First Pay

First Pay is a payment institution owned by Amen Bank, one of Tunisia's private banks. It was licensed as a resident payment institution by decision No. 59 of the Central Bank of Tunisia's licensing committee dated 1 July 2024, published in the Official Journal on 9 August 2024, under article 10 of Law No. 2016-48 on banks and financial institutions. The decision gave the company six months from notification to start operating. In its August 2024 announcement, First Pay said it would offer cash deposits and withdrawals, direct debits and fund transfers within Tunisia and from abroad, with the stated aims of widening access to digital financial services and reducing cash use. It said it would operate under its own management while staying aligned with the Amen Bank group. Amen Bank already ran AmenPay, a bank-issued mobile payment app, before First Pay was created. First Pay is one of several payment institutions set up by Tunisian banks, alongside Zitouna Payment. We found no public information on a First Pay app, brand or user numbers after the licence announcement, so its operational status is listed as unclear.