BCEAO sets PI-SPI routing and transfer-price deadlines

The BCEAO will require interoperable electronic-money transactions in the West African Economic and Monetary Union to use its PI-SPI platform from 2 November 2026, while changing the prices for transfers between individuals.

The central bank’s notice applies to transfers involving banks, microfinance institutions, electronic-money institutions and payment institutions on the specified routes.

Mandatory routing from 2 November

From 2 November, interoperable electronic-money transactions within WAEMU must pass through the Interoperable Platform of the Instant Payment System, known as PI-SPI. BCEAO says the platform, launched on 30 September 2025, has 175 connected participants and provides instant-payment access to more than 38 million people.

The routing requirement takes effect alongside new national pricing conditions. Sending transfers with a cumulative daily value of up to 8,000 CFA francs per user and participant must be free, with no limit on the number of transactions. BCEAO says the threshold covers 75% of electronic-money transactions in WAEMU.

National sending transfers above 8,000 CFA francs may carry a fee. The permitted rate is between 0% and 0.8% of the transfer amount excluding taxes.

Receiving transfers must be free, without a limit on the amount received or the number of operations. The notice sets a permitted pricing range for higher-value sending transfers; it does not say that every transfer above the threshold must incur a charge.

Cross-border pricing follows in June 2027

The same sending and receiving conditions will apply to electronic-money transfers between WAEMU countries from 1 June 2027. The notice gives that date for the regional pricing provision, separately from the 2 November routing and national-pricing date.

The affected payment paths cover transfers between an account held with a bank or microfinance institution and an account opened with an electronic-money institution or payment institution. They also cover transfers between electronic-money institutions and payment institutions.

For operations teams, the first implementation requires interoperable transactions to use PI-SPI from 2 November 2026, national sending transfers to be tested against the 8,000 CFA franc cumulative daily threshold and receiving transfers to remain free. Any charge above the threshold must fall within the stated 0% to 0.8% range.

The second date extends those national sending and receiving conditions to intra-WAEMU transfers. The BCEAO notice identifies no further filing, response or supervisory milestone. The next official dates identified in the notice are 2 November 2026 for routing and national pricing, followed by 1 June 2027 for the cross-border conditions.