Mada: Saudi Arabia's NationalPayment Network Explained

What Is Mada?

Mada (مدى) is Saudi Arabia's national payment network, operated by Saudi Payments — a subsidiary of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). Launched in 2016 as a rebranding and expansion of the existing SPAN (Saudi Payments Network), Mada has grown to become the backbone of electronic payments in the Kingdom.

Mada primarily operates as a debit card network, meaning transactions are debited directly from the cardholder's bank account. However, Mada has expanded to include prepaid cards and, through co-badging with Visa and Mastercard, offers international acceptance as well.

With over 40 million Mada cards in circulation and acceptance at virtually every point of sale in Saudi Arabia, Mada is the single most important payment method for any business operating in the Kingdom.

Mada by the Numbers

How Does Mada Work?

Mada operates as a domestic interbank network. When a customer pays with their Mada card at a Saudi merchant, the transaction is routed through Saudi Payments' infrastructure — keeping the transaction data within the Kingdom and enabling real-time settlement between Saudi banks.

Which Banks Issue Mada Cards?

Every licensed bank in Saudi Arabia is required to issue Mada cards to their customers. The major issuers include:

Because Mada is mandated by SAMA, virtually every Saudi bank account holder has a Mada card — making it the most universally held payment instrument in the Kingdom.

Mada for E-Commerce: What You Need to Know

Accepting Mada online requires a payment gateway that is certified by Saudi Payments for Mada e-commerce processing. Not all international payment gateways support Mada — this is one of the most common pain points for businesses entering the Saudi market.

Key requirements for Mada online acceptance:

• Saudi Payments certification for your payment gateway or acquirer
• 3D Secure (3DS2) support — mandatory for Mada online transactions
• BIN range support for Mada card numbers (different from Visa/Mastercard ranges)
• SAR (Saudi Riyal) settlement capability
• SAMA compliance for data handling and transaction reporting

Mada vs. Visa / Mastercard in Saudi Arabia

Accepting Mada with Miles Pay

Miles Pay is fully certified for Mada e-commerce and in-store processing. Our platform handles all the complexity — Saudi Payments certification, 3DS2 authentication, BIN routing, and SAR settlement — so you can start accepting Mada with a single API integration.

Mada is included in the Miles Pay unified GCC payment API alongside KNET (Kuwait), Jaywan (UAE), Benefit (Bahrain), and every other regional payment method. One integration, one dashboard, one settlement.

// Miles Pay — charge with Mada support
const charge = await milesPay.charges.create({
  amount: 50000,       // in halalas (SAR 500.00)
  currency: 'SAR',
  payment_method: {
    type: 'card',      // Mada routes automatically
    card_token: token,
  },
  three_d_secure: true, // Required for Mada online
  metadata: { order_id: 'ORD-002' },
});