Libya E-Payment System Collapses After Record Two Million POS Transactions in a Single Day – The North Africa Post

Central Bank of Libya has issued an apology following a major disruption to the country’s electronic payment infrastructure, after an unprecedented surge in transaction volumes triggered system instability across commercial banks.

According to the Bank, around two million point-of-sale (POS) transactions were recorded in a single day across approximately 67,000 terminals nationwide, placing excessive strain on the nascent e-payment ecosystem.

The Central Bank said the surge created “significant pressure” on electronic payment services, leading to disruptions that temporarily affected several commercial banks, although services have since been restored.

While the system has returned to normal operation, some banks reportedly continued to experience intermittent issues with card payments following the incident.

The episode highlights the rapid expansion of digital payments in Libya, where authorities have been actively promoting cashless transactions to modernize the financial sector. However, analysts and commentators have warned that infrastructure development has not kept pace with adoption, arguing that the system requires deeper stress testing and stronger investment in backend capacity to ensure long-term resilience. Despite the disruption, the central bank commended banking sector staff for maintaining liquidity distribution and supporting citizens during the period of heightened pressure.

It reported that around 20 billion dinars were deposited into citizens’ accounts in May alone, while salary payments and social allowances—including spousal and child benefits—also reached significant volumes during the same period. The incident has reignited debate over the readiness of Libya’s digital financial infrastructure as transaction volumes continue to rise sharply across the country.