Benefit, Bahrain’s leader in Fintech and electronic financial transactions, recorded 261.2 million transactions across the Electronic Fund Transfer System (EFTS)in the first half (H1) of 2026.
These transactions, processed across bank channels and BenefitPay application, had a combined value of BD19.3 billion ($51.16 billion). The reported EFTS figures include successfully completed transactions only.
Transaction volume increased by 7.6% compared with 242.7 million transactions recorded in the first half of 2025, while the total value rose by 6.1% from BD18.2 billion. The results reflect the continued adoption of digital payment and transfer solutions across the kingdom, a Benefit release said.
BenefitPay accounted for approximately 246.0 million transactions across all EFTS services, Fawri+, Fawri and Fawateer, with a total value of BD5.4 billion. This represented year-on-year growth of 7.2% in both volume and value, compared with 229.4 million transactions worth BD5.1 billion in the first half of 2025.
Fawri+ recorded 248.1 million transactions across all channels, valued at BD5.4 billion. This marked an increase of 8.0% in volume and 17.7% in value compared with 229.7 million transactions worth BD4.6 billion in the same period of 2025. Fawri+ transactions conducted through BenefitPay rose by 7.6% to approximately 241.0 million, while their value increased by 13.1% to BD4.8 billion.
Fawri processed 7.3 million transactions across all channels, with a total value of BD13.2 billion, compared with 7.1 million transactions worth BD13.0 billion in the first half of 2025. This represented a growth of 3.5% in transaction volume and 1.8% in value.
Through BenefitPay, Fawri recorded approximately 145.8 thousand transactions valued at BD400.5 million, compared with 331.1 thousand transactions worth BD608.6 million during the corresponding period of 2025. This represented a decline of 56.0% in volume and 34.2% in value.
Fawateer recorded 5.7 million transactions across all channels, compared with 5.9 million during the first half of 2025, representing a 4.0% decline. Despite the lower transaction volume, their total value increased by 11.4% to BD672.4 million, up from BD603.4 million in the corresponding period last year.
Fawateer transactions conducted through BenefitPay totalled approximately 4.9 million and were valued at BD262.6 million, compared with 5.1 million transactions worth BD243.0 million in the first half of 2025. Transaction volume decreased by 4.8%, while the value increased by 8.1%.
The Bahrain Credit Reference Bureau, operated by Benefit, issued 11.1 thousand consumer and corporate credit reports during the first half of 2026, a 0.2% increase from 11.0 thousand reports in the corresponding period of 2025. The Bureau also recorded approximately 249.1 thousand credit enquiries, up 1.3% from approximately 245.9 thousand in the first half of last year.
Benefit also delivered several notable achievements during the first half of 2026. These included launching the digital Direct Debit service through Fawateer on BenefitPay, in which monthly Direct Debit service for bill payments in collaboration with the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) was introduced. The company also launched new features on BenefitPay including Scheduled Transfers to help users manage recurring payments more conveniently and personal QR codes display on the home screen to make payments and transfers faster and easier.
In addition, Rain became the first licensed crypto-asset platform in Bahrain to enable payments through BenefitPay. This provided its users with an additional local payment option while supporting greater connectivity across Bahrain’s digital financial ecosystem.
Benefit continued to invest in talent development during the period, celebrating the graduation of the second cohort of Fintech Drivers Programme and launching the third cohort of its Ruwaad Leadership Programme. It also introduced the fifth edition of Masar, its fintech training programme, and launched the Tawajuh Summer Programme to strengthen students’ career awareness and help them make informed academic and professional choices.
The company was also recognised among Bahrain’s Top 50 Companies, reflecting its position and contribution to the kingdom’s digital transformation and fintech sector.-- TradeArabia News Service
Send us your company’s news today and they could be featured on ABC’s Community News tommorow.
