DHAKA, May 19, 2026 (BSS) – Bangladesh Bank (BB) has issued new guidelines for ‘Add Money’ transactions from bank cards to personal Mobile Financial Services (MFS) accounts, aiming to strengthen transparency, prevent digital fraud, and reinforce Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CFT) compliance in the country’s expanding digital financial ecosystem.

To this end, the central bank today issued a circular. 

Under the new framework, the central bank introduced phased security protocols for linking cards with MFS accounts.

 Initially, a mandatory token transaction of up to Tk 500 will be required for first-time card linking.

 After the transaction, users must wait 24 hours before regular ‘Add Money’ transactions can be conducted.

According to the circular, the measure is intended to create an additional safeguard against unauthorized or fraudulent card-linking attempts.

However, from August 1, 2023, the token transaction and waiting period may be waived if the MFS provider can verify that the cardholder and MFS account holder are the same individual through matching registration information, including National Identity (NID) data shared between the bank and the MFS provider.

The circular also introduced a significant operational change by reclassifying card-to-MFS ‘Add Money’ transactions from “Market Payment” to “Fund Transfer.”

As part of this transition, the beneficiary MFS wallet number must now be visible to the card-issuing institution during transactions. 

The move is expected to improve transaction traceability, enhance audit transparency, and strengthen monitoring capabilities of banks and financial institutions.

Previously, such transactions were processed under the “Market Payment” category, which provided limited visibility regarding the ultimate beneficiary of transferred funds.

Bangladesh Bank instructed all banks and MFS providers to complete required system upgrades and technical adjustments by July 31, 2026.

The central bank warned that from August 1, 2026, any provider failing to comply with the new directives would face suspension of the card-to-MFS ‘Add Money’ service.