The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed that all Point of Sale (PoS) terminals across the country be geo-tagged within 60 days as part of efforts to curb fraud and strengthen oversight of digital payments.
“This initiative is designed to ensure that all PoS terminals are traceable and that transactions are secure. Terminals operating outside their registered location will be flagged, and non-compliant devices will be deactivated,” the apex bank stated in a circular dated August 26, 2025.
According to the directive, all existing and newly deployed PoS devices must feature native geolocation capabilities and double-frequency GPS receivers for precise tracking. Terminals that fail to comply by the October 20, 2025, deadline will be barred from operating.
The CBN explained that the policy will help eliminate “ghost” or cloned terminals and enable real-time transaction monitoring. Each PoS device must capture and transmit its location at the start of every transaction, with any activity beyond a 10-meter radius of the registered merchant address automatically flagged for review.
Licensed operators, including major banks and leading fintech firms such as Moniepoint, OPay, and PalmPay, are required to register each terminal with an approved payment aggregator and provide accurate merchant coordinates.
The move forms part of the CBN’s broader plan to modernise Nigeria’s payment infrastructure, improve consumer protection, and ensure that digital financial transactions are secure and fully traceable.
