Arab Financial Services (formerly AFS Pay) card reader review 2026: tap to pay fees and rating
Regional processor, live nationwide in Egypt since 05.01.2026 with its own SoftPOS licence from the Central Bank of Egypt: 'received a SoftPOS license from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE)'. One of the few providers with an explicitly granted national SoftPOS licence.
The score measures transparency, reach and certification of the offer — not how well the app works. See the formula
Arab Financial Services (AFS) offers AFS Pay – SoftPOS (Tap-to-Phone) for Android. Transaction fee: on request; monthly fee: on request. Security certification: PCI DSS. Available in: Bahrain, Egypt, other MEA markets.
Arab Financial Services (AFS) terms in full
| Product name | AFS Pay – SoftPOS (Tap-to-Phone) |
|---|---|
| Provider type | SoftPOS + hardware |
| Headquarters | Bahrain (Manama) |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Platforms | Android (smartphone or tablet, Google Play); AFS lists 'Tap to Pay on iPhone' as a separate product |
| Certification | PCI DSS, PCI PIN and ISO according to the 'Our certifications' section; SoftPOS licence from the Central Bank of Egypt |
| Transaction fee | on request, no price published |
| Monthly fee | on request |
| Setup cost | on request; 'No new hardware' |
| Contract term | k.A. |
| Cards accepted | Visa, Mastercard, Google Pay |
| PIN entry on screen | n/a |
| Transaction limit | n/a |
| Target customers | Banks and merchants in Bahrain, Egypt and other MEA markets |
| Available markets | Bahrain, Egypt, other MEA markets |
| Website | afs.com.bh |
| Data source | Open primary source ↗ |
Alternatives to Arab Financial Services (AFS)
Comparable providers in Middle East / Africa:
- Network International — on request, Rating 3.0
- Nearpay — on request, Rating 3.1
- PayTabs — on request, Rating 3.5
- Paymob — on request, Rating 3.6
- Geidea — on request, Rating 3.7
Compare all providers in Middle East / Africa →
Frequently asked questions
Arab Financial Services tap to pay: do I need any extra hardware?
Not necessarily. Arab Financial Services (AFS) sells card terminals as well, but its tap to pay product works on a phone you already own, with no extra hardware. Supported platforms: Android.
Which countries is Arab Financial Services available in?
By our records: Bahrain, Egypt, other MEA markets. Availability changes, and the date above the table is when we last checked.