Nigerians can now make contactless payments with their Android phones as Google launches Google Wallet and Google Pay in the country, allowing eligible bank cardholders to pay in shops, apps and online without using physical cards.
Google announced the rollout on its Africa blog and official X account, opening up the mobile payment service to users with supported cards from participating Nigerian banks.
The launch initially supports eligible cards from FirstBank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Zenith Bank, although availability varies by bank and card type.
FirstBank supports Mastercard debit cards, while GTBank users can add eligible Mastercard debit and prepaid cards. Zenith Bank supports Mastercard credit, debit and prepaid cards, while UBA supports Mastercard credit, debit and prepaid cards, as well as Visa prepaid cards.
UBA said it had enabled Google Pay for eligible Visa and Mastercard users, giving customers another option for making digital payments.
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc also announced that its payments subsidiary, HabariPay, had enabled the service for merchants using its Squad payment gateway.
With Google Pay, users can pay at supported contactless terminals by holding their compatible Android phones near the payment device. The service also allows payments within supported apps and on websites that offer Google Pay at checkout.
For in-store payments, users need an Android phone equipped with near-field communication (NFC), the technology that enables devices to communicate with nearby payment terminals. The merchant must also accept contactless payments.
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To get started, users must download Google Wallet from the Google Play Store, select the option to add a payment card, enter or scan their card details and complete any verification required by their bank. Once the card is approved, they can use their phone to make eligible payments.
Google Wallet also allows users to store other digital items, including loyalty cards, event tickets and boarding passes, making it more than a payment application.
Google says the service uses multiple layers of security and industry-standard encryption to protect payment information. Users who lose their phones can also use Google’s Find My Device service to lock the device, change its password or erase personal data remotely.
However, not every card issued by the participating banks is eligible, meaning customers must confirm availability with their banks before attempting to add a card.
The launch gives Nigerian Android users another way to make digital payments as electronic transactions become increasingly common. It also introduces a major global mobile wallet to a market where access to phone-based payments using locally issued bank cards has been limited.
Apple Pay, a competing mobile payment service, has faced restrictions for Nigerian users seeking to add locally issued naira-denominated bank cards to Apple Wallet, although some payment terminals in the country can accept Apple Pay transactions from supported cards.
Google Wallet’s arrival could therefore widen the options available to eligible Nigerian cardholders, although its reach will depend on participating banks, supported cards and merchants with compatible payment terminals.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
