Visa seeks wider contactless acceptance to unlock payments potential

Visa, a global leader in digital payments operating in more than 200 countries and territories, is calling on banks, fintechs and merchants to accelerate the deployment of contactless payment acceptance across Ghana, arguing that the country’s next phase of digital payments growth will depend on expanding where consumers can use the technology rather than building new infrastructure.

The company says Ghana has already established a strong digital payments foundation through the growth of mobile money, card payments and real-time payment systems. However, wider availability of contactless payment acceptance points will be critical to converting consumer readiness into everyday transaction behaviour.

Fabrice Konan, Country Manager for Visa Ghana, said Ghana’s digital payments ecosystem has matured significantly over the past decade, supported by the coexistence of real-time payment systems, card networks and mobile money platforms operating at scale. He noted that while access to digital payment tools has expanded considerably, a substantial share of daily transactions remains cash based.

“The challenge is no longer infrastructure development but increasing the everyday use of digital payment tools, particularly contactless payments,” Mr. Konan said, adding that the next opportunity lies in closing the gap between the availability of digital payment solutions and their routine use by consumers and merchants.

“Closing that last mile, the gap between availability and everyday usage, is where the real opportunity now sits,” he said.

Visa’s assessment comes as Ghana continues implementing a national payments strategy led by the Bank of Ghana through 2029, aimed at deepening financial inclusion and accelerating the transition toward a digital economy.

Mr. Konan said evidence of consumer readiness is already visible outside Ghana. About half of all Visa transactions made by Ghanaians abroad are conducted through contactless payments, with consumers routinely tapping cards or devices at airports, hotels and retail outlets.

The situation differs significantly in Ghana, where contactless payments account for only a small share of transactions despite the availability of digital payment products.

“The habit has already formed,” Mr. Konan said. “The priority is not to change consumer behavior; it is to ensure that the acceptance layer fully meets it.”

Visa believes expanding merchant acceptance could unlock broader benefits for businesses, particularly small and micro enterprises that dominate large segments of Ghana’s economy.

The company is promoting Tap to Pay and Tap to Phone technologies, which allow merchants to accept payments more quickly and, in some cases, transform smartphones into payment terminals without requiring dedicated point-of-sale hardware.

Mr. Konan said reducing the cost and complexity of accepting digital payments could help bring more informal businesses into the formal financial ecosystem.

When merchants such as provisions sellers, market traders or susu collectors begin receiving digital payments, they generate transaction records that can be used by financial institutions to assess creditworthiness and extend access to loans, insurance an other financial services.

“This is where digital payments move beyond convenience and become a tool for economic inclusion,” he said.

Security remains another key pillar of Visa’s strategy as digital payment volumes increase. Konan said tokenisation technology, which replaces card numbers with unique digital identifiers, has strengthened payment security while improving transaction success rates.

According to Visa, tokenised transactions generate approximately 30 percent less fraud than transactions using traditional card credentials directly.

The company has also increased collaboration with local stakeholders, including the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Association of Banks and the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), to advance contactless adoption and cybersecurity preparedness.

For the future, Mr. Konan identified three priorities for the next 18 months: expanding acceptance infrastructure, strengthening cybersecurity coordination across the industry and deepening engagement with small and medium-sized enterprises.

He said progress across all three areas would determine whether Ghana can translate its strong digital payments foundation into broader adoption and economic impact.“The consumer appetite is demonstrated; the infrastructure must meet them,” Mr. Konan said.

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