Kuwait bans extra charges on debit, credit card payments

Several electronic payment service providers have formally notified contracted commercial companies of a directive issued by the Central Bank of Kuwait prohibiting the imposition of additional fees on consumers for using electronic payment methods.

In official notices to partner businesses, the payment companies said the measure is in line with instructions issued by the central bank on September 30, 2025, under Circular No. 2/RBA/600/2025.

The circular explicitly bans merchants from charging customers within Kuwait any extra fees or amounts for payments made using debit or credit cards through electronic payment services.

The prohibition applies to all payment channels, including point-of-sale terminals, payment gateways, electronic wallets and other digital payment methods, regardless of the technology used.

Payment service providers stressed the need for full compliance with the directive and warned that violations could result in legal liability.

They also confirmed that agreements between payment companies, licensed commercial entities and service users have been updated to reflect the new requirements.

The Central Bank of Kuwait has circulated the directive to all banks, electronic payment service providers and electronic money institutions, reaffirming the ban on collecting fees or commissions from end-user customers for payments made using KNET debit cards or credit cards within the country.