MoCI: Commercial outlets can face temporary closure for upto 14 days for not providing electronic payment

According to an article published on The Peninsula on April 17, 2024, a prominent official stated that businesses that do not offer electronic payment services to customers risk having their doors temporarily closed.

All business establishments are required by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) to offer their patrons the opportunity to pay using electronic funds transfers at no extra cost.

“The goal of the electronic payment services is to help customers without charging them extra,” stated Saif Al Athba, Head of the Inspection Section at the MoCI Department of Commercial Registration and Licensing.

In an interview with Qatar TV, he stated that commercial establishments would be forced to close for a period of 14 days or until the infraction was corrected or the administrative closure was extended if they did not offer electronic payment services.

Commercial establishments are required to provide electronic payment services, such as bank card, bank payment wallet, and QR code alternatives.

It is in accordance with the Minister of Commerce and Industry’s decision No. 70 of 2022, which amends some provisions of the decision No. 161 of 2017 about the general and specific conditions that apply to commercial, industrial, and general outlets, as well as those falling under its jurisdiction.

Dealing with currency involves lengthy procedures including taking out cash from a bank and bringing cash to the bank, among other things. The danger of cash burglary and counterfeit money is decreased with the use of electronic payments.

MoCI had sent out a circular to businesses that used bank cards as payment methods, asking them not to charge more for using the cards.

Digital payments come in a variety of forms and formats. Using bank prepaid cards, digital payment apps, mobile wallets, internet banking, unified payments interface, unstructured supplementary service data (USSD), debit or credit cards, and mobile banking are a few of the most popular ways.

The relevant authorities have increased their efforts to develop a comprehensive electronic payment infrastructure in the nation. In order to establish an advanced financial transfer and payment system that is in step with the most recent advancements in this industry, the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is working on establishing the infrastructure for payment and settlement systems.