In the absence of ties with the United States, Iranian banks cannot accept American credit cards, a senior Central Bank of Iran (CBI) official said.
According to the english-language Iran daily, Mohsen Rostami, project manager of the CBI payment system, conveyed that foreign tourists intending to visit Iran must be updated about the Iranian montary system before their arrival.
The official added that because of certain economic restraints, international credit cards such as the Visa and Mastercard cannot be used in the country.
"prior to the use of such credit cards, modern telecommunication and monetary systems have to be created," he said, adding that the absence of diplomatic and trade ties with the US, the chief source of credit cards in the world, is the main reason why foreign credit cards are not recognized in Iran.
He proposed that the CBI issue pre-paid credit cards for foreign visitors who are willing to pay in us dollars. (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
