Before I start I did like to make it clear that this post refers to the Mastercard Websurfer issued by Zenith Bank Nigeria. It has nothing to do with how Mastercard Websurfer issued by banks in other countries work as I’m not familiar with any of them.
When I first started out online, I used Graphcard issued Visa Gift Cards to make my online payments but later switched to Zenith Bank’s Mastercard Websurfer.
Priced at $20 a year, the Mastercard Websurfer is used to shop online ONLY. I was skeptical about getting the card as there were loads of rumors of online merchants who didn’t accept credit/debit card orders from Nigeria ( Can you blame them? It’s just unfortunate that the frauds amongst us have wreaked so much havoc online that the innocent ones are left to pay the consequences)
When I did finally make up my mind to purchase the card, it was because of the Cons of Graphcard.
Getting a Visa Gift Card from Graphcard can be quite frustrating to some.
First you have to open an account with their sister company, Virtual Terminal Network after which you are required to load your account with Naira via their account with the ever annoying United Bank Of Africa (UBA). After that you log on back to your VTN account and fill in the details of your deposit from your deposit slip. In about 1 hour or thereabout, if the information you filled in is correct, your account will be loaded minus VTN’s cut for the transaction.
With money in your VTN account, you move on to Graphcard, get an account with them and then proceed to load your account using funds from your VTN account. As soon as this is complete, you will be asked if you want to buy a Visa Debit card. Follow the instructions carefully and your order would be placed in line. In less than 4 hours (as it was in my case) you’ll have the number of your Visa Debit Card together with other relevant info like CVV2 code and expiry date. Graphcard charges $5 per card and their cards are NOT reloadable which is why I switched to Zenith Bank’s Mastercard Websurfer.
NOTE: This card is not attached to an address and most merchants require a billing address before they can process your order. Graphcard suggests you get a virtual address with them and they’ll link it to your card.
Their prices are as shown below
Personally, I didn’t get a virtual address. I figured out that since the Visa Gift Card was issued by their company, it would automatically be linked to their company’s address. So whenever I placed an order online with the card I simply used their address as the billing address and it worked every time 
.
The Pros Of getting Graphcard issued Visa Gift Cards are
- Minimum of $25 is what you can buy, if I remember clearly well.
- No yearly fees.
The Cons of getting Graphcard issued Visa Gift Cards are
- It’s not reloadable.
- Too many go betweens (UBA & VTN)
- Not linked to any address
If you plan on getting Zenith Bank’s Mastercard Websurfer do please note the following
- The card is for EXCLUSIVE use on the internet.
- It costs $100 minimum to open plus $20 yearly fee.
- It’s reloadable. Each reloading will cost you $5
- Activation takes 48 hours or less.
The Pros of Zenith Bank’s Mastercard Websurfer include:
- No go betweens as in the case of Graphcard, where you have to go through VTN & UBA before you finally load your Graphcard account.
- Card is linked to the address you filled in your application form.
The Cons of Zenith Bank’s Mastercard Websurfer include:
- If by any chance a transaction is refunded by a merchant, it will take 30 days from day of refund for the funds to be deposited back into your account.
- Some payment processors/merchants like World Pay, don’t accept it. Others that do accept it, might request you send them a scan of the Mastercard Websurfer and also a scan of your international passport or Driver’s license.
- The $100 opening minimum & $20 a year fee might be a bit too pricey for some.
NOTE: If possible ask the merchant if he/she accepts Nigerian Issued Mastercard Websurfer before you order. It so happens that after ordering some merchants, before initiating the verification process, will refund the money back once they see the order is coming from the dreaded Nigeria. Then they’ll ask you to verify your authenticity before they accept your payment. By then it’s too late and you’d have to wait 30 days for your card to reflect the refund. I was a victim with Hostgator.
Due to the high rate of fraud online, I’ll not posting the direct link to their registration page as it might have changed in the past months. Simply go to their Cards Division and get the registration info.
Feel free to elaborate more on this topic if you so wish by commenting below. Notify me of any changes you know of pertaining these debit cards.
For more credit-debit card tips, be sure to read the following posts:UPDATE: Get your Payoneer Mastercard Delivered in Less Than 40 days. Check out this FREE step by step tutorial on How To Order Payoneer MasterCard From LimeExchange
- How To Get A Visa or MasterCard In Nigeria The First One is Zenith Mastercard Websurfer while the other is Payoneer Prepaid MasterCard which can be gotten free from 2CheckOut....
- Too Much Ado About GTB Naira MasterCard Of late most banks have started issuing chip and PIN enabled ATM cards in a bid to reduce the amount of ATM fraud which is scourging the nation @ the moment. If I’m not wrong, EcoBank launched the first ever Naira Credit Card and now GTB has followed suit...
- Nigerians Get Payoneer Prepaid MasterCard Free! UPDATE: Get your Payoneer Mastercard Delivered in Less Than 40 days. Check out this FREE step by step tutorial on How To Order Payoneer MasterCard From LimeExchange Yes oh! This post will save you in the realm of 5,000 to 6,000 naira ($33 to $40) from those “gurus” offering to...
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Yep, Zenith WebSurfer. I used that! However, you forgot one PROS about it.
- You could always get to your transaction history via .pdf request and also login online to see your balance.
Zenith WebSurfer is great, but Real MasterCard is better.
Ahmad Mukoshy’s last blog post..Hi 2009, I’ve been waiting for you.
I agree but then nigerians have been embarrassed in the past while using Mastercards issued by Nigerian Banks abroad. I’ll stick to the Websurfer for now till I can get a Mastercard from a foreign institution.
Chukwudi’s last blog post..Web Hosting Reseller Deals From Hostgator
Awesome article! I have gradually become fan of your article and would like to suggest putting some new updates for more knowledge.
I have never heard of this card. It is so difficult for people in some countries to get credit cards.
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Thanks everyone for your comments
@ John: I’ve never been a huge fan of credit cards. I PREFER spending money I know I’ve earned and not having to worry about owing someone. Mastercard Websurfer is very much available in most countries. I suggest you google “Obtain Mastercard Websurfer In Your Country”
Best of luck with the search
Hi,
Very nice post.Master card are the great resource for online shopping.
Thanks for the sharing all the information.
hi can i use zenith bank master card web surfer to collect my earns from my google adesene account .thanks
Nope! Sorry. Zenith’s Mastercard Websurfer can only be loaded locally @ any branch of Zenith so you can’t use it for Google Adsense
I’m just a newbie to all this but i would love to know
I’ve a graphcard account and would want to get a zenith’s master card web surfer ,how do i activate my graph card account using my zenith’s master card web surfer and how much in all to get a zenith’s master card web surfer
As far as I know, you can’t activate your graphcard account using Zenith’s Mastercard but then again it’s been over 1 year since I transacted with Graphcard and things might have changed.
Zenith Mastercard costs $20/year and minimum of $100 initial deposit. You’ll be charged $5 for subsequent deposits BUT each time you make an order online, you won’t be charged extra by them. I LOVE THE CARD. SIMPLE!
dis master card is really giving me problem,am currently doing a survey program now,and i cannot withdraw d money except i have a master card and i don’t know how 2 apply 4 one?
Thanks for dropping by. Check out Nigerians Get Payoneer Prepaid MasterCard Free!. Hope it helps. Take care and best of luck.
P.S: Do you mind telling me which survey program that accepts Mastercard is?
I also got a problem with my Debit Mastercard. It takes almost half the amount I loaded as fees which is unfair coz fees should be less than 20% of the total amount. And their rate from dollar to other currency are not consistent.
Hi Chuks, thanks 4 d free info on your blog. I’d like to know if one can draw via ATMs from one’s Zenith Websurfer Mastercard?
Nope. The Zenith MasterCard Websurfer is for INTERNET TRANSACTIONS ONLY!
Good work, brother.
I hav a dormicilary acc. with GTB, what about linking or using the GTB Master Card? & how can this work?
For me to be able to help you, you really need to draft your questions well cos I sometimes don’t understand them. Linking your Domicilary account to a GTB MasterCard is quite possible and the last time I checked, it’s the ONLY way of obtaining a MasterCard from GTB. Simply walk into any branch of GTB and ask them about linking your account to a MasterCard.
NOTE: I don’t use GTB MasterCard and some folks have complained that it doesn’t work on certain sites.
What a GREAT article, 5 star for you Bro.
Thanks man
Hi Chuks,
Your blog is one of my 2010 discoveries. As regards to hosting with hostgator, I intend going for their VPS plan, but I found out their VPS PLAN does not come bundled with FANTASTICO DE DELUXE. So I thought about getting license from NETENBERG, but don’t know if they accept MasterCard WebSurfer. A little guide would do Bro
Hostgator’s VPS Plan does come bundled with Fantastico Deluxe. When you land on the home page of hostgator, simply click on View VPS Plans. On the next page, under Flexible and Easy to Use Software, click on Cpanel Demo, scroll down the Cpanel demo page to Softwares/Services and you’ll find Fantastico Deluxe. Hope this helps. If you’re still in doubt send them an email and they’ll confirm this.
Feel free to contact me if you still need help. Best of luck
I got in here through Google search for this particular MasterCard Web surfer.I find the topic very informative and useful,though i am well familiar with Graph card but all the info i needed on Zenith bank Master card Web surfer have been beautifully laid out on this blog site.
I shall book mark your site it’s very relevant and informative.
Thanks
thanks man i’ve been looking for a way to fund a site for text msg. i use gtb mastercard but it gave me this
Transaction – Failed
It appears your transaction has failed.
The following has been provided as a description from the payment gateway:
Error Source: Service.Processing
User Name: jacklyn01
Error Code: 5002
Error Message: Problem with Credit Card
Error Detail: There was a problem with your Credit Card
Bank Error Code: 57
Bank Error Message: BANK – Transaction not permitted to cardholder
Please close the window and try the payment again.
And i don’t have such money to go for zenithbank mastercard. what should i do pls
Jackie, I wish I could help you but I can’t. Coincidentally I just got my GTB Naira MasterCard today and I tried renewing my domain name and was declined. I contacted Netfirms to find out why my card was declined. I’ll possibly stop by the bank tomorrow to find out why as well.
I suggest you take this info to your branch of GTB and see if they have an answer to your problem. Thanks for dropping by
I just got a reply from Netfirms and they say that my card was declined by GTB and not them so I’m hoping to have this resolved tomorrow morning when I visit the bank. I’ll keep you posted
I called GTB card services today and was told that the Naira MasterCard only works on selected Nigerian websites like danaair and flyaero and britishairways.
I called GTB card services today and was told that the Naira MasterCard only works on selected Nigerian websites like danaair and flyaero and britishairways. So if that’s the kind of card you’re trying to use, just forget it. You’d have to get the USD Prepaid MasterCard to shop anywhere online
Thank you so much for expressing my thoughts about zenith websurfer mastercard. i have been using it since last year june and mine is expiring this june. so hopefully i will be renewing it end of June.
i intend to use it to pay for school fees for a candidate in a UK school.I pray it works. keep you posted.
Thanks for the feedback. I’m also making plans of renewing soon as my Hostgator hosting fees will be due come next year February
Thanks for all your info. But i’m kind of confuss right now, i need an affordable card that will enable me pay for goods online and also be able to transfer my online earns into the card. Pls bro which card would u recomend?.thanks
You might want to get a Payoneer MasterCard if you’re interested in transferring your online earnings. See details @ http://www.strictlyonlinebiz.com/blog/lime-exchange-payoneer-mastercard-application/1131/
NOTE: Make sure the companies you’re transacting with can transfer funds to Payoneer Mastercards.
Zenith Bank Websurfer na im be am. I got mine last month and it works like magic. Thanks for this post. Kudos
.
Thanks so much for the info on this blog, just last month i applied for payoneer mastercard and earlier this week i got it. But from what i’m reading it seems i’ll go for the Websurfer. Either way thanks so much for an informative blog like this.
Sorry for the late response. I got caught up with work
. Thanks for the feedback and I hope you enjoy using the Websurfer just as much as I do 
Have a fabulous day.
Guys, I really love what you all are doing giving good information on stuffs like this. Keep it up. Pls, i’ll like to know what it really takes to get the Zenith Mastercard Websurfer.
-Do I need to have a bank account with the bank or not?
-Is it accepted world wide online knowing that it coming from Nigeria?
-Can I link it my Graphcard virtual address?
-What billing address do I use when purchasing goods and services online with the card?
-Do I need to find my IP address when using the card?
-Is it a credit or debit type of card?
-If it is a debit card, what is the minimum amount for funding it?
-Do I need to wait for any amount of days before my payment is accepted or is it immediately?
I have so many question to ask but when you’ve help me with this question PLEASE. Thank you and thumbs up to you. Catch Ya Soon.
Oga Micheal, na JAMB you give me make I answer oh! lol. Just kidding. Here goes:
- You don’t need to have a bank account with Zenith.
-The card can ONLY be used online for online transactions. It doesn’t work offline. It was tailored to cater to the needs of folks that want to pay for goods and services online. I’ve used it on Hostgator, SingingSuccess, Netfirms, 4Shared, 2CheckOut and a few ebook orders without problems.
- No you can’t link it to your Graphcard Virtual Address. The card will be linked to your Nigerian address and when placing orders, your billing address has to be set as the exact same Nigerian address you filled in your application form.
- You have to use the billing address with which you applied for the card from Zenith. NOTE: This depends on what security measures the payment processor has in place as some don’t bother checking the billing address @ all while some do.
- I’ve NEVER had to hide my IP address to use the card.
- It’s a DEBIT card.
- Your first deposit is a minimum of $120: $100 goes into the card while $20 covers your yearly fee for maintaining the card.
- Payments are not accepted immediately. As soon as you place your order and it’s accepted by the merchant, Zenith will send you an email requesting that you should confirm that you made that order. This is a nice security measure. As soon as you confirm that you actually made the order, the funds will be released to the merchant. NOTE: In some cases, the merchant may refund your money when he detects that you’re ordering from Nigeria. You’ll have to verify yourself by sending in scanned copies of your international passport and Zenith Mastercard. I only faced this scenario with Hostgator.
- To get the card, you have to present your International passport or Drivers License Only.
- The card will be issued to you on the spot but could take 24 -48 hrs after you fund it for it to be activated. As soon as it’s activated, you will be sent an email with details like Expiry Date, CVV2 code, Online statement log-in details.
Hope all this helps. This has got to be the longest comment I’ve ever written on this blog. lol. Cheers.
Also related to my questions above,
-Do I also needs things like a drivers license, utility bill, passports, referees and other things before I can get a card? and
-How long does it take to acquire the websurfer card I mean like how many days, weeks or months does it take? In the former post, I meant “hide” my IP address not “find” and the minimum and maximum amount for funding the card. Thanks
Pls can you tell me how to get a real master card or visa card either debit or credit card from any bank GTBank preferably, the requirements and if it is acceptable worldwide on the internet and also how much are all the charges involved?
I have no idea how to get a real mastercard/visa card though I intend getting one from Zenith Bank. It’s called Visa Prepaid and you can get the details @ http://www.zenithbank.com/cards.cfm
Ok Bros Chukwudi, I have been doing some quick research on the internet about getting a visa or master credit card and I came across this site – http://www.naijacreditcards.com. I didn’t want to jump into conclusions and come here to post anything saying that the site is good and genuine since I haven’t tried it yet. So I have decided to ask you or anybody that knows this site since you have had more experience than I do to help me investigate the site. I will be awaiting any replies from you. Thanks, C Ya.
The site is a MASSIVE JOKE! WTF! They are practically selling dollar @ the rate of N360 to $1. That’s what I call broad daylight robbery. Better stick to cards offered by Nigerian banks.
Bro,
Keep up the great work. I like visiting your blog!..
Thanks..
Valentine Belonwu hopes you will read…70 Ways to Make Your Blog More Popular and Successful
I just purchased one but it does not have an expiry date. Why is that.
The expiry date will be included in the activation email that they would send your way. It lasts for one year and then you’d have to renew again for $20.
Pls i would like to know if i use this card to shop on uk websites if the conversion rate from dollars to pounds are fair. Thanks
Generally the conversion rates are fair. Just note that the exchange rate will be set by the payment processor of the merchant in question.
NOTE: If the merchant is using WORLDPAY, don’t bother using Websurfer as it will be declined. I no know wetin be WORLDPAY wahala with Websurfer
.