Mastercard and the Central Bank of Syria team up on a national payments rail
A memorandum of understanding sets out to develop Syria's national payments ecosystem — a foundation for digital commerce.
Nathana Rebouças / UnsplashMastercard signed a memorandum of understanding with the Central Bank of Syria in September 2025 to collaborate on developing a national payments ecosystem — a significant step as the country rebuilds its financial infrastructure.
Why payments come first
After years in which cross-border cards and modern payment processing were largely unavailable, rebuilding the rails is the unlock for everything from e-commerce to subscriptions to gig payouts. A national payments framework, developed with a global network, gives local fintechs and merchants something dependable to build on.
It also complements the return of card transactions and the anticipated arrival of global processors — together restoring the basic ability to pay and get paid online.