Mastercard, the worldwide funds large, and Interswitch, a Nigerian funds infrastructure supplier, have partnered to deliver Google Pay to eligible Mastercard cardholders in Nigeria, permitting prospects to make contactless funds utilizing Android smartphones.
The product will permit customers so as to add supported financial institution playing cards to Google Wallet, Google’s digital pockets software, and pay at appropriate terminals with out presenting bodily playing cards.
The integration makes use of Mastercard’s tokenisation know-how, which replaces delicate card data with distinctive digital credentials to guard buyer particulars throughout transactions. Interswitch supplies the infrastructure connecting taking part banks to the tokenisation and cost processing programs.
The launch comes as Nigeria’s digital funds market continues to increase.
According to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), the nation’s funds change, immediate cost transactions grew to ₦284.9 trillion ($212 billion) in the primary quarter of 2025, up 21.5% from ₦234.5 trillion ($174.5 billion) in the earlier yr.
The progress displays Nigeria’s growing reliance on real-time financial institution transfers, which have develop into a dominant a part of the nation’s digital funds ecosystem.
Point-of-sale (PoS) infrastructure has expanded alongside digital transactions. By March 2025, Nigeria had 5.9 million deployed PoS terminals, greater than double the quantity recorded the earlier yr.
PoS transaction values reached ₦10.51 trillion ($7.8 billion) in the primary quarter of 2025, about 4 occasions the worth recorded in the earlier yr.
Google Pay’s entry introduces a distinct cost expertise, enabling prospects to finish supported purchases by tapping their telephones slightly than transferring cash or utilizing bodily playing cards.
“Our work has helped establish the issuer connectivity, tokenization and payment processing capabilities required to bring ‘tap-to-pay’ and wallet-based payments to Nigerian consumers,” stated Akeem Lawal, managing director of cost, switching and processing at Interswitch.
Kari Tukur, Mastercard’s nation supervisor for West Africa, stated the collaboration would give eligible prospects one other option to pay whereas defending their card particulars.
Unlike financial institution transfers, which require prospects to enter account particulars or provoke funds by way of banking apps, Google Pay permits customers to pay by holding their Android smartphones close to appropriate point-of-sale (PoS) terminals.
The service makes use of near-field communication (NFC), a wi-fi know-how that permits gadgets to change cost data over quick distances.
Google Pay just isn’t new to Nigeria’s funds ecosystem. Interswitch beforehand built-in the service into its on-line cost gateway, enablingbusinesses to simply accept Google Pay funds.
The newest rollout extends entry to regionally issued playing cards, with Google’s listing of supported Nigerian cost strategies now together with eligible Mastercard playing cards issued by tier-1 banks equivalent to FirstBank, Guaranty Trust Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), and Zenith Bank.
Customers want appropriate Android gadgets with NFC know-how to make contactless funds.
The launch additionally comes as Interswitch expands its tokenised cost infrastructure. On October 26, the corporate introduced collaborations with 5 Nigerian banks—GTBank, Wema Bank, ProvidusUnity Bank, Zenith Bank, and FirstBank—to help tap-to-pay transactions throughout digital wallets and banking purposes.
