Global digital payment platform Google Pay has officially launched its operations in Bangladesh, with City Bank PLC introducing the service in partnership with Google, Mastercard, and Visa.

The inauguration ceremony was held on Tuesday at the Westin Dhaka, where Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H. Mansur formally launched the service.

City Bank becomes the first bank in Bangladesh to be integrated with Google Pay. At this initial stage, only City Bank Mastercard and Visa cardholders will be able to add their cards to the Google Wallet and make transactions using Google Pay. The service will gradually expand as other banks come on board.

Customers can now make seamless, fast, and secure transactions at any Point of Sale (POS) terminal in Bangladesh and abroad by simply tapping their Android smartphones. This eliminates the need to carry physical cards.

To use the service, customers must have an Android smartphone. By downloading the Google Pay app and linking their City Bank card, they can pay by tapping their phone at stores, restaurants, or any other POS terminal.

Google Pay does not charge any transaction fee. For enhanced security, it uses a system called ‘tokenization,’ replacing the actual card number with a virtual token to protect cardholder information during transactions.

City Bank Managing Director and CEO Mashrur Arefin said the collaboration reflects the bank’s commitment to building a forward-looking digital payment ecosystem in Bangladesh. “We are proud to bring this innovative service to our customers,” he said.

Tracy N. Jacobson, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, attended the event as a special guest along with Hossain Khaled, Vice Chairman of City Bank.

Also present were Shammi Quddus, Group Product Manager at Google Payments; Mohammad Kamal, Country Manager of Mastercard Bangladesh; and other senior officials.