Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) has launched Google Pay services through two of its subsidiaries, allowing customers to make online payments while enabling businesses to receive payments through the platform.
The development coincides with the official launch of Google Pay in Nigeria, with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) and HabariPay already integrating the service into their operations
Under the arrangement, GTBank customers can add their eligible debit cards to Google Wallet and use Google Pay to make online purchases locally and internationally .the same time, businesses using Squad, the payment gateway operated by GTCO’s payments subsidiary, HabariPay, can now offer Google Pay as a payment option to customers at checkout.
The integration allows GTCO to serve both sides of digital transactions, providing payment options for consumers while helping businesses receive payments more easily. For GTBank customers, the process involves adding an eligible debit card to Google Wallet through an Android device or Google Account. Once the card has been linked, customers can select Google Pay when making online purchases without repeatedly entering their card numbers, expiry dates or security codes.
Google Pay uses digital tokens in place of actual card numbers, helping to protect sensitive payment information during transactions.
The service can be used on online platforms that accept Google Pay, including subscription services, travel booking websites, food delivery platforms, utility payment services and other digital businesses. For merchants, Google Pay has been added to Squad’s checkout options alongside existing methods such as card payments, bank transfers, USSD, direct bank payments and buy-now-pay-later services.
GTCO said the feature is automatically available to merchants using Squad, although businesses can choose to disable it.
Merchants whose accounts are configured to accept international payments can also receive payments from Google Pay users in other countries, potentially expanding their access to international customers and Nigerians living abroad.
Commenting on the development, GTCO Group Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje, said the integration was designed to address challenges that often cause customers to abandon online purchases.
He explained that many online transactions are abandoned before completion, resulting in lost sales for businesses.
Agbaje said the group’s decision to make Google Pay available to both GTBank customers and Squad merchants from the first day of its Nigerian launch reflected its commitment to making digital payments safer and easier.
He added that the integration brought together the different services offered by the group’s banking and payment businesses, allowing customers and merchants to benefit from a more convenient payment experience.
Also speaking, HabariPay Managing Director, Eduofon Japhet, said the integration would help businesses reduce the number of steps customers need to complete when making online payments.
According to her, Squad merchants can now offer Google Pay through their existing checkout system without having to undertake additional integration.
She added that businesses configured for international transactions would be able to receive Google Pay payments from customers around the world.
GTCO operates across Africa and the United Kingdom, providing banking, payment processing, funds management and pension administration services.
Its payments subsidiary, HabariPay Limited, provides digital payment solutions to businesses through Squad, which offers payment gateways, payment links, virtual accounts and point-of-sale services.
