BML cardholders complain about restrictions on e-commerce websites

Feb 22, 2026, 6:48 AM
BML CEO Mohamed Shareef. -- Photo: President's Office

BML CEO Mohamed Shareef. -- Photo: President's Office

The Bank of Maldives (BML) cardholders have complained about restrictions on foreign e-commerce websites such as Amazon and AliExpress,

People who complained on social media platforms said they were unable to use their BML cards on Amazon, AliExpress and the PlayStation Store.

Social media personality and whistleblower Hassan Kurusee and some other social media users accused BML of blocking some websites from accepting the card.

However, a bank spokesperson told Adhadhu on Tuesday (February 17) that BML had not blocked any e-commerce website.

In June 2025, the bank decided to charge a 30 percent fee for every transaction made on the six most popular websites.

Fees will be charged on debit card transactions on Temu, Shein, Alibaba, AliExpress, Lazada and eBay.

BML said at the time that it spent USD 45 million a month on foreign transactions and 75 percent were from the websites that were subject to the fee.

The bank said Maldivians buy USD 7 million worth of goods a month on Temu alone. The bank will receive USD 13.5 million a month in fees from e-commerce platforms.

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