Launched on March 12, 2024, the MIA instant payment system has become one of the most important digital transformations in Moldova's financial sector in just two years, and has also proven itself to be a successful project at the regional level - the NBM
According to the National Bank of Moldova (NBM), thanks to real-time money transfers available around the clock, the MIA system created by the NBM has radically changed the way citizens, companies, and government agencies make payments, contributing to increased economic efficiency, reduced operating costs, and accelerated digitization of payments in Moldovan lei. Today, the MIA system is present throughout the country, both in cities and in rural areas, and is used by every second citizen who has at least one bank account. This fact confirms the rapid implementation of the solution at the national level. In just two years since its launch, MIA has become a common tool for fast money transfers, allowing payments to be made in real time, in a matter of seconds, directly from internet and mobile banking applications, regardless of the operating hours of payment systems. The steady growth in the number of users and transaction volume reflects the public's confidence in this modern payment infrastructure, which combines speed, simplicity, and security. Using a phone number to initiate payments has made transfers easier and more accessible to a growing number of users. The MIA system, implemented and developed by the NBM, has demonstrated that a state-owned payment infrastructure can bring about real changes in the financial behavior of the population, contributing to the modernization of financial services and accelerating the transition to a digital economy. The development of MIA continued with the integration of payments for businesses (P2B) on July 31, 2024, and payments to government agencies (P2G) on July 31, 2025, which strengthened the system's role as a national payment infrastructure. This expansion accelerated and increased the efficiency of financial interactions between citizens, businesses, and the state, contributing to greater transparency and simplification of administrative processes. This event confirms MIA's role as the backbone of the national payment infrastructure and a tool for modernizing public and private financial services. Starting March 2, 2026, the MIA instant payment system was expanded to allow instant transfers between legal entities (business-to-business – B2B), thereby diversifying the scope of fast payments in the business environment. Companies can initiate and receive payments in Moldovan lei 24/7, with real-time settlements, including outside the working hours of payment service providers. Thus, instant B2B transfers can be used to pay bills, advances, or other commercial payments, simplifying the management of financial flows. The commission is 0.7% of the transfer amount, but does not exceed 40 lei per transaction, which ensures predictable costs for companies. Through this expanded activity, MIA contributes to accelerating money circulation in the economy, reducing delays in commercial transactions, and supporting the digitalization of financial processes, strengthening its role as a modern payment infrastructure for the Moldovan economy. The NBM Governor Anca Dragu emphasized that the development of the MIA instant payment system reflects the positive transformations taking place in Moldova's economy and its ability to implement modern, secure, and transparent financial solutions based on trust and focused on the real needs of people and the business environment. “MIA shows how modern payments can simplify the lives of citizens and provide small businesses with effective tools for development. At the same time, MIA demonstrates that Moldova is becoming a more interconnected, more inclusive, and better prepared economy for the European path. Thanks to its continuous development, MIA is changing the way money circulates in the economy, and for the business environment, this means speed, efficiency, and a real competitive advantage,” said the NBM Governor. At the same time, Anca Dragu noted that MIA is the result of the work of a dedicated team at the National Bank of Moldova, which continues to develop and modernize the payment infrastructure so that the benefits of these transformations are directly felt by citizens and the business environment. “MIA shows that Moldova can develop rapidly when there is vision, cooperation, and trust in a common project,” emphasized the NBM Governor. According to the National Bank, thanks to its modern architecture and continuous development of functionality, the MIA instant payment system is recognized as an example of best practice at the regional level in the field of payment infrastructure. Gradual implementation focused on real user needs—from transfers between individuals to payments for businesses, government services, and, more recently, instant transfers between companies—has allowed the system to be tested, adapted, and expanded in a sustainable manner, turning MIA into a successful regional project. The relevance and impact of the project have also been confirmed at the international level. The MIA Instant Payments project was awarded the Silver Award at the Romanian PR Award 2025 for the campaign “A Thousand Reasons to Try MIA,” which strengthens the position of the National Bank of Moldova as the initiator of one of the most advanced payment infrastructures in the region. At the same time, shortly after its launch, the MIA system was awarded the “Innovation of the Year 2024” award, confirming its significant impact on the modernization of payments and Moldova's positioning as a regional leader in digital payments. In the future, the NBM's priorities include integrating MIA with other regional instant payment systems in the context of Moldova's accession to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) on March 6, 2025, and technical integration with the European financial ecosystem on October 6, 2025. Anca Dragu emphasizes that Moldova's integration into the European financial space reflects the NBM's clear commitment to innovation, as well as its commitment to developing secure, accessible, and European-standard financial services for the benefit of citizens and the development of the national economy. // 12.03.2026 — InfoMarket
