Mastercard and Interswitch said eligible Mastercard cardholders in Nigeria can now use Google Pay for contactless payments on Android phones, adding a major mobile wallet to a market where cash and local cards remain widely used.

The service uses Mastercard’s tokenization technology, which replaces a customer’s card details with a unique digital credential so the actual card number isn’t exposed during a purchase. Cardholders add a supported card to Google Pay and tap their phone at any terminal that accepts contactless payments.

Interswitch, the Nigerian payments company, worked with Mastercard to connect multiple card-issuing banks to the tokenization and processing systems the wallet needs, the companies said. They didn’t name the participating banks or say how many customers are eligible.

“Consumers increasingly expect payment experiences that are simple, secure and seamlessly integrated into their daily lives,” said Kari Tukur, Mastercard’s country manager for West Africa.

Olumide Balagon, Google’s country director for West Africa, said the launch would make everyday transactions faster and safer by removing the friction of carrying physical cards. He referred to the product as Google Wallet in his remarks. The companies’ announcement otherwise calls the service Google Pay.

Second Place in a Local-Led Market

Mastercard is the second-largest card brand in Nigeria. It accounts for about 30% of the country’s card users. Visa is held by about 18% of cardholders, and Interswitch’s Verve scheme controls about 54% of the market, according to Statista research cited by Nigerian press. The shares overlap because some Nigerians hold more than one card, and the underlying data covers 2019 to 2023. The Central Bank of Nigeria and the card networks haven’t published a more recent breakdown by scheme.

Verve’s lead rests on issuance. The scheme said it passed 70 million issued cards in Nigeria after adding 20 million in 15 months, a figure that comes from Verve and counts cards issued rather than cards in active use. Fintech lenders have helped drive that growth. OPay and Moniepoint issued 17 million Verve cards between them as fintechs moved away from Visa and Mastercard, according to a 2024 TechCabal report. Business Day reported that the naira’s devaluation made dollar-denominated international scheme fees more expensive, adding to the shift to local cards.

Interswitch runs Verve and helped launch a wallet for a rival scheme’s cards. Akeem Lawal, its managing director for payment, switching and processing, said the company’s work built the issuer connectivity, tokenization and processing capabilities needed to bring tap-to-pay and wallet-based payments to Nigerian consumers.

Limits to Reach

The rollout doesn’t cover Verve or Visa cards. The announcement also didn’t address iPhone users, who would need Apple Inc.’s own wallet service. Contactless acceptance is a prerequisite, and the companies didn’t say how widely such terminals are deployed. Cash remains a major part of in-store payments in Nigeria, although its share has fallen since the pandemic.

Growing Market

The launch comes as Nigerians shift toward electronic payments. Data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System showed digital payment volumes reached 11.2 billion transactions in 2026, with total value above 1.07 quadrillion naira, the companies said.

For lenders, the wallet offers another way to engage customers on their phones. Merchants with contactless-enabled terminals could see faster checkout, according to the statement. The companies didn’t disclose financial terms or say whether other card networks will follow.