Syria activates 4,200 Visa and Mastercard terminals for foreign cardholders

Syria processed its first live international card transactions in more than 15 years on Aug. 27, opening point-of-sale access for foreign-issued credit and debit cards.

Rollout across 4,200 terminals

Visa and Mastercard reconnected to Syria's domestic banking infrastructure following authorization from the Central Bank of Syria in May 2026. Domestic payments network Paymera has deployed 4,200 EMV-compliant point-of-sale terminals across Damascus and Aleppo, targeting 50,000 devices by the end of 2026.

Visa completed its live transactions through acquiring partner Fransabank Lebanon and Paymera, the local electronic processor confirmed. Mastercard partnered with Qatar National Bank Syria to clear payments at designated merchants, allowing contactless and chip transactions on foreign cards.

Practical impact on travel budgets

Terminals settle charges directly in Syrian pounds (SYP) or U.S. dollars ($), letting remote workers and visitors bypass physical cash exchanges at participating luxury hotels, government offices and major commercial centers.

For visitors planning extended stays in Syria, the network shift reduces the cost and risk of carrying hard cash across borders:

• Eligible networks: Foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard cards.

• Active capacity: 4,200 live POS machines in major urban venues, scaling to 50,000 units.

• Settlement options: Billed in SYP or USD based on merchant terminal setup.

Universal merchant adoption remains months away. Remote workers must still maintain cash reserves for transit, regional travel and smaller vendors outside central commercial districts as terminal deployment continues.