What does it take to get a payment processing licence in Senegal?
To hold a payment processing licence in Senegal, you need the Établissement de paiement licence from Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO). In Senegal, payment processing is licensed at the WAEMU (UMOA/UEMOA) level by the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) — the same rule applies across all 8 member states. Published minimum capital: XOF 100,000,000 for any of the payment services i)–vi); tiered by scope — aggregation-only XOF 10,000,000, initiation-only XOF 20,000,000, initiation + aggregation XOF 30,000,000 (Art 11); the agrément decision may fix a higher minimum. 11 entities currently hold a payment processing licence in Senegal. Full requirements — minimum capital, local presence, timeline, local ownership, fees and ongoing obligations — are set out below in each instrument's own words, with source and date; amounts are in the statute's own currency.
“Payment processing” here is the normalized activity: Provide payment processing / payment solution services without holding customer funds. Providers in this category cannot keep customers' money.
Activity id (as used by the Afriset MCP): fintech:PAYMENT_PROCESSING
Établissement de paiement
Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO)| Requirement | As published | Source | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum capital | XOF 100,000,000 for any of the payment services i)–vi); tiered by scope — aggregation-only XOF 10,000,000, initiation-only XOF 20,000,000, initiation + aggregation XOF 30,000,000 (Art 11); the agrément decision may fix a higher minimum Verbatim“il doit justifier d'un capital social au moins égal à 100 millions de francs CFA … il doit justifier d'un capital social au moins égal à 10 millions de francs CFA … au moins égal à 20 millions de francs CFA … au moins égal à 30 millions de francs CFA” | BCEAO, Instruction n°001-01-2024 relative aux services de paiement dans l'UMOA | 2024-01-23 |
| Local presence / incorporation | Constituted as a société anonyme, SARL or société coopérative; a single-shareholder (unipersonnelle) form is not permitted (Art 13) Verbatim“Les établissements de paiement sont constitués sous forme de société anonyme, de société à responsabilité limitée ou de société coopérative. Ils ne peuvent revêtir la forme d'une société unipersonnelle.” | BCEAO, Instruction n°001-01-2024 relative aux services de paiement dans l'UMOA | 2024-01-23 |
| Timeline | Deemed refused if the agrément is not granted within six (6) months of a complete application; extended to nine (9) months where a home-authority non-objection is required (Art 19) Verbatim“réputé avoir été refusé s'il n'est pas octroyé dans un délai de six (6) mois à compter de la réception par la Banque Centrale de la demande, accompagnée du dossier complet … Ce délai est porté à neuf (9) mois lorsqu'un avis de non-objection de l'autorité de contrôle d'origine du requérant est exigé.” | BCEAO, Instruction n°001-01-2024 relative aux services de paiement dans l'UMOA | 2024-01-23 |
| Local ownership | No such requirement: The Instruction sets no local-ownership or nationality requirement | BCEAO, Instruction n°001-01-2024 relative aux services de paiement dans l'UMOA | 2024-01-23 |
| Fees | A value has been located but not yet verified, so we don't publish it here. | — | — |
| Ongoing obligations | A value has been located but not yet verified, so we don't publish it here. | — | — |
Requirements as published in the cited instruments — not legal or compliance advice. Capital and fees are shown in the currency the statute itself uses. Where a value is located but not yet verified, we show that it exists but don't publish the figure. Verify directly with the regulator.
Maintained: this official source is re-checked on a weekly schedule — last checked 2026-08-04.
Who already holds this licence?
11 entities are on the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) register under the Établissement de paiement category — view the register .
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