Visa and Mastercard facilitated the first international card transactions in Syria on August 27, marking the return of card payments in the country after more than fifteen years of absence. This advancement follows the removal of Syria from the US state sponsors of terrorism list, after a 45-day congressional review period. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa made the symbolic transaction by purchasing coffee with a Visa card at a restaurant in Damascus. Around 80 to 90 percent of Syria’s 25 million inhabitants remain unbanked, and local infrastructure remains limited with few payment terminals and unreliable electricity.
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