GT Pay (GTPay)
GTPay is the online payment gateway from Guaranty Trust Bank (now Guaranty Trust Holding Company — GTCo), one of Nigeria's largest and most recognized tier-1 banks. GTPay enables Nigerian merchants to accept card payments online from customers using Interswitch (Verve), Visa, and Mastercard — both locally issued and international cards. The gateway is backed by GTBank's banking infrastructure and has been serving Nigerian e-commerce merchants since the early days of online payments in Nigeria.
What GTPay Does
GTPay processes card-present-not-required (CNP) transactions for online merchants, collecting payment from customers and settling into the merchant's GTBank business account. The gateway supports NGN (currency code 566) and USD (currency code 840) transactions, making it usable for both local NGN e-commerce and international USD billing.
How Developers Use It
Developers obtain a Merchant ID and Hash Key by physically visiting any GTBank branch nationwide and registering as a GTPay merchant. After registration, integration is done using the technical parameters documented at ibank.gtbank.com/gtpay/IntegrationAPI/mman-tech.html. Key parameters include: gtpay_mert_id (merchant identifier), gtpay_tranx_id (unique transaction ID from merchant), gtpay_tranx_amt (amount in kobo or cents), and gtpay_tranx_curr (ISO currency code — 566 for NGN, 840 for USD). The Hash Key is used to generate a transaction hash for request signing.
Pricing
Local card transactions: 1.5% fee capped at ₦2,000. Contact GTBank for the full fee schedule including international card rates.
Authentication
Merchant ID and Hash Key pair obtained from GTBank branch. Transactions are signed using the Hash Key to generate a security hash that GTBank validates before processing.
Compliance
GTPay is operated by Guaranty Trust Bank (CBN-licensed), ensuring full CBN compliance for all payment processing. PCI DSS compliant for card data handling.
Important Note on Legacy Status
GTCo (formerly GTBank) has since launched Squad (squadco.com) as their modern, developer-first payment platform under HabariPay Limited. Squad offers a comprehensive REST API with sandbox, webhooks, virtual accounts, and full documentation. For new integrations, Squad is the recommended modern alternative to GTPay. GTPay remains operational for existing merchants.
Challenges and Gotchas
(1) Merchant registration requires a physical GTBank branch visit — not self-serve online. (2) GTPay is a legacy product — documentation is older and less comprehensive than modern gateways. (3) No bank transfer, USSD, or recurring billing support. (4) Integration is form-post based rather than modern REST JSON API. (5) New projects should seriously consider Squad (HabariPay) instead.
FAQs
Q: How do I get a GTPay Merchant ID?
A: Visit any GTBank branch nationwide with your business documents to register as a GTPay merchant.
Q: Is GTPay still active?
A: Yes, GTPay remains operational for existing merchants but GTCo's newer platform Squad is the recommended modern alternative.
Q: Does GTPay support USSD or bank transfer?
A: No. GTPay only supports card payments (Interswitch/Verve, Visa, Mastercard).
Q: What currencies does GTPay support?
A: NGN (566) and USD (840).
GTPay's backing by Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) — consistently ranked among Nigeria's top tier-1 banks — provides GTPay merchants with the financial security and institutional credibility that bank-affiliated payment infrastructure carries. For Nigerian businesses where their payment gateway provider's financial stability is a selection criterion — particularly for merchants holding float or awaiting settlement — a bank-affiliated gateway provides assurance that is difficult for independent fintech providers to match.
The settlement process for GTPay transactions credits merchant accounts within GTBank's settlement cycle, with same-day or next-day settlement available for GTPay merchants who also hold GTBank business accounts. This tight integration between payment gateway and bank account reduces settlement float and simplifies reconciliation for merchants whose primary banking relationship is with GTBank, one of the largest retail and commercial banking relationships in Nigeria.