• Orange Money Côte d’Ivoire launched a virtual Visa card that enables online payments across the global Visa network.

• The card offers fee-free transactions, competitive exchange rates and regulatory limits set by the BCEAO.

• The launch supports Côte d’Ivoire’s national financial inclusion strategy and expands a Visa–Orange Money partnership across six African countries.

Orange Money, present in Côte d’Ivoire since 2008, serves 20 million customers through more than 95,000 sales points nationwide and processes millions of transactions. With this new product, the group aims to further simplify the financial lives of Ivorians.

Orange Money Côte d’Ivoire, in partnership with Visa and Orange Bank, launched its virtual Visa OM card on Friday, December 12, 2025. The company hosted the event at the Orange Village auditorium in the presence of strategic partners, financial institutions and sector stakeholders.

Through this innovation, Orange Côte d’Ivoire reaffirmed its market leadership with a series of major initiatives. The group set a clear ambition. “We want to further simplify the financial lives of Ivorians and contribute sustainably to financial inclusion,” said Rosemonde Bilé Kouadio, Director of Distribution Network at Orange, representing Mariam Diaby-Touré, Chief Executive Officer of Orange Money Côte d’Ivoire.

For Ismahill Diaby, Vice President and Head of West and Central Africa at Visa, the partnership aims to accelerate digital payments, facilitate access to online payment services and connect more people to the global digital economy.

“Financial inclusion is not only a question of technology, but also of accessibility, simplicity and opportunity,” he said. “This solution targets individuals, young people, women, entrepreneurs, small businesses and everyone who wants to fully participate in the global economy. Our shared ambition is simple: make digital services accessible to all, wherever they are,” he added.

In a country where digital usage continues to expand rapidly, Orange Money aims to meet growing market demand. Available since December 4, 2025, the virtual card allows users to make all types of online purchases across the Visa network, transfer money and pay bills.

The card offers broad accessibility within minutes. The solution remains flexible, simple and secure. Orange Money does not apply card management fees. According to company officials, all transactions, including deposits and withdrawals, remain fee-free. The system also applies no penalties for failed transactions.

“All payments made with the card will be billed at a very competitive exchange rate, among the lowest available on the market,” said Laciné Coulibaly, Senior Manager for Performance Management and Project Management at Orange Money Côte d’Ivoire. “Users also benefit from a currency conversion simulator that shows the exact exchange rates applied during card transactions,” he added.

The minimum deposit stands at CFA1,000. In line with BCEAO regulations, the card applies a daily transaction ceiling of CFA2 million and a monthly limit of CFA10 million.

This inclusion-focused innovation arrives as Côte d’Ivoire implements its National Financial Inclusion Strategy (SNIF 2019–2024). The strategy aims to increase access to quality financial services. It relies on five strategic pillars, including improved access for vulnerable and excluded populations, promotion of digital finance, and fiscal and policy frameworks that support financial inclusion.

The Visa–Orange Money partnership now extends across six countries: Guinea, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Botswana and Côte d’Ivoire.

This article was initially published in French by Lydie Mobio

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum