BICEC

Name

BICEC

Legal name

BANQUE INTERNATIONALE DU CAMEROUN POUR L'EPARGNE ET LE CREDIT

Website

https://bicec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Credit Cards & Revolving Credit (FSABAAAC)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Commercial lending
• Payment cards
• Corporate banking
• Bancassurance products

Headquarters

HQ city

Douala

HQ country

Cameroon

HQ region

Africa

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Lending: BICEC generates revenue through interest on various credit products including personal loans, mortgage loans, school loans, overdraft facilities, and business financing (investment credit, working capital facilities, documentary credits, factoring)
2. Transaction and Banking Fees: Fees from account maintenance, wire transfers, card transactions, currency exchange operations, and international operations
3. Insurance Products (Bancassurance): Revenue from insurance product distribution including travel insurance, retirement savings plans, life insurance, and card protection insurance
4. Digital Banking Services: Revenue from online banking subscriptions, mobile banking transactions, and electronic payment processing

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BICEC is a commercial bank offering a full suite of retail and corporate banking products and services, including checking and savings accounts, Visa and GIMAC payment cards, consumer and business credit (personal loans, mortgages, school financing, overdrafts, factoring, leasing, documentary credits), term deposits and retirement plans, bancassurance products, merchant acquiring via E-Pay Box terminals, and digital channels (online banking, phone banking, and BI-PAY mobile wallet). Its distribution spans 40 branches, 2 business centers, and an extensive ATM/POS network across Cameroon, serving individuals, professionals, civil servants, SMEs, and large enterprises.

Product overview

BICEC (Banque Internationale du Cameroun pour l'Epargne et le Crédit) operates as a comprehensive commercial bank with a diversified portfolio of over 50 products and services organized across retail banking (Compte Chèque, Compte d'Épargne, Package tiers), premium cards (Visa Gold, Visa Infinite/Platinum, Visa Business Premium), digital channels (Bicec.com, Bicec Info, BI-PAY mobile wallet), financing solutions (Crédit Scolaire CRESCO, Prêt Personnel, Crédit Immobilier, BICEC Factor factoring, BICEC Bail leasing), savings/investment products (BICEC Immo, BICEC Junior, BICEC Optima, Retraite Plus, Super Capi), insurance (Sécuricarte, Assurance Voyage Schengen, Securibusiness), and merchant services (E-Pay Box POS, Teletrans batch processing). The bank integrates with VISA and GIMAC payment networks, utility providers (ENEO, CAMWATER, CANAL+), and international correspondent banks to deliver banking services across Cameroon's 40 branches serving individuals, professionals, and corporate clients as a subsidiary of Groupe BCP.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Compte Chèque Checking account for individuals enabling daily banking operations including transfers, deposits, withdrawals, and access to payment cards.
• Compte d'Épargne Interest-bearing savings account with access to GIMAC cards for deposits and withdrawals.
• Compte Courant Entreprise Business current account with VISA Business cards, cash management solutions, and investment financing for enterprises.
• Visa Gold International gold credit card with medical and travel insurance, global ATM access, weekly withdrawal limit of 2,000,000 FCFA and monthly POS payment limit of 5,000,000 FCFA.
• Visa Classic International classic credit card with EMV technology for secure daily transactions and global acceptance.
• Visa Serenity Budget-focused international VISA card with competitive pricing and 1,000,000 FCFA spending limit.
• Visa Infinite / Platinum Premium international cards with high spending limits (up to 15,000,000 FCFA for Infinite), airport lounge access, travel insurance, purchase protection, and concierge services.
• Express GIMAC Regional GIMAC network card with 300,000 FCFA weekly ATM limit and 500,000 FCFA monthly POS limit for local and CEMAC transactions.
• Confort GIMAC Savings account GIMAC card with 750,000 FCFA spending limit and competitive pricing.
• Moov GIMAC Student-focused GIMAC card with special offers and benefits for enrolled students.
• Visa Business Premium Premium business card with 4,000,000 FCFA monthly POS limit and 10,000,000 FCFA monthly payment ceiling for corporate expenses.
• Visa Business International business card for professional expense management with 2,000,000 FCFA withdrawal and 5,000,000 FCFA payment limits.
• BICEC.COM Online Banking Online banking platform for 24/7 account access, national transfers, check ordering, currency exchange rates, and account alerts.
• BICEC INFO Phone Banking Phone banking service accessible 24/7 via 8092 for SMS-based account balance, RIB retrieval, and transaction history.
• BI-PAY Mobile Wallet Mobile wallet enabling bill payments (ENEO, CANAL, CAMWATER), QR code purchases, cardless ATM withdrawals, money transfers to GIMAC network, and mobile money top-ups.
• Crédit Scolaire (CRESCO) Short-term school fee financing available July through February with online application via crescodigital.bicec.com, maximum 11-month duration.
• Prêt Personnel Personal loan for vehicle purchase, land acquisition, home improvement, consumer goods, and family events with up to 48-month repayment.
• Crédit Immobilier Long-term mortgage for primary residence, secondary home, or rental property investment with up to 120-month repayment term.
• Autorisation de Découvert Overdraft facility providing flexible budget management up to 50% of monthly salary, renewable 1-12 month terms.
• Crédit Anti-Foirage Emergency credit for unexpected expenses or cash flow gaps, providing up to 2 months salary for 6-month repayment.
• Crédit Achat Terrain Short-term personal loan for land purchase or home improvements up to 5,000,000 FCFA with 48-month repayment.
• Facilité de Caisse / Découvert Entreprise Short-term business credit for temporary cash flow gaps from operational cycles, with 3-month cash facility or 1-year renewable overdraft.
• Escompte de Papier Commercial Commercial paper discounting enabling businesses to receive upfront payment by selling trade receivables to BICEC.
• Crédit de Campagne Seasonal business credit for working capital needs of companies with cyclical activity patterns.
• Crédit Documentaire Letter of credit for import/export transactions providing payment guarantees to sellers and delivery assurance to buyers.
• Lettre de Crédit Stand-by Standby letter of credit guaranteeing commercial payment obligations against contractor non-performance.
• Crédit Spot Entreprise Very short-term business credit for specific operational needs, renewed monthly with annual authorization.
• BICEC Bail (Leasing) Equipment leasing with purchase option for transport vehicles, construction equipment, production machinery, and IT/medical equipment.
• Crédit d'Investissement Entreprise Medium-term investment credit for fixed asset acquisition with flexible repayment scheduling.
• BICEC Factor Factoring service enabling immediate cash flow from unpaid invoices with 72-hour funding, credit protection, and professional collections.
• BICEC Immo Targeted savings plan for real estate financing with monthly contributions starting at 20,000 FCFA for 1-7 years, followed by preferential mortgage rates.
• BICEC Junior Child savings plan with 10,000 FCFA minimum monthly contribution, Option 2 includes death/disability insurance guaranteeing 1,000,000 FCFA annual payout to child.
• BICEC Optima Progressive-rate term deposit with guaranteed returns increasing over 3-year lock-in period, 1,000,000 FCFA minimum, available for both retail and corporate clients.
• Bon de Caisse Negotiable savings certificate with 3-month to 2-year terms, 500,000 FCFA minimum, competitive market-linked returns.
• Dépôt à Terme Entreprise Corporate term deposit from 1 month to 1 year with 500,000 FCFA minimum opening, guaranteed fixed rates.
• E-Pay Box Merchant Terminal POS terminal enabling merchants to accept VISA card payments with real-time account crediting.
• Teletrans Virements+ Digital batch wire transfer platform for salary, supplier, and mass payment processing with multi-level approval workflow.
• Teletrans Prélèvements Automated direct debit processing for insurance premiums and subscription management via secure file exchange.
• E-Clearing Digital check deposit and wire transfer submission platform for high-volume business remittance processing.
• E-Facture Electronic invoicing platform for business-to-business invoice submission and payment tracking.
• Retraite Plus Retirement savings with 2.5% minimum guaranteed rate, optional death/total disability coverage, and asset protection from creditors.
• Super Retraite Enhanced retirement plan with 3.5% minimum guaranteed rate and supplementary death/disability coverage paying remaining contributions.
• Super Capi Single-premium capital accumulation with 3% minimum rate, 3-year minimum term, 3,000,000 FCFA minimum, tax-free inheritance to beneficiaries.
• BICEC Secure Plus Death benefit insurance paying accumulated account balance as capital to designated beneficiary.
• BICEC Secure Compte Overdraft protection insurance covering up to 400,000 FCFA balance at death with no medical questionnaire required.
• Sécuricarte Card and document protection covering fraudulent card use, lost/stolen papers, and cash theft from ATMs, with international coverage.
• Assurance Voyage Schengen Travel insurance required for Schengen visa applications covering medical transport, repatriation, legal assistance, and baggage search.
• Securibusiness Business card insurance through Allianz covering document replacement, fraudulent transactions, and baggage loss up to 1,000,000 FCFA annually.
• Club des Fonctionnaires Civil servant banking program offering 15% discount on products, relaxed account opening terms, and Orange-BICEC fleet subscription for free internal calls.

Quantifiable outcome

• Response to credit applications within 72 hours
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• VISAcoreTechnology or Integration · 5 March 2025Strategic partnership with VISA for payment cards and electronic payment services. BICEC offers multiple VISA card tiers including Gold, Classic, Serenity, Infinite, and Platinum. At VISA Summit 2025 in Douala, BICEC received awards for Best Premium Services and Best Corporate Services.
• Orange CamerounmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2023Partnership for digital services including mobile integration and payment solutions. Orange is also linked through the Flotte Orange-BICEC Fonctionnaires initiative for free calls to advisors.
• COFACEmajorTechnology or Integration · 17 May 2022Strategic and historical partner for BICEC FACTOR factoring solution. COFACE provides credit insurance and risk management expertise for the factoring service, enabling guaranteed payment of commercial receivables.
• MINDEF (Ministry of Defense)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 August 2021Credit protocol for defense forces personnel, signed August 2021.
• MINESUP (Ministry of Higher Education)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 July 2021Partnership protocol for credit facilities to university staff and personnel. Signed July 2021 and renewed in March 2025.
• CUD (City of Douala)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 July 2021Credit convention for City of Douala staff personnel.
• MINFOPRA and ENAMmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 May 2021Protocol agreements signed for banking services to ministry and national school of administration personnel.
• ENEO CamerounminorOthersUtility company partner; ENEO bills accepted as proof of address for account opening and for bill payment through BI-PAY.
• CAMWATERminorOthersWater utility partner; CAMWATER bills accepted as proof of address for account opening.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Société Générale Cameroun: Major French-affiliated universal bank operating in Cameroon with a comparable full-service retail and corporate franchise; competes head-to-head with BICEC for the same salary-driven retail, SME and large-corporate segments across Cameroon's main cities.
• Standard Chartered Bank Cameroon: International universal bank in Cameroon focused on corporate, trade finance and priority-banking clients with strong card and FX offerings; directly comparable to BICEC's corporate and premium-card positioning.
• Banque Atlantique Cameroun: Subsidiary of Atlantic Financial Group (AfricInvest network) providing retail, SME and corporate banking in Cameroon with regional CEMAC/WAEMU reach; directly comparable universal-banking competitor to BICEC.
• BGFI Bank Cameroun: Cameroon unit of BGFI Bank Group, the leading Central African banking group operating across CEMAC; comparable to BICEC as a competing regional commercial bank targeting corporates, SMEs and salary-based retail customers in Cameroon.
• Afriland First Bank Cameroun: One of Cameroon's largest locally-rooted commercial banks serving retail, SME and large corporates; a direct competitor to BICEC for the same Cameroonian retail and corporate customers and closely comparable in branch-network footprint.
• Commercial Bank of Cameroon (CBC): Domestic Cameroonian commercial bank focused on retail, SME and corporate banking with a similar national branch and digital model; competes with BICEC for local currency deposits and lending across the country.
• Ecobank Cameroon: Subsidiary of pan-African Ecobank Group offering retail, SME and corporate banking in Cameroon with strong digital and CEMAC-wide reach; directly comparable to BICEC as a commercial bank targeting the same universal-banking customer base.
• Orabank Cameroun: Subsidiary of Oragroup (formerly Orabank), a West/Central African financial group offering retail, SME and corporate banking in Cameroon; directly comparable in scale and universal-banking positioning to BICEC.
• United Bank for Africa (UBA) Cameroon: UBA's Cameroonian subsidiary is a pan-African-affiliated universal bank competing in retail, SME and corporate banking; comparable to BICEC in its multi-segment strategy and reliance on a foreign parent group for cross-border capabilities.
• Attijariwafa Bank Cameroun: Cameroon subsidiary of Moroccan banking group Attijariwafa Bank, operating a parallel universal-banking franchise anchored in CEMAC; structurally analogous to BICEC as another Moroccan-affiliated full-service commercial bank in Cameroon competing for the same retail and corporate wallet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bicec_sa
• Facebookfacebook.com/Bicec.SA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bicecsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BICEC