A $1,000 cash transfer and a $1,000 wallet credit have different withdrawal rights. A bank credit carries bank access rules. USDC in a self-custodial wallet gives the user signing control and requires a separate route for cash or card spending. The exact OMT and Whish prices below cover domestic USD transactions; an international sender needs a corridor quote.
Results and counterparties
| Route | Delivered result | Control and exposure | Main use |
|---|---|---|---|
| OMT | Cash, OMT Pay balance or OMT card balance, depending on product | OMT and relevant providers control the ledger; the OMT Visa is issued by BLOM Bank | Cash collection and local services |
| Whish | Whish balance, cash or bank credit, depending on the selected route | Whish and its licensed providers control the wallet and card route | Managed wallet, transfers, bills and cash access |
| Bank transfer | Credit in the beneficiary's bank account | The bank and its correspondents control acceptance, access and deductions | Named account credit and bank records |
| Cadmos Pay | Supported digital assets under the user's signing control | User controls the wallet; separate agents and card partners control their own transactions | Free, instant user transfers plus deposits and withdrawals on supported networks including Solana and Tron |
Local wallets retain Lebanese banking-system risk
OMT, Whish and Suyool are licensed local electronic-payment providers. Banque du Liban's Basic Decision 13790 requires licensed e-wallet providers to place 90% of user wallet funds at one or more banks in Lebanon, with part of that amount placed at Banque du Liban through the bank. Up to 10% may be held as cash.
The customer owns a claim recorded by the provider. The underlying money depends on the provider, any card issuer, Lebanese commercial banks and Banque du Liban. The World Bank's Spring 2025 Lebanon Economic Monitor describes the banking sector as impaired and estimates losses above $72 billion. For a customer trying to reduce Lebanese country and banking-system exposure, provider-managed local balances carry a material risk.
Cadmos wallet assets remain on-chain under the user's signing control and outside the Lebanese provider-balance structure. Funding a Cadmos card moves only the selected amount into a foreign card program, where issuer controls and the applicable cross-border charge apply.
OMT cash and card routes
OMT's money-transfer page describes Western Union international transfers and OMT Intra local USD or LBP transfers. Its OMT Pay page covers a managed wallet, wallet transfers, Western Union receipt, bills and the OMT Visa. OMT says the prepaid card is issued by BLOM Bank.
For OMT Intra local USD cash transfers, the schedule effective 1 November 2025 charges $1 for $1–$100, $8 for $501–$1,000, $18 for $2,001–$3,000 and $35 for $4,001–$5,000. The service terms set a $5,000 maximum per USD transaction and specify the identification and collection reference required.
International Western Union prices depend on the corridor. Confirm sender cost, delivered currency and amount, pickup location, cash availability and cancellation terms.
Whish wallet and cash routes
Whish combines a managed wallet with agents, transfers, bill payment and a Visa card. Its FAQ says an international transfer may be credited to the wallet or collected as cash. A later cash withdrawal, bank transfer or card purchase is a separate transaction.
On 28 August 2026, the Whish fee page listed counter and ATM cash funding as free, Whish-to-Whish transfers as free, Lebanon cash pickup at 1%, USD cash-out at 1% and a $3,000 individual-wallet balance limit. Its local USD table listed $1 for $1–$100, $5 for $301–$1,000, $15 for $2,001–$3,000 and $25 for $4,001–$5,000.
The transaction screen determines whether the user receives cash or wallet credit and which later fee applies.
Fresh bank transfer
A fresh-account wire can deliver credit in the beneficiary's legal name with a bank statement and conventional invoice trail. The sender needs the exact beneficiary name, account number or IBAN, SWIFT/BIC, accepted currency and payment reference.
Sender, incoming, correspondent and foreign-exchange charges can reduce the amount delivered. Compliance review and incorrect beneficiary details can delay or return the payment. Byblos Bank's Fresh Account page is one current example that supports inbound and outbound international transfers. Obtain a quote and document checklist from the actual receiving bank.
Lollars remain subject to exceptional repayment rules. Receiving money from abroad in Lebanon covers the current circulars and reform status.
Cadmos transfers, networks, local agents and cards
Cadmos Pay is entirely self-custodial. The user controls the assets and signs every wallet transfer. Cadmos never takes custody and is never the trading or fiat counterparty. Cadmos sets no wallet-balance or cumulative transfer-volume cap on direct supported activity.
A transfer between Cadmos Pay users costs $0 because Cadmos covers the gas. It typically confirms on Arbitrum in 2–3 seconds. The recipient receives a notification and sees the completed transfer in the app.
Cadmos Pay users can deposit and withdraw supported assets across multiple blockchains, including Solana and Tron. The live deposit or withdrawal screen lists the available token-network pairs and shows the address, quote and fee for the selected route where applicable. Select the network first and use the address shown for it.
An eligible user can use these routes where available:
- Another Cadmos Pay user can send through the Transfer tab using a saved contact, phone number, email address or QR code.
- A user can receive from an external wallet through a supported deposit network, including Solana and Tron when displayed.
- A user can withdraw to an external address through a supported network, including Solana and Tron when displayed. The selected route determines the token, address format, quote, fee and confirmation time.
- An independent local agent can quote a purchase or sale of a supported digital asset and settle through cash or another displayed local method. The agent controls the fiat transaction and local liquidity.
- A partner-issued card can spend a separately funded amount. The foreign card program controls authorisations, refunds, card limits and fees. Purchases can carry the applicable cross-border charge, with separate foreign exchange terms where relevant.
Current in-app terms determine agent and card availability. The Lebanon card comparison covers Premium and Standard.
Relationship with OMT and Whish
OMT and Whish operate independently from Cadmos. Where Cadmos Pay displays a local-agent route, the user accepts the quote and settlement method shown for that transaction. The independent agent remains the fiat counterparty and controls local liquidity and availability. Confirm the agent, quote, payment reference, delivered asset and finality before paying.
Published costs for a $1,000 local transfer
| Published route | Listed fee at exactly $1,000 | Balance delivered by that figure |
|---|---|---|
| Cadmos Pay user transfer | $0 | Supported digital assets in the recipient's self-custodial Cadmos wallet, typically confirmed in 2–3 seconds |
| OMT Intra local USD | $8 | Local cash transfer under OMT Intra terms |
| Whish local USD | $5 | Local transfer; the selected destination and any later cash-out determine further cost |
| Bank transfer | No market-wide number | Fresh bank credit after bank, correspondent and FX deductions |
| External supported-network transfer | Live in-app quote | Supported asset on the selected network; available routes include Solana and Tron |
A $1,000 Whish wallet balance later withdrawn in USD would face the separately listed 1% cash-out charge if that live term applies to the selected route. An external blockchain transfer can include a network fee or route quote. Its token, network and address must match the route selected in Cadmos Pay.
Route selection
| Required result | Compare |
|---|---|
| Notes at a known location | OMT and Whish cash quotes, identification, currency, hours and liquidity |
| Managed balance for local bills | OMT Pay and Whish functions, custody, limits and exit fees |
| Named bank credit | Fresh-account eligibility, bank documentation and net amount after deductions |
| Supported assets under user control | Free Cadmos Pay user transfer or a live supported-network route, including Solana and Tron, plus any later cash or card route |
| Online or Apple Pay spending | Card funding, issuer country, cross-border and FX charges, limits and refunds |
For the wider cross-border map, see receiving money from abroad in Lebanon. The Money in Lebanon guide gives a shorter overview.
This comparison is general product information, not legal, tax, investment or financial advice. Provider and in-app terms accepted at the time of a transaction control.