Verve International, the payment card subsidiary of Interswitch Group, has announced its membership in two major global industry bodies: the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) and the NEXO Standards community.
The move is a strategic play to align Africa’s largest domestic card scheme with international best practices in cybersecurity, interoperability, and cross-border payment infrastructure.
Strengthening the Shield: The PCI SSC Alliance
By joining the PCI SSC – the global authority that sets the rules for protecting cardholder data, Verve is positioning itself at the table where global security standards are drafted.
The Goal: To ensure that banks, processors, and merchants using Verve meet the most stringent requirements to prevent fraud and data breaches.
The Impact: Beyond compliance, Verve will now provide an African perspective to the council, ensuring that global security protocols account for the unique dynamics of the continent’s digital economy.
Seamless Transactions: The NEXO Standards Integration
Verve’s entry into the NEXO Standards community focuses on technical “language.” NEXO provides universal messaging protocols that allow payment terminals, banks, and processors to communicate regardless of borders.
Interoperability: This membership will simplify how Verve cards interact with international payment systems.
Scalability: It accelerates the speed at which Verve can roll out new payment acceptance innovations for merchants and acquirers, particularly for cross-border trade.
Speaking on the dual membership, Vincent Ogbunude, managing director of Verve International, noted that the move reinforces the brand’s mission to provide “future-ready” solutions.
“Security, trust, and seamless interoperability remain central to Verve’s mission. Joining the PCI Security Standards Council and the NEXO Standards community strengthens our alignment with global best practices and enhances our ability to deliver secure, scalable, and future-ready payment solutions,” Ogbunude stated.
What This Means for the African Market
For issuers and merchants, Verve’s global alignment reduces technical barriers and operational risks. As Africa’s digital commerce landscape becomes increasingly integrated with global markets, having a homegrown scheme that speaks the “global language” of security and messaging is critical for long-term competitiveness.
Techeconomy’s perceptive is that Verve’s membership in these bodies is a clear signal that it is looking beyond being a local champion.
By adopting PCI and NEXO standards, Verve is removing the technical friction that often hampers domestic schemes when they try to scale internationally.
For the Nigerian fintech ecosystem, this raises the bar for security expectations and moves the industry closer to a unified, global standard of operation.
