List of Naira Debit Cards That Work For International Transactions

In Nigeria, the Central Bank has allegedly instructed Banks to suspend naira debit cards from processing international transactions. This comes a few months after some banks opened their naira debit cards to international transactions at exquisite black market rates.

Having to request a virtual USD card to make an international transaction denominated in the Nigerian Naira could be appalling. In most cases, you would end up paying more than you should. This is why I have compiled a list of active Naira cards that support international transactions.

Let’s get started with our list…

1. Providus Bank Classic and Platinum Cards

Despite claims by other commercial banks that the Central Bank has instructed them to suspend processing international transactions with the naira cards, Providus Bank is one of the few banks that has upped their game by allowing their naira cards to process international transactions.

The only disadvantage of the Providus Classic or Platinum Mastercard is that the exchange rate is determined using the black market rate and not the Central Bank’s. Aside from that, you would enjoy a seamless cross-border experience.

I have tested the Providus Bank Platinum cards on hundreds of websites and never has it declined. I also read a tweep who was so confident that her Providus Bank cards would respond in North Korea. The Platinum card has a monthly spending limit of $3,000 while the Classic card allows you to spend up to $1,200 monthly.

If you want to try Providus Bank cards, you would be required to create a savings or current account with Providus Bank. To create a savings or current account with Providus Bank, you would be required to provide a means of identification (International Passport, Voters’ Card, National ID Card or a Driver’s License), Utility Bill of less than three months validity, and an account opening deposit. If you open your account online, the account opening deposit to activate your account is #100,000 but if you open in a Providus Bank branch, you would be required to deposit #250,000 to activate your account. You can request a card immediately if you open your account in a branch. If you opened online, you would have to contact Providus Bank through their official channels to request a card. It would be sent to you free of charge via DHL or any other courier service.

The issuance fee for the Providus Platinum Card is #5,100 while the Classic Card costs #1,200 only. The fee might change with time. If you need to contact Providus Bank, call 070077684387 or send an e-mail to providus@providusbank.com (or businessconcierge@providusbank.com). Alternatively, you can reach out to them on their verified Facebook or X (Twitter) handles. Read my review about the Providus Platinum naira card here.

2. Odeshi Card by SplitCash

SplitCash allows you to share subscriptions with friends and random people while splitting the bill. It is easy, seamless and affordable as well. You can share Canva, Apple Music, Spotify and other subscriptions with people without having to pay too much.

Inside the SplitCash app is an opportunity to create a virtual naira card. This virtual naira card (known as the Odeshi card) has been tested to work on international platforms such as Apple Music and Stripe.

To create an Odeshi Card, you are expected to download the SplitCash app and sign up. Upgrade your account by providing your BVN and request for the virtual card. The Odeshi card costs a #1,500 creation fee and a #700 monthly maintenance fee.

At the moment, the Odeshi Card can only be created on the iOS version of the SplitCash app as the team claims to be working on making the feature available on the Android app soon.

3. FETSWALLET VIRTUAL UNIONPAY CARD

Fetswallet and Union Pay International recently partnered to make the UnionPay cards available virtually to customers of Fetswallet. The virtual UnionPay cards can process international transactions in Nigerian Naira on any website that accepts UnionPay cards.

This is an incredible feat for Fetswallet as more users are turning in to use their card services. The card costs a #1,000 issuance fee and has no monthly fee. It has a weekly transaction limit of five million naira as well.

To use the UnionPay virtual card issued by Fetswallet, prospects are required to visit Fetslimited.com or download the Fetswallet app on Google PlayStore or Apple AppStore. They can sign up from there and upgrade to tier 3 to get access to Fetswallet UnionPay virtual cards. You must upgrade your account to tier 3 before you can request the Fetswallet UnionPay virtual card.

To contact Fetswallet support, call 01-6312360 or send an email to customercare@fetswallet.com. You can also open a support ticket at fetswallet.freshdesk.com. To the best of my knowledge, Fetswallet does not engage social media complaints, hence, you might be wasting time sending complaints that would not be read if you reach them on Facebook or X.

4. Access Bank American Express Credit Card

Popular commercial bank, Access Bank Plc introduced the American Express credit card in July 2023. The Access Bank American Express credit card comes in two variants: the American Express Gold Card and the American Express Platinum Card.

The Access Bank Gold Credit Card is a dual currency credit card that allows you to pay in Nigerian Naira for local transactions and US Dollars for international transactions. It comes with a fixed $3 card fee for issuance, replacement and renewals (every three years at card expiration). An annual service fee of $75 is also charged by Access Bank at the end of every business year. Other fees charged on the Access Bank American Express Gold plan are displayed in the table below

S/N	DESCRIPTION	FEES
1.	Interest rate	2.5% monthly
2.	Late payment fee	$35
3.	Daily ATM Limit	$1,000
4.	Daily POS Limit	$20,000
5.	ATM Withdrawal Fee (International only)	5% of the transaction amount
6.	Markup fee (on cross-currency conversion)	3.5% of the transaction amount
7.	ATM withdrawal fee (local)	free

The markup fee on cross-currency conversion is applied when you purchase in a currency that is not the Nigerian Naira or the US Dollar. To apply for the Access Bank American Express Gold card, you are required to have up to $5,000 as cashback collateral in your Access Bank Domiciliary account. I spoke with a staff at Access Bank who also informed me that I could get the card if I had up to $2,000 for cashback collateral. In the response I got from the Access Bank Premium Support Team, no minimum cashback amount was stated but prospects are required to provide a USD cash collateral cover of 110% of their credit limit.

The Access Bank American Express Platinum Credit Card, on the other hand, has higher limits and more fees. It is a metal card that comes with premium support and more benefits. Subscribers of the Platinum card can earn points and redeem the points with flight tickets and hotel stays. It is also a dual currency card that allows you to spend more home and away.

The Access Bank AMEX Platinum card comes at an issuance, renewal and replacement fee of $500. The annual service fee is pegged at $100. The other fees for using the Access Bank American Express Platinum card are as follows:

S/N	DESCRIPTION	FEES
1.	Interest rate	2.5% monthly
2.	Late payment fee	$100
3.	Daily ATM Limit	$2,000
4.	Daily POS Limit	$50,000
5.	ATM Withdrawal Fee (International only)	6% of the transaction amount
6.	Markup fee (on cross-currency conversion)	3.5% of the transaction amount
7.	ATM withdrawal fee (local)	free

NOTE: The fees indicated in this article are subject to changes by Access Bank PLC and American Express INC. To apply for the Access Bank American Express Gold or Platinum cards, contact your Access Bank Account Officer or visit the Customer Care Centre of any Access Bank branch. Alternatively, you can send an email to premiumsupportteam@accessbankplc.com requesting the Amex Gold or Platinum card.

5. OPAY VIRTUAL & PHYSICAL NAIRA CARD

Opay Limited is becoming a game-changer in Nigeria’s banking sector. The Opay virtual and physical naira cards are Verve debit cards that can be used on a limited number of platforms.

I was shocked some weeks ago when I was able to pay a subscription to Google’s Play store using my Opay Virtual Verve card. It worked like a charm and I was debited the exact amount. That looked like a good thing.

No doubt, you can make payments using your Opay Virtual Verve Card on international platforms like Google Play Store, Uber, Canva and Apple Music. To request the Opay Virtual or Physical Verve Cards, you would have to sign up on the Opay app and upgrade your account to tier 3.

Opay has an issuance fee of #500 for its virtual card and a free issuance of its physical cards. Customers are to pay a delivery fee of around #1,200 to get it delivered to their locations. Alternatively, customers can choose to pick a card up from an agent at a free or cheaper cost.

Conclusion: Other Bank Cards and Limitations.

The Zenith Bank naira debit card, Guaranty Trust Bank naira debit card and Gomoney virtual naira card are also a great deal on a limited number of platforms. To the best of my knowledge, they work for Google Play subscriptions. Kuda Bank also highlighted that their Visa naira debit cards work on Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The UBA naira prepaid and debit cards cannot process international transactions either. Alat by Wema has notified the general public that their naira cards have stopped processing international transactions for the time being. They are also working on getting integrated with UnionPay cards as speculated on their X (Twitter) handle weeks ago.

If none of these options is accessible to you, kindly go for a domiciliary account and request a debit card in USD, EURO, or GBP depending on the currency of the account you signed up for. Alternatively, you can use virtual prepaid card services like Chipper Cash, Klasha or other card services.

If you have issues or get stuck, you can ask questions using the comment section below and I will put you through. Have a great day paying for foreign transactions in Naira!

I wish you all the best!