Zenith Bank Plc has opened Google Pay to Nigerian customers with eligible cards, adding a mobile payment option for supported store, online and in-app purchases as Google expands the service locally.
Zenith’s Oct. 28 notice says cardholders must register an eligible card in Wallet and finish verification before making a payment. Google separately announced that day that people in Nigeria could access Wallet and Pay on Android and Wear OS devices.
Google's Nigeria compatibility listing identifies Zenith Mastercard cards across credit, debit and prepaid categories. Google says each issuing bank decides which of its cards are eligible, so the listing does not establish that every Zenith card can be used.
For contactless checkout in stores, Google requires an Android phone with Near Field Communication (NFC) and a terminal that accepts contactless payments. Google Pay can also be used for supported online and in-app purchases, depending on the card and merchant.
Zenith said customers must complete a verification step after adding a supported card. The bank said the payment process uses a token, a digital substitute for the card number. Zenith described the feature as a way to limit exposure of card details, while Google says its service uses multiple security layers and industry-standard encryption.
Google Wallet can also hold loyalty cards, event tickets and boarding passes, according to Google. The app is where customers add supported payment cards, while Google Pay handles payments.
The launch followed an Oct. 27 announcement from First Bank of Nigeria PLC that eligible customers could also use Google Pay. EconoTimes covered First Bank's earlier rollout.
