Google has teamed up with Verve, Africa’s largest domestic card scheme, to offer Nigerians the convenience of making local payments on the Google Play Store.
Effective immediately, Nigerians can use their Verve cards to facilitate purchases on the platform, marking a significant stride in advancing the country’s digital ecosystem.
Through this innovative partnership, Google will process Verve transactions within Nigeria, allowing users to transact in Nigerian Naira (NG) and be treated as local transactions by the nation’s banking institutions. With this enhanced payment method, any Nigerian with an Android device and a Verve card can seamlessly navigate the Google Play Store and access the apps they need with ease.
Anthea Crawford, Head of Retail and Payment Partnerships at Google Play, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, saying, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Verve, expanding Google Play access for more Nigerians. The introduction of local payments with Verve cards is a significant milestone, enabling more Nigerians to participate in the app economy and access the apps they need.”
Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director of Verve International, highlighted the partnership’s impact on financial inclusion, stating, “the integration with Google Play is a significant stride towards achieving Verve’s vision of promoting financial inclusion. We are excited to bring digital content and services closer to Verve cardholders, hence bridging the digital divide.”
As the leading payment card scheme in Nigeria, Verve’s growing acceptance is driving financial inclusion by extending digital services to a wider segment of the Nigerian population. With this newfound accessibility, users can effortlessly link their Verve Cards to their Google Play Account and pay in Naira, eliminating any complexities from the payment process.
How to use your Verve card on Google Play
To use their Verve cards on the Google Play Store, users can follow these simple steps:
- Open the Play Store and select the desired app for purchase.
- Click the displayed amount on the screen.
- Select “add credit or debit card” and input the Verve card details as prompted.
- Alternatively, visit pay.google.com, log in using a Gmail account, click on ‘Add a payment method,’ enter the Verve card details, and save. Subsequently, users can return to the Play Store to make purchases, with the card charged automatically.
