Most small businesses in Morocco still take bookings by phone or WhatsApp, with a notebook. It works until a room is booked twice or a table of eight never shows up.

This guide covers what you can actually set up in Morocco today to take bookings online, and when it makes sense to ask for payment upfront. It is written for riads and small hotels, restaurants, clinics and private practices, and gyms and studios. It is a practical overview, not legal or tax advice: check the details with your bank and your accountant.

Cash is still the norm, and that is fine#

Bank Al-Maghrib’s 2025 annual report on payment systems is clear: cash is still dominant.

513 billion DH

of cash in circulation at the end of 2025, up 15.5% in one year and close to 30% of GDP.

Source: Bank Al-Maghrib, payment systems annual report, 2025

Bank cards are common, but most people use them to get cash, not to pay.

87%

of the value moved with Moroccan bank cards in 2025 was cash withdrawals. Payments were only 13%.

Source: Bank Al-Maghrib, payment systems annual report, 2025

Online payment is growing, though. The same report counts 44.8 million e-commerce card payments in 2025 (up 16% from 38.5 million in 2024), worth 12.1 billion DH. Instant transfers between bank accounts reached about 29 million operations in 2025, against 16.3 million in 2024.

What this means for you: online booking and online payment are two separate decisions. Almost every business benefits from taking bookings online. Asking for payment online makes sense for some bookings (a riad room, a group dinner, a monthly membership) and not for others (a 150 DH consultation follow-up). Most local customers will still want to pay on site.

Your options for taking bookings online#

1. WhatsApp Business, done properly#

WhatsApp is where your customers already are, so start there. The free WhatsApp Business app adds what the normal app lacks: a business profile with hours and address, automatic greeting and away messages, quick replies for questions you answer ten times a day, and a catalog of your services or rooms.

WhatsApp's own guide to greeting messages, quick replies and away messages.

Two features matter for bookings:

  • Click-to-chat links. A link like https://wa.me/212600000000 opens a chat with you in one tap, and you can add a pre-filled message with ?text= (WhatsApp Help Center). Put it on your Instagram bio, your Google Business Profile (how to add it) and your website.
  • Catalog links. You can share one item or your whole catalog as a link (WhatsApp Help Center), for example your room types or your class schedule.

The limit: WhatsApp is a conversation, not a calendar. Nothing stops two people from booking the same slot, nothing confirms the booking automatically, and the history lives on one phone.

2. A booking form on your own website#

The next step is a form on your website: the customer picks a date, a time or a room, leaves a name and a phone number, and you receive the request by email or in a dashboard. The customer gets a confirmation, and you call or WhatsApp back if something needs to change.

This is enough for most clinics, gyms and restaurants. It removes the back-and-forth (“Are you open on Friday? For how many?”), gives you a written record, and works at 2 a.m. when nobody answers the phone.

3. Booking platforms: Booking.com, Airbnb and restaurant apps#

For riads and guest houses, the big platforms bring visibility you cannot easily get alone, especially with foreign guests. They also take a share of every booking:

  • Booking.com says its global average commission is 15%, and that it varies by property type and location (Booking.com for partners).
  • Airbnb is moving hosts to a single fee deducted from the payout: 15.5% for most hosts. The older split fee (about 3% for the host, the rest paid by the guest) is being phased out (Airbnb Help Center).
  • Restaurant booking apps such as TheFork usually charge a fee for each diner they send, under a contract you negotiate. Check whether they operate in your city before counting on them.

The catch: the guest belongs more to the platform than to you, and returning guests often come back through it, with the same commission.

4. A booking system on your own site#

A real booking system goes further than a form: it shows live availability, blocks a slot once it is taken, sends confirmations and reminders, and gives you a dashboard with every booking, customer and cancellation in one place. For a riad, it also means returning guests can book direct.

Comparing booking channels#

Channel Cost Control over customer data Effort for you
Phone and WhatsApp only Free Low: scattered across phones High: every booking is a conversation
WhatsApp Business + links + catalog Free Medium Medium
Booking.com / Airbnb Commission on each booking (Booking.com: 15% global average; Airbnb: 15.5% for most hosts) Low: the platform owns the relationship Low to medium
Restaurant booking apps Fee per diner, by contract Low Low
Booking form on your site One-time build, then hosting High Low: requests arrive in order
Booking system with dashboard Higher one-time build, then hosting High Lowest once set up

Most businesses end up with a mix: platforms for visibility, WhatsApp for questions, and their own site for direct and returning customers.

Deposits and no-shows#

No-shows hurt small businesses the most: a riad room left empty on a full weekend, a table of ten that never arrives, a clinic slot that someone else needed.

A few approaches that work, from lightest to strongest:

  1. A reminder the day before, by WhatsApp or email, with an easy way to cancel.
  2. A clear cancellation policy shown before the customer confirms, in plain words.
  3. A deposit for high-value or high-risk bookings: riad stays, group dinners, special event menus, a package of sessions. It can be paid by bank transfer (instant transfer makes this quicker), by card online, or in person.
  4. Full prepayment for things that are easy to resell, such as event tickets or monthly memberships.

Keep it proportionate. Asking for a deposit on a 100 DH class will lose you more customers than it saves.

Payment options available in Morocco#

Online card payment through your bank or a payment institution#

For years, Moroccan merchants signed their card contract with the Centre Monétique Interbancaire (CMI). Under a Competition Council decision, the CMI stopped signing new merchants on 1 November 2024 and had to hand over all its merchant contracts by 31 January 2026 (private sector) and 30 April 2026 (public sector). Payment institutions keep access to the CMI as a technical processing platform (joint statement by Bank Al-Maghrib and the Competition Council, July 2026).

Today, you get online card acceptance from an acquirer: your bank or another payment institution licensed by Bank Al-Maghrib. According to the two authorities, the move to several acquirers has brought more choice and lower acquiring fees for merchants. Compare at least two offers: fees, payout delay, and whether they provide payment links or a ready plugin for your site.

Mobile wallets#

Mobile wallets are spreading: 16.4 million were open at the end of 2025, and they handled 28 million transactions that year. But Bank Al-Maghrib notes that payments to merchants are still a marginal share. Most wallet use is bill payment and person-to-person transfers (Bank Al-Maghrib, 2025 report).

Bank transfers work well for deposits, especially with instant transfer. Cash on arrival or on delivery stays the default for many local customers. If your bank or payment provider offers payment links, you can send one by WhatsApp to collect a deposit without a full online checkout.

What you need to accept cards online#

Each acquirer sets its own conditions and document list. Expect to be asked for the papers that identify your business and the person signing (for a company, typically the trade register extract and statutes), plus your bank details. In practice, your website also needs clear terms of sale, a refund and cancellation policy, legal notices and HTTPS before payments go live. Ask your bank or provider for its exact requirements.

Foreign cards and tourists#

19.8 million

tourist arrivals in Morocco in 2025, up 14% on 2024 (17.4 million).

Source: Ministry of Tourism, 2025 figures

International cards made 55.5 million transactions in Morocco in 2025, worth 55.7 billion DH (Bank Al-Maghrib). In February 2025, the CMI launched a multi-currency option for Moroccan e-commerce sites, letting a foreign guest see and pay the amount in euros, dollars, pounds and other currencies (CMI). Now that merchant contracts sit with acquirers, ask yours whether it offers payment in the customer’s currency.

A step-by-step plan by sector#

Riads and guest houses#

  1. Keep Booking.com or Airbnb for visibility.
  2. Build your own site with live availability and a booking request or booking system.
  3. Ask for a deposit on direct bookings by transfer or card, and offer returning guests a reason to book direct.
  4. Add online card payment once direct bookings are regular.

Restaurants#

  1. WhatsApp Business with a click-to-chat link on Instagram and Google.
  2. A booking form on your site for tables and groups.
  3. Deposits only for groups, events and special menus.

Clinics and private practices#

  1. A booking form with clear time slots and a confirmation.
  2. A reminder the day before to cut no-shows.
  3. Payment on site is usually enough; most patients expect it.

Gyms and studios#

  1. A class schedule and booking form on your site.
  2. A dashboard to track members and attendance.
  3. Online payment for monthly memberships once you have a steady base.

FAQ#

Do I need a company to accept online payments in Morocco?#

Not necessarily. You now sign with a bank or a licensed payment institution, not with the CMI, and each one sets its own conditions. Ask yours what it accepts.

Is WhatsApp enough to take bookings?#

For a small volume, yes. Once you miss messages or get double bookings, a booking form or system on your site will save you time.

Should I leave Booking.com or Airbnb?#

Usually not. Use them to be found, and use your own site so returning guests can book direct without a commission.

Sources#