Visa and Mastercard executed their first international card transactions in Syria on Wednesday, following the U.S. government’s removal of Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism two days prior. The move ends a designation imposed in 1979 and represents the latest step in Washington’s incremental easing of sanctions, which began with the termination of comprehensive measures in December 2025 while retaining targeted restrictions on specific entities and individuals.
Mastercard, in partnership with Qatar’s QNB Group, completed what it described as the world’s first end-to-end international card payment in Syria. The system enables Syrian merchants—including hotels, restaurants, and government entities—to accept Mastercard credit cards via point-of-sale terminals. Eligible merchants are being added gradually through a phased rollout, subject to regulatory approvals.
Visa conducted its first live international transaction in Syria in collaboration with Lebanon’s Fransabank, which served as the acquiring financial institution, and Paymera, a Syrian payments technology company owned by the country’s sovereign wealth fund. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa participated in the Visa test by making a card payment at a restaurant in Damascus’s historic Old City, with Central Bank Governor Mohammed Safwat Raslan in attendance.
The phased rollout does not yet provide nationwide coverage, according to the central bank, which noted that months of technical preparations and testing preceded the launch. The development follows a statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani prior to the U.S. decision, in which he described the removal of the terrorism designation as the "last obstacle" to investment, business activity, and the reconstruction of Syria’s economic life. The central bank emphasized that broader adoption will depend on further regulatory clearances and infrastructure expansion.
