More than one million active Orange Money users in Liberia are now subject to a new 2 percent tariff on all cash-out transactions, a move that is being attributed to a directive from the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL). The announcement has shifted the financial burden of these fees directly onto the customer.
According to Maybel Mason, Orange Liberia's Communications Manager, the new charge is not a form of 'exploitation' but rather a mandatory directive from CBL. "It's a mandate that we are following," Mason said in a WhatsApp voice message, confirming the company's compliance.
The new 2 percent fee is an increase from the previous 1 percent charge on cash-outs. While other services, such as paying for Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) bills, DSTV subscriptions, and transferring money to other users, remain free, the new Central Bank directive adds one percent, bringing the total cash-out fee to two percent.
Mason explained that the fee is structured to cover costs for multiple parties. "The customers are required to pay the 2 percent cash-out fees. It is taken from the cash-out transaction made by the customers. So, in this two percent, there is a portion that goes to the agents, there is a portion that goes to CBL, and there is a portion that remains with Orange Money," she said.
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This change comes as mobile money services have become an increasingly dominant force in Liberia's financial sector. Along with MTN Mobile Money™, Orange Money has been instrumental in boosting digital financial transactions, offering a fast and accessible alternative to traditional banking. These services allow Liberians to pay school fees, TV subscriptions, taxes and insurance premiums, among other services, through a network of local vendors and agents.
The CBL's 2024 annual report highlights the significant growth of mobile money services. The number of active subscribers grew by 66.9%, from 2.6 million in 2023 to 4.3 million in 2024, indicating a higher level of customer engagement. The agent network also expanded, with the number of registered agents increasing from 156,242 to 231,038 over the same period.
Transaction volumes and values showed consistent growth in both Liberian and United States dollars. The volume of Liberian Dollar transactions surged from 549 million in 2023 to 14.8 billion in 2024, while the value of USD transactions rose from US$3.47 billion to US$4.68 billion. The CBL's report attributes this growth to policy reforms and bilateral interoperability between banks and Mobile Money Operators (MMOs).
Cross-border remittances terminating in mobile wallets also saw a significant increase. The total transaction value grew by 17.71% to US$494.46 million in 2024. While SendWave led the market in 2023, Remit Terre pay emerged as the top processor in 2024, handling 3.38 million transactions valued at US$378.58 million.
The new 2 percent cash-out fee introduces a new layer of cost for a service that has become a cornerstone of financial inclusion and transaction efficiency in Liberia. While the move is presented as a regulatory mandate, its impact will be felt directly by the millions of Liberians who rely on mobile money for their daily financial needs. Already, the U.S. government has signed an increase in tax on remittances sent to Liberia and other African countries. Known as the "One Big, Beautiful Bill," it was passed by the U.S Senate and signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Agents are frustrated and concerned
Joseph Suah, an Orange Money Agent, selling at the ELWA junction, said there have been outstanding concerns about the percentage. "We agents have been complaining about this percentage level. At a time, it used to be that sometimes when you withdrew, they just withdrew the money; you received 1 percent for customers, so we, as agents, were not benefiting," he said.
In an OK FM TV live interview with agents, claiming they were summoned by the company for a meeting, Exodus Robert said that even before the meeting, they had been expressing their dissatisfaction since the introduction of the 1 percent tariff for customers.
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"It is affecting our businesses greatly," he said, alleging that the one percent is shared between the company and agents.
Jeremaih Kemoh, National Chairman for the Liberia Mobile Money Agents' Remittance Association, said, "We made our recommendations clear to them in the room. We told them to reverse our commission, we don't want to know about your one percent."
According to him, before the one percent introduction, the commission was shared between Orange and agents at a 60:40 level. "When you withdraw anything above 1,000 Liberian Dollars (LRD), it was 90 LRD. But now you will see them giving you 25 LRD, sometimes 30 LRD at their own will."
"Because we wrote them on the 7th of July, requesting them officially to reverse our commission. "And if they don't, we will not respect their one percent," another agent, who did not mention his name, interrupted the conversation.
