The Bank of Maldives (BML) has announced that it will not charge fees for transactions on any websites other than those previously designated as e-commerce platforms.
The bank clarified that charges apply only to specific platforms already identified under its existing policy, and that no additional fees have been introduced for other online transactions.
The statement follows a social media rumour claiming that the bank was imposing extra charges on online debit card transactions across various e-commerce platforms.
Addressing the claims, BML spokesperson Mohamed Saeed said no new fees have been added since 1 July last year, when a 30 per cent charge was applied to e-commerce transactions made using MVR debit cards on platforms such as Temu, Shein, Alibaba, AliExpress, Lazada and eBay. He dismissed allegations that fees had been discreetly increased across sectors including healthcare, education and transport, as well as other e-commerce merchants, describing them as baseless.
Saeed also clarified that a cross-border fee of up to 30 per cent may apply to foreign transactions. However, he said this is part of the bank’s existing schedule of charges and reflects standard global banking practices, rather than a newly introduced fee. He warned that such rumours could damage the bank’s credibility and pose risks to financial stability.
Customers have been advised to disregard false information and rely only on official announcements from BML.