News BML / online shopping Maldives Impact 6.0/10 2 min read

BML Imposes 30% Fee on Payments to Popular International Shopping Platforms

Bank of Maldives (BML) introduced a 30% fee on MVR card transactions to international shopping platforms like Temu, SHEIN, Alibaba, AliExpress, Lazada, and eBay. This follows doubling the monthly foreign transaction limit from US$250 to US$500. BML cited high dollar outflows; sources estimate US$20 million monthly outflow. The fee only applies to listed merchants, excluding travel and subscription services. The move is expected to impact Maldivian online shoppers.

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Maldives Republic

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Published

Jun 30, 2025

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📋 Story Brief

Bank of Maldives (BML) introduced a 30% fee on MVR card transactions to international shopping platforms like Temu, SHEIN, Alibaba, AliExpress, Lazada, and eBay. This follows doubling the monthly foreign transaction limit from US$250 to US$500. BML cited high dollar outflows; sources estimate US$20 million monthly outflow. The fee only applies to listed merchants, excluding travel and subscription services. The move is expected to impact Maldivian online shoppers.

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Focus: BML Imposes 30% Fee on Payments to Popular International Shopping Platforms

Unique detail: BML Imposes 30% Fee on Payments to Popular International Sho...

📅 Timeline

08:30

Initial report published

Maldives Republic

👁️ What To Watch

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Official government or institutional statement

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Further reporting from additional sources

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Public and social media reaction

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Related policy or operational changes