Stanbic Bank Ghana and Visa have launched a rewards program that pays customers cashback for spending on cards locally and waives merchant fees, as Ghana pushes toward digital payments.
The Local Card Usage Initiative arrives at a telling moment. Card payments still trail mobile money, which dominates everyday spending and counted about 26.7 million active accounts by December 2025, according to Bank of Ghana figures. Banks are now fighting for a bigger slice of that market.
The push also feeds a national goal. In February 2026 the Bank of Ghana released a payment systems strategy running through 2029, aimed at a less cash reliant economy. Stanbic and Visa are pitching card spending, plus cheaper acceptance for shops, as one route there.
Customers who use their existing Stanbic Visa debit or credit cards at partner outlets will earn cashback once they hit set spending levels, along with discounts at selected shops. Merchants gain something more immediate: free transactions on Stanbic card terminals, which cuts the cost of taking digital payments. Hisense, Shoprite and Decathlon are the first partners, with more expected in the coming months.
The event also closed the first leg of the bank’s 2026 World Cup promotion, Bank the Moment, which rewarded heavy card users with funded trips to watch the tournament live. Stanbic built the campaign around three themes, including support for the Black Stars, who beat Panama by a single goal in their Group L opener on Wednesday.
Chidinma Braye-Yankee, the bank’s Head of Brand and Marketing, framed the program as a bet on local loyalty. “Ghana is our home, and we drive her growth,” she said.
Fabrice Konan, Country Head for Visa Ghana, welcomed the scheme and said it served both shoppers and merchants while moving the country closer to cashless trade.
Whether cards can dent mobile money’s lead is the harder question. For now, Stanbic is betting that cashback and free terminals will nudge more Ghanaians to tap a card rather than send a wallet transfer.
