How to get a Mastercard in Nigeria

Mastercard is the name for a global brand of electronic cards and it is now available in Nigeria. They provide card products which allows the holder to make payments, settle bills, access credit and carry money without actually carrying physical money. With a Mastercard, you can carry money electronically across the world in almost all the countries of the world.

Brief about Mastercard
Mastercard started as a US company by a group of banks in California and it was originally named MasterCharge and it wanted to serve as a better alternative to Visa card which was also initially named BankAmericard.

Card products have already being in Nigeria before the advent of brands like Mastercard but with its coming, it has opened up Nigeria to a lot more opportunities such as global e-commerce. Now, you can carry money from Nigeria across the world and in various cities without necessarily taking cash or a traveller's cheque. Mastercard gives you access to over 1.9 million ATMs worldwide and that is something huge.

Types of Mastercard in Nigeria
There are two denominations of Mastercard in Nigeria and they are:
- Naira Mastercard
- Dollar Mastercard

The dollarized mastercard came in first before the naira mastercard and it is simply a prepaid card funded with US dollars. You can use it on the internet for payments and even on ATMs outside Nigeria when you travel. Funding is normally made by you when you want to get the card and it can be linked to a domicilliary account you've setup.

The Naira mastercard is simply the one that is domiciled in Naira and you can use it at P.O.S., ATMs within and outside Nigeria although most people prefer using the dollar mastercard when they travel to avoid exchange rate issues. The naira mastercard works as an ATM card but can also be used globally to make for payments, withdraw money and access credit.

How do you get a Mastercard in Nigeria?
It's simple.
- Just go to any Nigerian bank that offers Mastercard debit cards and most of them do
- Apply and submit copies of your credentials
- Wait for a few days and you card should be ready

What you need to get a Mastercard in Nigeria
- Funds - You need a bank account or funds
- Valid form of id e.g National id, driving licence or International passport
- Proof of resident eg. Utility bill such as phone or Nepa(PHCN) bill
- Filled application form