Doha – Qatar’s digital payments ecosystem continued its strong expansion in July 2025, with the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) reporting $4.4 billion processed across 51.7 million transactions. The data highlights both the entrenched dominance of cards and the accelerating adoption of real-time payments.
Card-based transactions remained the backbone of the system, generating $3.45 billion. Point-of-sale (POS) purchases led the way, contributing $2.25 billion from over 40 million transactions, while e-commerce accounted for $1.20 billion through 9.18 million transactions. Together, POS and online commerce represented more than 75% of all activity, reaffirming the strength of in-store spending alongside growing digital commerce.
Meanwhile, QCB’s real-time payments platform Fawran saw rising traction, processing $896.5 million across 1.87 million transfers, supported by 3.2 million registered accounts. The platform is increasingly being used for P2P transfers, bill settlements, and government services, making it a key complement to traditional card rails.
The Qatar Mobile Payment (QMP) ecosystem also expanded steadily, recording $75.8 million via 320,000 transactions. While still only 2% of overall volumes, QMP wallets now total 1.2 million, indicating significant future growth potential as merchant acceptance scales.
By volume, POS accounted for 51% of transactions, e-commerce 27%, Fawran 20%, and QMP 2%. Analysts note that while cards remain deeply embedded in consumer habits, the growth of instant payments reflects a strong shift towards speed and convenience.
QCB said the figures highlight progress towards its national digital payments strategy, designed to foster financial inclusion and a cash-light economy. The regulator is publishing monthly transaction snapshots to give policymakers, banks, and FinTechs real-time insights into evolving consumer behaviors.
