Chari
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersCasablanca, Morocco
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
Chari firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chari
- Legal name
- Groupe Chari
- Website
- https://chari.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chari industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Mobile Payments and Embedded Finance
- NAICS
- Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services (FSAMAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- A2A Checkout & Merchant Acceptance Solutions (FSAMAFAF), BNPL Consumer Apps & Wallets (Discovery, Management) (FSAGAIAG)
Keywords
Where Chari is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Casablanca
- HQ country
- Morocco
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chari business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Transaction and Payment Processing Fees: Chari earns fees on payment processing for merchant QR codes, card payments, and RIB transfers. Merchant and partner pricing is volume-based with cashback and tariffs that become more favorable as transaction volume increases.
- Telecom Recharge Commissions: Commissions earned on mobile airtime recharges for Maroc Telecom, Orange, and inwi operators. The gain amount is displayed before the user validates, suggesting a margin built into the recharge price.
- Bill Payment Processing (Fatourati): Commissions on utility bill payments (water, electricity, telecom, internet) processed through the Fatourati network. Merchants receive a commission on each bill payment collected from their customers.
- Gaming Vouchers and Top-Up: Revenue from selling gaming cards and direct top-ups for Free Fire, PUBG Mobile, and Carry1st, with margins and cashback for merchants based on volume.
- P2P Transfer Fees: While Chari-to-Chari transfers are free (0.00 MAD), the company generates revenue on outbound transfers to external Moroccan bank accounts, with fees displayed before validation.
- BaaS API and Embedded Finance Licensing: With the payment institution license and ChariBaaS platform, Chari can provide Banking-as-a-Service infrastructure to other businesses, likely through licensing fees or revenue sharing arrangements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free account for individuals with IBAN, Visa card, transfers, recharge, and bill payment |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Custom pricing for merchants based on transaction volume with cashback and preferential tariffs |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Enhanced pricing for partners with access to Chari Cash network and maximum cashback |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Chari product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chari provides a licensed mobile-first digital wallet (chari.ma) and B2B e-commerce platform serving small retailers (epiciers) and unbanked consumers in Morocco, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast. Its product suite includes a Moroccan IBAN-issued wallet, Chari Standard Visa card, free P2P transfers, telecom recharge, bill payment via Fatourati, QR/link merchant payment acceptance, gaming top-ups and cash deposit/withdrawal through partner networks, all powered by an underlying Banking-as-a-Service infrastructure (ChariBaaS).
Product overview
Chari operates a dual-layer product portfolio centered on financial inclusion for Morocco and Francophone Africa. The consumer-facing chari.ma super-app serves as the primary interface, integrating a digital wallet with Moroccan IBAN, Chari Standard Visa card (physical and virtual), P2P money transfers (free between users), telecom recharge for Maroc Telecom/Orange/inwi, bill payment via Fatourati, merchant payment acceptance via QR/card/link, gaming credits (Free Fire, PUBG, Carry1st), and cash deposit/withdrawal through DamaneCash/ChaabiCash/Tasshilate/Chari Cash networks. Underlying this consumer app is ChariBaaS, a Banking-as-a-Service platform providing the account, card, payment, and compliance infrastructure that powers all services—and is also offered to other businesses. The group also operates a B2B e-commerce platform connecting small retailers to FMCG manufacturers with 24-hour delivery, spanning Morocco, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast with over 20,000 onboarded food businesses. The product portfolio is augmented by acquired brands: Karny.ma (bookkeeping/credit management for shops) and Diago (Ivorian retail startup). In October 2025, Chari obtained Morocco's first VC-backed payment institution license from Bank Al-Maghrib, enabling full financial services expansion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ChariBaaS: Banking-as-a-Service infrastructure platform providing accounts, cards, payments and compliance technology for the Groupe Chari ecosystem
- Chari Cash
- chari.pay.ma
Products and services
- chari.ma Super App (Digital Wallet) Mobile-first digital wallet application providing individual consumers and small merchants across Morocco with a Moroccan IBAN-issued account, free P2P transfers, telecom recharge, bill payment, gaming top-ups, merchant payment acceptance and a Visa card in a single interface.
- Chari Standard Visa Card Physical contactless and virtual Visa debit card linked to the user's chari.ma wallet, accepted online, in-store and contactless worldwide, with in-app card controls (freeze, opposition, spending limits) and 3D Secure.
- Chari P2P Transfers Peer-to-peer money transfer service enabling free instant transfers between chari.ma users (0.00 MAD) and bank transfers to any Moroccan RIB with transparent fee disclosure before confirmation.
- Chari Telecom Recharge Mobile airtime and internet pass recharge service covering Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi operators in Morocco, with cashback and gain amounts displayed before transaction confirmation.
- Chari Bill Payment (Fatourati) Bill payment service integrated with Morocco's Fatourati network, enabling users to pay water, electricity, telephone and internet bills for multiple providers nationwide.
- Chari Merchant Payment Acceptance Merchant payment acceptance service enabling QR code, card, Fatourati and RIB-based payments, plus generated shareable payment links via chari.pay.ma for remote transactions, eliminating the need for traditional POS terminals.
- Chari Gaming & Gift Cards Digital gift cards and gaming credits service offering instant top-ups for Free Fire, PUBG Mobile and Carry1st via direct top-up without physical scratch cards, processed directly through the app.
- Chari Cash (Cash Deposit and Withdrawal) Cash-in/cash-out service leveraging partner networks (DamaneCash, ChaabiCash, Tasshilate) and the Chari Cash merchant network for depositing and withdrawing physical cash across Morocco.
- ChariBaaS (Banking-as-a-Service Platform) API-driven Banking-as-a-Service infrastructure platform providing accounts, cards, IBAN assignment, payments and compliance technology that powers all Chari services and is offered to other corporates and fintech startups through white-label integration.
- Chari B2B E-commerce Platform B2B e-commerce platform connecting small retailers and informal retail shops to FMCG manufacturers, enabling digital ordering and 24-hour delivery across Morocco, Tunisia and Ivory Coast, serving over 20,000 food businesses.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% increase in trading volume for shops using Chari's platform
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Chari
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Chari technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
Feature6 records
Chari partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- GOMYCODEminorChari and GOMYCODE formed a strategic partnership to build technology talent in Francophone Africa as part of the Talent4Startup program, supported by Digital Africa. GOMYCODE leverages its technology education expertise to improve the skills of Chari's employees and partners, focusing on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
- ZazucoreAs part of Visa's Africa FinTech Accelerator, Chari partnered with Zazu (a European fintech startup) to launch an SME neobank in Morocco. Zazu secured $1 million in pre-seed funding with participation from Chari and others, targeting SMEs that lack access to financial services suited to their size.
- Visa Africa FinTech AcceleratorcoreChari was selected for Visa's Africa FinTech Accelerator, joining the program's alumni network of 104 startups. The partnership positions Chari within Visa's fintech ecosystem and provides access to Visa's payment infrastructure, network, and mentorship programs for expansion across Africa.
- Maroc TelecomcoreChari partners with Maroc Telecom as one of the three mobile operators (alongside Orange and inwi) for mobile airtime recharge services, allowing users to recharge Maroc Telecom numbers through the Chari app.
- Orange MoroccocoreChari partners with Orange as a mobile operator for airtime recharge services. Orange is one of Morocco's three telecom operators whose airtime is available for recharge through the Chari app.
- inwicoreChari partners with inwi as one of Morocco's three telecom operators for mobile airtime recharge services, integrated directly into the Chari app.
- FatouraticoreChari integrates with Fatourati, Morocco's national bill payment network, to enable users to pay water, electricity, phone, and internet bills through the Chari app with national coverage.
- DamaneCashcoreDamaneCash is one of the three partner cash networks integrated with Chari for cash deposit and withdrawal services across Morocco, enabling users to deposit and withdraw cash at partner agency locations.
- ChaabiCashcoreChaabiCash is a partner cash network enabling Chari users to deposit and withdraw cash at agency locations throughout Morocco, integrated into the app's agency locator.
- TasshilatecoreTasshilate is a partner cash network for Chari's cash deposit and withdrawal services, providing physical agency locations across Morocco for users who prefer cash transactions.
- VisacoreChari is a Visa partner, issuing Chari Standard Visa physical and virtual cards to users. Cards are accepted online, in-store, and for contactless payments globally through the Visa network.
- Bank Al-MaghribcoreBank Al-Maghrib is Morocco's central bank that granted Chari its payment institution license, making Chari the first VC-backed startup in Morocco to receive such a license. This regulatory relationship enables Chari to issue IBANs, process transfers, and offer financial services.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Chari competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MaxAB: Cairo-headquartered B2B e-commerce platform supplying FMCG goods to informal retailers across MENA. Highly comparable to Chari in business model (B2B ordering + financing for epiciers) and target customer segment, though focused on Egypt rather than Morocco.
- Wasoko: Kenya-based B2B e-commerce platform serving informal retailers with FMCG supply, digital payments, and embedded credit across East and West Africa. Closest direct peer to Chari in combining B2B procurement with merchant financial services at scale.
- TradeDepot: Nigeria-headquartered B2B e-commerce and fintech platform connecting FMCG manufacturers to informal retailers with embedded payments and credit. Direct competitor in the Africa B2B FMCG + fintech category.
- Wave: Senegal-based mobile money super-app offering mobile wallets, P2P transfers, and merchant payments across West Africa including Ivory Coast. Operates in the same geographies and serves similar unbanked/underbanked segments as Chari.
- OPay: Nigeria-headquartered mobile payments and wallet super-app offering cards, transfers, airtime, and merchant services across multiple African markets. Comparable in super-app breadth and emerging-market focus, though at significantly larger scale.
- PalmPay: Africa-focused mobile wallet offering free transfers, airtime, bill payments, and merchant acceptance. Comparable to chari.ma in targeting unbanked users with a free-to-use wallet super-app.
Broad incumbents
- Orange Money: Pan-African mobile money service operated by Orange Group (also a Chari investor and recharge partner). Comparable as an established mobile wallet and merchant payment service across Francophone Africa, with materially larger agent network.
- Flutterwave: Pan-African payments infrastructure company providing merchant payment processing, card issuing, and BaaS APIs. Comparable as an African fintech with embedded payments and developer-facing platform; Chari's ChariBaaS plays in adjacent territory.
Emerging players
- TymeBank: South African digital bank serving mass-market and underserved customers with low-fee accounts and merchant tools. Comparable mission of serving underbanked segments through mobile-first banking infrastructure.
Others
- Onafriq (formerly MFS Africa): Pan-African payments hub connecting mobile wallets, banks, and money operators across the continent. Adjacent infrastructure provider in the African fintech ecosystem that Chari could integrate with for cross-border wallet interoperability.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Chari social profiles
Digital presenceChari compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Chari financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chari leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Chari subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Chari funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds14 records
Investors31 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chari M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chari
What does Chari do?
Chari provides a licensed mobile-first digital wallet (chari.ma) and B2B e-commerce platform serving small retailers (epiciers) and unbanked consumers in Morocco, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast. Its product suite includes a Moroccan IBAN-issued wallet, Chari Standard Visa card, free P2P transfers, telecom recharge, bill payment via Fatourati, QR/link merchant payment acceptance, gaming top-ups and cash deposit/withdrawal through partner networks, all powered by an underlying Banking-as-a-Service infrastructure (ChariBaaS).
Is Chari a public or private company?
Chari is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Chari founded?
Chari was founded in 2020. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Chari based?
Chari is headquartered in Casablanca, Morocco, in the Africa region.
How does Chari make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Transaction and Payment Processing Fees are the primary driver. The others are telecom Recharge Commissions, bill Payment Processing (Fatourati), gaming Vouchers and Top-Up, P2P Transfer Fees and baaS API and Embedded Finance Licensing.
Who are Chari's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MaxAB, Wasoko, TradeDepot, Wave, OPay and PalmPay. Broad incumbents are Orange Money and Flutterwave. TymeBank is listed as an emerging player. Onafriq (formerly MFS Africa) is listed as an others.
Does Chari have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chari.
What industry is Chari in?
Chari's product category is Digital Mobile Payments and Embedded Finance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMAIAG, Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services, with a secondary code of FSAMAFAF, A2A Checkout & Merchant Acceptance Solutions. Its NAICS code is 5222.