Google Partners with Verve to Enable Nigerian Users to Purchase Apps on Google Play Store

Google and Verve, the prominent Nigerian payment card brand, have partnered up to enable effortless app purchases on the Google Play Store for Nigerian users. The local currency, Naira (₦‎), will now fuel seamless transactions treated as locals by banks. A digital commerce transformation awaits Nigeria

How to Use the Service

1.Purchase via Google Play Store: Go to the Google Play Store, choose the desired app, enter the amount, and select "add credit or debit card." When prompted, enter your Verve card details.

2. Alternative Method via pay.google.com: Another option is to visit pay.Google.com , log in using your Gmail account, select 'Add a payment method,' input your Verve card information, and save it. Once done, you can proceed to make your purchases on the Play Store.

Presently, YouTube Premium cannot be purchased using a Verve card. However, as of July 2023, Verve, an Interswitch-owned company, has achieved a remarkable milestone by issuing over 50 million payment cards in Nigeria, asserting its dominant position in the country's market.

Offering a glimpse of the landscape, Statista data (January 2022) shows 28% of Nigerian cardholders owned Mastercards, with 18% carrying Visas.

Notably, Verve took the lead between 2019 and 2022, claiming a staggering 54% of all Point of Sale (PoS) and online transactions in Nigeria. Vincent Ogbunude, Verve International's Managing Director, sees the Google Play integration as a major step towards achieving their vision of fostering financial inclusion.

The OPay Verve Instant Debit Card

Venturing further into fostering financial inclusion, Verve has forged noteworthy partnerships with various Nigerian enterprises. An exceptional instance unfolded in 2022, as they joined forces with Opay, introducing the game-changing OPay Verve instant debit card. Seamlessly linked to users' wallets, this card empowers them to make wallet-based purchases at all Verve-affiliated spots: PoS terminals, ATMs, grocery stores, restaurants, petrol stations, and online retailers alike, further allowing the horizon of financial accessibility in Nigeria broadens with every stride.

Anthea Crawford, the Head of Retail and Payment Partnerships at Google Play, highlights the importance of the introduction of local payments with Verve cards, as it represents a significant milestone in enabling more Nigerians to participate in the app economy and access the apps they require.