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Nigeria hasn’t moved with the times as fast as other African countries, so it’s worth getting clued up on how to get the best out of your plastic.
The two major credit card networks are Visa and Mastercard, but due to widespread financial fraud, cash is still king in Nigeria. The country has only just started to offer American Express after years on the provider’s black list, so you may find it hard to use your Amex.
While many of the big hotels and businesses may accept credit cards, you are more likely to come across vendors that only accept cash payments.
Wherever cards are an accepted payment method in Nigeria, it’s likely it’ll be Visa or Mastercard. American Express cards are accepted only in high-end restaurants and hotels. Discover cards aren’t accepted at all.
| Merchant acceptance | ATM acceptance | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa |  Medium | Medium |
| Mastercard | Medium | Medium |
| American Express |  Low | Not accepted |
| Discover | Not accepted | Not accepted |
Using a credit card in Nigeria could come with the following fees:
Yes. Avoid this by paying in local currency and using a credit card without foreign transaction fees.
Credit cards without foreign transaction fees can save you a fee of up to 3% on every purchase made outside the US.
United Airlines and their partner Lufthansa offer flights between the US and Nigeria. With a United credit card, you could earn and redeem miles on these flights and save money on purchases abroad.
Consider a cobranded Delta credit card, too. Delta offers nonstop flights to Lagos with a shorter flight duration than competitor airlines. However, since this is an American Express card, consider using it only to save money on your flights, as it may not be accepted in Nigeria.
Nigerians mostly use chip-and-PIN credit cards. If you want to avoid unpleasant situations and card declines, ask your bank to provide you with a four-digit PIN before traveling.
Nigeria is known for credit card fraud, which is why it was blacklisted by Amex for so long. Follow these tips to improve your credit card safety:
Credit card purchases in Nigeria are limited to hotels and restaurants at popular tourist destinations. You’ll need cash to make purchases everywhere else.
ATMs can give you a good exchange rate for local currency, but using a credit card will incur a cash advance fee and interest from the moment you make the withdrawal. You can avoid this with a debit card.
No, but you can try calling Uber and paying with a credit card through the app.
Credit cards aren’t widely accepted in Nigeria, although this may change in the future. Until then, carry enough cash to get around.
Consider using a debit card for cash withdrawals to avoid cash advance fees and an APR. For everything else you buy, a travel credit card without foreign transaction fees is the way to go.
See more guides on using a credit card in other countries.
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