Nigeria has tap-to-pay. Now it needs a reason to tap
Nigeria's tap to pay infrastructure is expanding, but consumer habits could slow widespread adoption.
In Nigeria, certain bank cards can now complete transactions with just a tap, eliminating the need to insert the card into a point-of-sale (PoS) machine. This tap-to-pay feature, powered by Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, was demonstrated by TechCabal using a Verve debit card issued through Wema Bank. The transaction involved withdrawing ₦1,500 ($1.11) from the larger ₦1,600 ($1.19) sum, after which the card was not inserted back into the machine.
TechCabal's video showed a reporter tapping the NFC-enabled card on a PoS terminal to withdraw cash. The contactless symbol on cards and terminals, four curved lines resembling radio waves, indicates that the card or machine can make contactless payments. This technology has been in use in Nigeria since 2015, with major players like Mastercard, Providus Bank, Thales, and Interswitch launching tokenised tap-to-pay solutions in recent years.
Google Pay's entry in October 2026 and the launch of contactless payments through smartphones further highlight the growing interest in this technology. However, wider adoption will depend on whether banks, merchants, and consumers can seamlessly integrate this technology into everyday transactions. Despite the availability of the tap-to-pay feature, some cards and merchants may not support it yet, creating a gap between the infrastructure and consumers.
Written by urgent.news from TechCabal's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
