Google Pay now works in Nigeria: which bank cards qualify and where you can tap to pay

Google Wallet, which includes Google Pay, went live in Nigeria on Wednesday 28 October. Android phone and Wear OS watch users can now add some bank cards and pay by tapping their device in shops, or pay in apps and online without typing card details. At launch only selected cards from four banks work, and many shop card machines cannot yet accept a phone tap.

Google announced on 28 October that Google Wallet and Google Pay are now available in Nigeria. Users add a supported card to the Google Wallet app once, then pay by holding an unlocked phone near a contactless card machine, or by choosing Google Pay at an online or in-app checkout. The app can also hold event tickets, boarding passes and loyalty cards, Channels and BusinessDay reported.

Only four banks are on the list so far: First Bank, GTBank, UBA and Zenith Bank. Most supported cards are Mastercard debit, credit or prepaid cards; the only Visa product named at launch is UBA's Visa prepaid card, Channels reported. Verve cards, which handle more than half of card payments at shops in Nigeria, cards on the national AfriGO scheme, and cards from fintech apps such as OPay, Moniepoint and PalmPay are not yet supported. Mastercard and Interswitch said they built the link that lets banks connect eligible cards, BusinessDay reported.

Paying in a shop needs two things: an Android phone with NFC, the chip that allows contactless payments, and a card machine that accepts contactless taps. Channels noted that such machines are still a small share of the terminals used by Nigerian merchants, so most people will find online checkout the easier place to use the service for now. Payment processors including Paystack, Interswitch and GTCO's Squad gateway say they have added Google Pay to their online checkouts.

On safety, Google says the merchant does not receive your real card number: the card is replaced by a digital code, known as a token, and each payment is confirmed on the phone. If the phone is lost, it can be locked or wiped remotely through Android's Find My Device. The Central Bank of Nigeria already has guidelines that set limits for contactless payments. Reaction online has been mixed: early users shared screenshots of cards added successfully, while others complained that their bank or fintech card is not yet included.

Pidgin: Google Pay don land Naija since Wednesday. If you get Android phone wey get NFC and Mastercard from First Bank, GTBank, UBA or Zenith, you fit add am for Google Wallet and tap phone pay for shop, or pay online without typing card number. Verve and OPay/Moniepoint cards never dey inside yet, and many POS no fit collect tap.

How this affects you: If you bank with First Bank, GTBank, UBA or Zenith and have an eligible Mastercard, you can add it in the Google Wallet app today and use it mostly for online and in-app payments. Before tapping in a shop, ask if the card machine accepts contactless payments. If your card is rejected, contact your bank. Only download Google Wallet from the Play Store, and never share the codes your bank sends you to set it up.