Tunisia Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in tunisia, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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eCommerce
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General Overview

Payment on e-commerce sites is organized by a secure payment server managed by Tunisian e-banking company Monetique Tunisie, Tunisian credit cards are not approved for transactions in currencies other than the dinar and therefore cannot be used for purchases made on foreign commercial internet sites. Debit and credit cards can be used for domestic internet payments for services, but cash on delivery remains the most common payment option. 

Other than bank cards, an electronic payment (e-payment) system called the e-dinar is offered by the postal service.  Customers establish an account and replenish it by purchasing credit at a post office. Many public services can be paid using e-dinars. Restrictions on international payments due to foreign exchange regulations as well as the non-convertibility of the dinar prevent Tunisian residents from making transactions on international e-commerce sites such as eBay, Amazon, and AliExpress. Exceptions are available with a “digital technology charge card” issued by the government available through the Start-Up Act. 

Top Products or Services Sold Online

In 2022, online payment of bills, high-tech products, electronics, and household appliances were the most popular online purchases, followed by clothes, fashion accessories, and beauty products. Over 98% of e-commerce transactions were carried out in the cities of Tunis, Sfax, Sousse, and Gabes.

Total Value of Overall/Sector Online sales

Strong growth in e-commerce was stimulated by changes in consumption habits during the COVID-19 pandemic.  In 2024, the Tunisian Central Bank (BCT) reported a 13.4% year-on-year increase in e-payment transactions, reaching 20.2 million. Additionally, the value of these transactions rose by 4.8%, totaling approximately $412 million. This growth underscores the expanding digital payment landscape in Tunisia.  Notably, in 2024 there were 1,126 active merchant sites.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) 2020 B2C e-commerce index, Tunisia ranks 77 of 152 countries, first in the Arab Maghreb Union, third in Africa, and ninth among Arab countries.

The general lack of credit cards and online payment systems has resulted in Tunisia’s e-commerce markets remaining largely local, with online orders paid for with cash on delivery. Tunisians prefer to pay as goods are delivered due to concerns about quality of goods, reliability of delivery, and lack of a regulatory infrastructure to request refunds.  Most banks offer account holders bank-affiliated credit and debit cards that can be used on domestic websites only.  General purpose e-commerce retail sites like Amazon do not exist in Tunisia. JUMIA, at one time the leading online platform connecting merchants and buyers in 11 African countries, terminated its operations in Tunisia in 2024 due to multiple factors, including intense competition from both formal and informal players, narrow profit margins in drop-shipping, and logistical issues resulting in long and unpredictable delivery times.  However, individual retailers and service providers continue to offer their own online checkout systems tailored to Tunisian credit and debit cards. 

Legal & Regulatory

Until 2018, Tunisian law mandated that only certified financial institutions with banking licenses were allowed to manage financial transactions. Consequently, e-payment platforms required participation from at least one bank, with payments only allowable between existing Tunisian bank accounts.  

In 2019, the Ministry of Finance launched a set of new digital services to facilitate the payment of bills, taxes, and other charges by citizens and businesses. These digital services are part of the national strategy to reduce the use of cash and increase e-payments.

A 2020 e-commerce law requires that e-commerce companies operating in Tunisia be of Tunisian nationality, have their headquarters in Tunisia, and not exercise any other professional activity. 

Consumer Behavior

According to data from the Ministry of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy, more than 80% of online transactions are conducted on a cash-on-delivery basis. This arrangement has helped e-commerce grow significantly and encouraged companies to provide home delivery. E-commerce services are generally limited to the domestic market and often centered in Tunis and other large urban areas.  

Because banks restrict bank-affiliated credit and debit cards to domestic online purchases in dinars, few Tunisians make cross-border purchases via e-commerce. In recognition of this limitation, the Ministry of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy offers a Digital Technology Charge Card for Tunisians with college degrees. The card allows cardholders to make online purchases of software, mobile applications, web services, and publications in support of entrepreneurial activities. Individual users are limited to 1,000 dinars (about $340) in annual purchases.  The program has been expanded to include Tunisian IT companies, which are allotted up to 10,000 dinars (about $3,400) annually to purchase online services, including server hosting and freelance programming services.  The 2018 Start-Up Act permits qualified companies to purchase up to 100,000 Tunisian dinars ($34,000) worth of goods in foreign currency using the digital technology charge card.

Intellectual Property Rights

The National Institute for Standardization and Industrial Property recognizes and enforces foreign patents registered in Tunisia, including those dedicated to e-commerce. Tunisian law affords foreign businesses equal treatment. Tunisia has also updated its legislation to meet WTO requirements on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS).  For the “.tn” country-specific top-level domain name, the Tunisian Internet Authority responds to complaints of cybersquatting from trademark owners and will transfer domain registrations to complainants upon demonstration that the accused website is used to pass off counterfeit goods.

Digital Marketing & social media

Tunisia’s Digital Technology Charge Card program allows users to purchase digital marketing services online. Business contacts note that this program has allowed purchases of targeted “key word” advertising services directly from companies such as Google and Facebook. The program remains limited, however, as participating marketing companies within Tunisia quickly exceed their yearly allowances of 1,000 dinars (about $340) per individual or 10,000 dinars (about $3,400) per IT company. Permission to exceed this amount requires a formal request to the Ministry of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy and final approval from the CBT, which is rare.

The social media climate is open and lively. Facebook enjoys a dominant market position, with most businesses and individuals maintaining an active online presence through the free platform to promote products and services and communicate with customers rather than hosting their own websites. As of January 2025, there were approximately 10.5 million internet users, with 7.25 million actively using social media, reflecting a penetration rate of 58.9%. Facebook remains the most popular platform, attracting 8 million users; TikTok and YouTube also show significant engagement, especially among younger demographics.  

X (formerly known as Twitter) is popular among the intelligentsia and closely followed by political figures and media. In 2017, Facebook and Google reached a deal with leading internet provider TOPNET to host content on Tunisian servers.  WhatsApp and Instagram are also popular social media outlets.  As e-commerce grows, advertising on social media continues to increase.

There are no significant consumer “buying holidays” for e-commerce. During the month of Ramadan, consumption increases by 25% across all consumer categories. Black Friday was also introduced in 2018 and is becoming a major buying day. 

Local Service Providers Overview

Mobile phone network providers Ooredoo, Orange, and Tunisie Telecom have created online accounts through which users can purchase data and phone services using domestic bank accounts and pre-paid mobile cards. Funds can also be moved from one user’s account to another within the same network. In 2018, The Ministry of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy announced the gradual start of mobile money-transfer services by telecom operators among bank and postal accounts. Mobile payments accounted for 5.1 million transactions by the end of December 2024, totaling approximately $460 million.

Resources:

Ministry of Technologies Communication
Ministry of Trade and Export Development
TunTrust
Tunisie Monetique
 

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