Bank transfers to mobile money: Reform confuses users and is poorly received

Since November 2, 2026, new BCEAO rules require the PI-SPI platform for transfers between banks and electronic wallets, replacing services such as Bank to Wallet and Wallet to Bank in Senegal. Presented as a step toward financial inclusion and lower-cost transfers, the reform has caught many users off guard. Multiservice operator Moussa Fall says users were not adequately informed, while journalist Aly Fall says he can no longer transfer money directly from his bank account to Wave without travelling. Users are criticizing the new system as complicated and objecting to not having been given a choice.