In plain words
mada is the shared language that every Saudi bank card and every Saudi card terminal speak. When you tap your bank card at a supermarket in Jeddah, the terminal does not need to know which bank you use. It sends the payment to mada, and mada passes it to your bank to approve. It is one of the national payment systems owned by SAMA, the Saudi Central Bank. 1
The network launched in 1990, long before contactless cards and phone wallets. Today it covers payment terminals, ATMs and online shops, and it supports tapping a card or a phone, adding a card to Apple Pay, and paying online with an extra security check. 1
Think of it as Saudi Arabia’s own card scheme for debit cards. Visa and Mastercard connect banks across the world. mada connects banks inside Saudi Arabia, under rules set at home. For anyone launching a card product or taking card payments in the country, it is the network most customers will reach for first.
How it works
How a mada payment works
A tap at the till. A round trip through the national switch to the customer’s bank.
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1
The customer taps or inserts a mada card
Or pays with a phone, or enters card details at an online checkout.
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2
The terminal sends it to mada
Through the merchant’s acquirer, to mada’s central system.
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3
The customer’s bank approves or declines
mada routes the request to the card issuer, which checks the balance and its fraud rules, within a few seconds.
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4
The merchant is paid
The approval goes back to the terminal, and the money is settled to the merchant through the acquirer.
What mada covers
SAMA lists these mada services. Together they mean a mada card works almost anywhere a Saudi customer wants to pay. 1
Payment terminals and ATMs
Every connected POS terminal and ATM routes mada card payments to the right bank.
mada Atheer
Contactless payments by card or phone, using near-field communication (NFC).
mada Pay and Apple Pay
A mada wallet for Android phones, and mada cards in Apple Pay, both using tokenisation to protect card details.
Phones as terminals
An app that lets merchants accept card payments on an Android phone, without a separate terminal.
mada vs Visa and Mastercard
Many Saudi debit cards carry both the mada logo and a Visa or Mastercard logo. This is called co-badging. The two networks do different jobs.
| mada | Visa or Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | Inside Saudi Arabia, plus mada Pay abroad where terminals support it | Worldwide |
| Who sets the rules | The Saudi national system, owned by SAMA | The international scheme |
| Card types | Mainly debit cards from Saudi banks | Debit, credit and prepaid |
| Role on a co-badged card | Typically handles domestic payments | Typically handles payments abroad and with merchants that do not accept mada |
| Merchant pricing | Set within the Saudi framework; ask your acquirer | Set by the scheme, the issuer and the acquirer |
For a merchant or payment provider, the practical point is routing. A checkout or terminal that sends every Saudi card down the Visa or Mastercard route can see more declines and different costs than one that recognises mada cards. Ask your acquirer exactly how it handles them.
What mada means for a fintech
If you accept payments
- Choose an acquirer or gateway that supports mada
- Show mada as a payment option at checkout
- Support Apple Pay and contactless for mada cards
- Test 3-D Secure flows with mada cards before launch
If you issue cards
- An international BIN alone may not meet local expectations
- Issuing on mada runs through a licensed Saudi issuer
- Your ledger must handle mada and scheme transactions side by side
- Disputes and refunds follow each network’s own rules
For a card programme, the issuer is usually a Saudi bank or another SAMA-licensed institution. A fintech typically works with that issuer and a program manager rather than joining mada directly.
mada matters for wallets too, even if you never issue a card. Customers will want to top up with their mada card, so the wallet needs a provider that accepts mada online, a clear 3-D Secure step, and a ledger that records each top-up with the card network it came from. Withdrawals back to a bank account usually go over SARIE instead, so plan for both rails from the start.
National card schemes elsewhere
Several countries run a domestic card network alongside Visa and Mastercard. Others rely on the international schemes alone.
| Market | Domestic card scheme |
|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | mada |
| UAE | Jaywan, launched by the Central Bank of the UAE’s payments company |
| United Kingdom | None for card payments; debit cards run on Visa or Mastercard. Cash machines share the LINK network |
| European Union | Varies by country; some have their own, such as Cartes Bancaires in France and girocard in Germany |
A product built for the UK, where Visa and Mastercard cover almost everything, needs real changes for Saudi Arabia. Plan for them per country, as described in the GCC expansion configuration matrix.
Example: an online store adds mada
Noor sells handmade homeware online from Jeddah. Her checkout accepts Visa and Mastercard, but many shoppers abandon it.
- The problem. Many of her customers pay with mada debit cards. Her gateway was not set up to recognise them, so some payments failed or took a costlier route.
- The fix. She moves to a payment provider that supports mada e-commerce, adds a mada option at checkout and turns on Apple Pay.
- The checks. Each mada payment now goes through 3-D Secure, and her provider routes mada cards through mada.
- The result. More shoppers complete their orders, and her monthly statement shows mada and international card payments as separate lines, which makes reconciliation easier.
Common misconceptions
“Accepting Visa and Mastercard covers Saudi customers.”
Many Saudi shoppers pay with mada debit cards. A checkout that does not handle mada properly loses sales.
“mada only works with a physical card.”
It supports contactless, online payments, Apple Pay and the mada Pay wallet on Android phones.
“A fintech can join mada directly.”
Most work through a licensed Saudi issuer or acquirer that is already connected to the network.
FAQ
What is a mada card?
A mada card is a debit card issued by a Saudi bank that runs on mada, Saudi Arabia's national card network. It works at payment terminals, ATMs and online shops across the country, and it is how most people in Saudi Arabia pay by card.
Who owns mada?
mada is one of the national payment systems owned by SAMA, the Saudi Central Bank. It has been operated through Saudi Payments, a company owned by SAMA.
Can I use a mada card outside Saudi Arabia?
Many mada cards are co-badged with Visa or Mastercard, which lets them work abroad. The mada Pay wallet can also be used outside Saudi Arabia where terminals support it, according to SAMA.
Does mada work with Apple Pay?
Yes. mada cards can be added to Apple Pay on iPhones and Apple Watches, and Android users can pay with the mada Pay wallet at terminals that support mada's contactless service, called Atheer.
Can I accept mada payments on my website?
Yes. mada supports online payments, using 3-D Secure to confirm the cardholder. You need a payment provider or acquirer that supports mada, and your checkout should show mada as an option.
What is the difference between mada and SARIE?
mada handles card payments at shops, ATMs and online. SARIE moves money directly between bank accounts. Both are Saudi national payment systems owned by SAMA.
Sources
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1
SC
Saudi Central Bank National payment systems: mada
https://www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/payment/Pages/mada.aspx -
2
SC
Saudi Central Bank Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)
https://www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/Pages/default.aspx
