The cheapest payment cards

In Côte d’Ivoire, there are several types of payment cards that cover all kinds of needs: payments, subscriptions, betting sites, online courses, streaming platforms like Netflix, in-store purchases, and more. A prepaid card isn’t tied to your bank account, and comes with three big advantages: convenience, ease of use, and security.

Each card has its own perks, costs, and benefits. Here’s a closer look.

The benefits and costs of a few payment cards

We’ve ranked the selected cards from cheapest to most expensive.

The Djamo VISA card

The Djamo VISA card is fairly new on the market, but it has already won over thousands of Ivorians. Djamo offers two cards: the FREE card and the PREMIUM card, both at 5,000 F, but with different benefits.

Benefits of the FREE card

• 0 F / month maintenance fee
• Free card delivery
• No account opening fee
• No account closing fee
• No card-blocking fee
• No PIN reissue fee
• No fees on transfers between Djamo accounts
• No fees on payments
• No fees on top-ups
• Djamo to Mobile Money: 1.5% fee
• Djamo to banks: 1.5% fee
• No fees on withdrawals at any ATM in the UEMOA zone
• Card replacement: 5,000 F
• Withdrawal abroad: 2% (minimum 2,500 F)
• 250 F insufficient-funds fee

Benefits of the PREMIUM card

• 2,000 F / month maintenance fee
• Free delivery and first month of maintenance fees included
• No account opening fee
• No account closing fee
• No card-blocking fee
• No PIN reissue fee
• No fees on transfers between Djamo accounts
• No fees on any payments
• No fees on top-ups
• Djamo to Mobile Money: 0 F fee
• Djamo to banks: 0 F fee
• No fees on withdrawals at any ATM in the UEMOA zone
• Card replacement: 5,000 F
• Withdrawal abroad: 2% (minimum 2,500 F)
• 250 F insufficient-funds fee
• Priority customer support

The VISA GOLD card from Standard Chartered Côte d’Ivoire

• Annual card issuance fee: free for the life of the account
• Card replacement fee: 50,000 F
• Point-of-sale payment fee: free
• Cash withdrawal at ATMs (GIM UEMOA network): free
• Cash withdrawal at ATMs in the UEMOA zone (other networks such as Visa): 2,500 F
• Cash withdrawal at ATMs outside the UEMOA zone: 2,500 F
• Card blocking: 10,000 F

The CRYSTAL card from NSIA Banque

• VISA card cost: 9,500 F
• Daily top-up limit: 5,000,000 F
• Maximum online debit per transaction: 2,000,000 F
• Monthly management fee: 750 F
• Card top-up fee: 2.2% minimum 1,250 F
• NSIA Bank ATM withdrawal: 500 F
• Domestic ATM withdrawal at other banks: 1.2% with a minimum of 1,200 F
• International ATM withdrawal: 2% with a minimum of 600 F
• ATM balance inquiry: 250 F
• ATM mini-statement: 250 F

The VISA Abidjan.net card

• VISA card cost: 9,500 F
• Monthly management fee: 750 F
• Card top-up fee: 2% of the amount
• Domestic ATM withdrawal at other banks: 1% of the amount
• International ATM withdrawal: 2.2% minimum
• Maximum online debit per transaction: 1,000,000 F
• Daily top-up limit: 2,000,000 F
• Maximum card-to-card transfer: 2,000,000 F
• NSIA Bank ATM withdrawal: free
• Maximum card-to-card transfer: 2,000,000 F
• Point-of-sale and international online purchases: 1.5% of the amount with a minimum of 585

AFRICARD from UBA Bank

• Card cost: 10,000 F
• Daily top-up limit: 2,000,000 F
• Maximum online debit per transaction: 2,000,000 F
• Card top-up fee: 2% of the amount loaded with a minimum of 1,100 F
• UBA ATM withdrawal: free
• Domestic ATM withdrawal at other banks: 2,750 F
• International ATM withdrawal: 3,300 F
• Monthly management fee: 770 F
• Manual cash withdrawal (international): 2.2% of the amount
• Point-of-sale / online international purchase: 2.2% of the amount

The BGFI HEMERA card

• VISA card cost: 11,000 F valid for 3 years
• Daily top-up limit: 2,000,000 F
• Maximum online debit per transaction: 2,000,000 F
• Monthly management fee: 750 F
• Card top-up fee: 2% minimum 1,500 F
• BGFI ATM withdrawal: free
• Domestic ATM withdrawal at other banks: 500 F
• International ATM withdrawal: 2.5% minimum 2,500 F
• ATM balance inquiry: free
• ATM mini-statement: free
• Maximum card-to-card transfer for the sender: 1,000 F

The CASH XPRESS card from ECOBANK

• VISA card cost: 11,000 F
• Daily top-up limit: 2,000,000 F
• Maximum online debit per day: 4,000,000 F
• Monthly management fee: 750 F
• Card top-up fee: 1.5% of the amount loaded with a minimum of 1,250
• ECOBANK ATM withdrawal: free
• Domestic ATM withdrawal at other banks: 2% of the amount with a minimum of 1,000 F
• International ATM withdrawal: 2% of the amount with a minimum of 1,500 F
• Maximum card-to-card transfer: 2,000,000 F / day

Bottom line: the Djamo card is the cheapest on the market at 5,000 F, and the perks are impressive. Even better, with the Premium card (also 5,000 F), you pay zero fees on any payment. Unheard of.