Mastercard and Interswitch have partnered to bring Google Pay to Nigeria, enabling eligible Mastercard cardholders to make contactless payments using their Android devices. The collaboration, which also involves Google, introduces a new mobile payment option for Nigerian consumers, combining Mastercard’s tokenisation technology with Interswitch’s payment infrastructure to support secure, phone based transactions at participating merchants.
The launch marks another development in Nigeria’s digital payments ecosystem, as financial institutions and technology companies continue to expand the ways consumers can pay for goods and services. With Google Pay, eligible cardholders can add their supported bank cards to Google Wallet and use their Android phones to pay at contactless enabled payment terminals without presenting a physical card.
How the Mastercard and Interswitch partnership works
The launch brings together three key players, each contributing a different part of the payment experience.
Mastercard provides the tokenisation technology that protects card information during digital transactions. Tokenisation works by replacing sensitive card details with a unique digital credential, reducing the need to expose actual card numbers when payments are made.
Interswitch provides the payment infrastructure that connects participating banks to the service. Its work with Mastercard has helped establish the issuer connectivity, tokenisation and processing capabilities required to enable Google Pay for eligible Nigerian cardholders.
Google provides the digital wallet platform through which consumers can add their supported payment cards and make contactless transactions using compatible Android devices.
Kari Tukur, country manager for West Africa at Mastercard, said: “Consumers increasingly expect payment experiences that are simple, secure and seamlessly integrated into their daily lives. Our collaboration with Google brings together the convenience of mobile payments and the security of Mastercard’s tokenisation technology, giving eligible cardholders a seamless way to pay while keeping their card details protected. This launch reflects our continued commitment to working with ecosystem collaborators to deliver innovative, secure and trusted digital payment experiences to consumers across Nigeria.”
Olumide Balagon, Country Director, Google West Africa, said: “We are delighted to bring Google Wallet to Nigeria, a market at the forefront of financial innovation in Africa. Google Wallet makes everyday transactions faster and safer while removing the friction of carrying physical cards. By working alongside Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, we are expanding access to modern digital payment tools for millions of everyday consumers.”
Which Nigerian banks support Google Pay?
Access to Google Pay is currently dependent on the issuing bank and the type of Mastercard held by the customer. Not every Mastercard card in Nigeria is automatically eligible for the service.
Google’s supported payment methods information identifies eligible Mastercard products from the following banks:
- FirstBank: Mastercard debit cards.
- Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank): Mastercard debit and prepaid cards.
- United Bank for Africa (UBA): Mastercard credit, debit and prepaid cards.
- Zenith Bank: Mastercard credit, debit and prepaid cards.
Cardholders can check whether their specific card is supported before attempting to add it to Google Wallet.
To use the service for in store transactions, customers also need an NFC enabled Android device and access to a merchant’s contactless enabled payment terminal. Near Field Communication (NFC) allows compatible devices to exchange information over short distances, making it possible to complete payments by tapping a phone against a terminal.
Interswitch’s role in expanding digital payments
For Interswitch, the collaboration builds on its role in developing the infrastructure that supports electronic payments across Nigeria and other African markets.
Rather than serving only as a consumer facing payment option, Google Pay depends on connections between banks, payment processors, card networks and digital wallet providers. Interswitch’s contribution addresses an important part of this process by helping participating financial institutions connect to the systems required to process tokenised wallet transactions.
Akeem Lawal, MD Payment, Switching and Processing at Interswitch, said: “At Interswitch, we have consistently been at the forefront of payments innovation in Nigeria, building the infrastructure and capabilities that enable the next generation of digital payments. Our work has helped establish the issuer connectivity, tokenisation and payment processing capabilities required to bring ‘tap-to-pay’ and wallet-based payments to Nigerian consumers. We are delighted to support the launch of Google Pay and to continue working with Mastercard, Google and our ecosystem collaborators to make secure, seamless and innovative payment experiences more accessible across Nigeria.”
This infrastructure also has implications for banks and merchants. Participating banks gain another channel through which to extend their card services, while merchants with compatible terminals can accept payments from customers who prefer using their smartphones.
What Google Pay’s arrival means for Nigeria
The launch comes as Nigeria’s digital payments market continues to record significant growth. Data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) shows that electronic payment transactions reached 11.2 billion in 2024, with transaction values exceeding ₦1.07 quadrillion. The figures highlight the growing role of electronic payment channels in consumer and business transactions.
Google Pay introduces contactless mobile payments as another option within this expanding ecosystem. While bank transfers and conventional debit card transactions remain widely used, mobile wallets offer an alternative for consumers who want to complete in store payments using their smartphones.
For consumers, the service reduces the need to carry physical payment cards for supported transactions. For merchants, it creates another way to serve customers, although wider adoption will depend on the availability of compatible contactless terminals.
The rollout also reflects a broader shift towards connecting traditional banking services with digital platforms. As more financial institutions enable mobile wallet services, partnerships between payment networks, processors and technology companies will play an increasingly important role in determining how consumers access and use digital payment solutions.
With Mastercard providing the security technology, Interswitch supporting the payment infrastructure and Google supplying the wallet platform, the partnership brings together the different components required to extend contactless mobile payments to eligible Nigerian consumers.
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