank card, you can pay most everyday expenses in Morocco in cash: water, electricity or phone bills, top-ups, sending money to a relative, gift cards for online platforms and even an online purchase. The key is the neighborhood shop that doubles as a financial services agency, like the agents of the ChariCash network, and, for online purchases, the payment reference. Here is how to do it, payment by payment, and what to check.

Why so many payments are still made in cash

Paying without a card is not a fringe choice. Not everyone has a bank card, and many Moroccan cards are, by default, closed to online payments: even with a card in your pocket, paying on a website does not always work the first time. Others simply prefer cash, to keep control of their budget or to avoid leaving their card details online.

For a long time, that preference came at a price: going to a counter for each bill, waiting, making several stops in the same day. Neighborhood agencies change that. The local grocery store, internet café or phone shop becomes a place where you can take care of several things at once, close to home.

What you can pay in cash, and where

The sections below go through each row.

Paying bills in cash

This is the most common use. Water, electricity, telecoms, service fees: at a ChariCash agent, you pay all your bills in one place, without going from counter to counter. The process is simple: you show your bill, the agent finds the amount due, you pay in cash.

Two habits save you unpleasant surprises. First, bring the bill itself, or at least the references printed on it: they make it possible to find the right bill the first time. Then, check the amount announced before paying, and keep the proof of the transaction until the payment shows on your next bill. The service is described on our bill payments page.

Topping up your phone without a card

Phone top-ups take just a few steps at an agent: you give the number to top up and the amount, pay in cash, and the line is topped up. The service covers Moroccan operators. The only real risk is a wrong number: have the agent read it back, or show it on your phone, rather than dictating it from memory. See the phone top-up page.

Sending and receiving money

Money transfer is the other big need for people without a card: helping a relative, paying a craftsman in another city, receiving a sum. At a ChariCash agent, deposits, withdrawals and transfers are done without a trip to the bank. Before confirming a transfer, go over the recipient's identity and details with the agent: that is the check that matters. The deposits, withdrawals and money transfers page describes the service.

Paying online without a card

The internet is not reserved for cardholders. There are two options depending on what you buy.

Gift cards payable in dirhams

For a music or video subscription, an app store or an online game, a gift card works as a means of payment. You buy it in cash at a ChariCash agent, in dirhams, then enter its code on the platform. Choose the card that matches your account's platform exactly, and keep the code to yourself: once shared, anyone can use it. See the gift cards and vouchers page.

A payment reference for an order

For an order placed with a Moroccan merchant — on their website, on Instagram, on WhatsApp —, payment by reference is the most direct option. When the merchant collects payments with ChariPay, the Chari group's online payment solution for merchants, they send you a payment link. ChariPay is a Moroccan payment platform, a PSP operated by Chari Money, a payment institution licensed by Bank Al-Maghrib, and it is the only payment gateway in Morocco that also collects cash at agencies.

On the page of a single-use payment link, you choose cash, receive a reference, pay it at an agency of the Chari network, and the merchant is notified as soon as the network confirms the deposit. If the page only offers card payment, ask the merchant for a link for your order: cash always goes through a single-use link. The full journey is in our guide to paying for an online purchase in cash, and the counter is covered in the guide to paying a payment reference at an agency.

If you sell online yourself, ChariPay's guide to the payment gateway in Morocco explains how a shop collects card and cash payments, and its overview of online payment methods in Morocco helps you choose.

Opening a payment account at an agent

For those who want an account without going through a bank branch, ChariCash agents offer payment account opening right in their shop. It is a way to have a place to deposit your money, receive it and send it, with no paperwork. Before opening an account, ask the agent the questions that matter to you: what the account allows, how to fund it, how to withdraw. The account opening page presents the service.

Good habits when paying in cash

Paying cash is safe as long as you keep a few simple habits:

• Check before you pay: the amount, the number, the reference, the recipient. A mistake is easy to fix before confirmation, much less so afterward.
• Keep proof of every transaction until it is confirmed: next bill, order received, money arrived at your relative's.
• Never share a code — gift card code, code received by text message, password — with someone who calls or messages you.
• Beware of urgency: a "pay within the hour, or else…" is a classic sign of a scam.

We go through these habits in our guide to paying at an agency safely.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay my bills without a bank card?

Yes. Water, electricity, telecoms, service fees: at a ChariCash agent, you pay your bills in cash, all in the same place. Bring the bill or its references so the agent can find the right bill, check the amount announced before paying, and keep the proof of the transaction until your next bill arrives.

How do I pay for an online purchase without a bank card?

Two options: pay the courier on delivery, or pay a reference at an agency before shipping. When the merchant collects payments with ChariPay, they send you a single-use payment link; you choose cash, receive a reference and pay it at an agency of the Chari network. The merchant is notified as soon as the network confirms the deposit.

How do I top up my phone without a card?

At a ChariCash agent: you give the number and the amount, pay in cash, and the line is topped up. Have the agent read the number back or show it on your screen rather than dictating it: a top-up sent to the wrong number is the only real risk of the transaction, so a second look is worth it.

How do I send money to a relative without a card?

Through the money transfer service of a ChariCash agent, which lets you send and receive money without a trip to the bank. Before confirming, go over the recipient's identity and details with the agent, and keep the proof of the transaction until your relative confirms they have received the money.

How do I pay for a subscription or an online game without a card?

With a gift card bought in cash at a ChariCash agent and payable in dirhams. You then enter its code on the platform. Check that the card matches that platform, and never give the code to anyone else: once it is shared, anyone can use it, wherever they are.

Where can I find a ChariCash agent near me?

On the site's agency map: search for your city or use geolocation, if you allow it, to see the nearest service points, with their address and directions. Agents are neighborhood shops — grocery stores, internet cafés, bookshops, phone shops — that you may already know.

Next step

Keep our guide to paying for an online purchase in cash handy the next time a seller offers payment by reference. For your bills, top-ups and transfers, find the service points near you right now on the ChariCash agency map. Do you run a neighborhood shop yourself? Offer these services to your customers by becoming a ChariCash agent.