How to activate MasterCard for online transactions

Although everyone expects to be able to transact online using their MasterCards by default, this is not always so. Basically, those times when your new ATM doesn’t work for some reason could be because it is not yet activated for online transactions. The good thing is that understanding how to activate MasterCard for online transactions is pretty simple. 

Although it is mostly activated by default, there are times that you need to manually activate your MasterCard for online transactions. This article discusses how you can get it done in 4 simple steps. See our post on how to receive dollar payments in Nigeria

What are the types of MasterCard? 

MasterCards could be either a debit card or a credit card. Generally, all forms of cards are the same and only differ based on the service provider. Therefore, MasterCard simply refers to the facility provider of your debit or credit card. Debit cards operate differently from credit cards even if they are from the same service provider. 

Why is my MasterCard not working for online payments?

There are several reasons why your MasterCard may not work for online payments. It could be for any of the following reasons:

• Supplying incorrect card information
• You reached your credit limit
• The MasterCard still reflects an old address or phone number which you no longer use

However, if you’ve double-checked and are sure that you do not default in any of the three reasons above, it may be because your MasterCard is not yet activated for online transactions.

The latter part of this article will teach you how to activate MasterCard for online transactions.

Recommended – What is the difference between a prepaid card, debit card, credit card and virtual card?

How do I activate MasterCard for online transactions?

The process for activating a MasterCard for online transactions differs for debit and credit cards. Generally, recent debit cards are activated from production, therefore, there is no need to activate them. However, note that this is a recent trend as much older debit cards didn’t come activated. 

If you have to activate a MasterCard for any reason, you can do that through the steps below:

1. Open an online account with your card provider if you do not have one already. Visit any of their physical stores to do this.
2. Login to your account using and navigate to the new credit card option under accounts
3. Provide your credit card information requested on the website including your card number, CVV/CVC and expiry date.
4. Lastly, verify it is you making such a request by providing the current answers to questions asked by the system.

How do I activate MasterCard for online transactions on my mobile phone?

To activate MasterCard for online transactions on your phone:

1. Dail the customer care number printed on the back of your card
2. Make a request to activate your card for online transactions
3. Provide all the card information they request
4. Lastly, supply the right answers to personal security questions the customer care agent will request and they will proceed to activate the card on their end

How do I activate MasterCard for online transactions using the mobile app?

Follow the steps below to activate MasterCard for online transactions using the mobile app:

1. Download your card provider mobile application from the Google play store or apple store
2. Install, register and log in on the app. You do not need to register again if you already have a previous account – simply supply your username and password.
3. Navigate to the activate card section and follow the prompt
4. They will activate your card after completing the process. 

Bottom line

Activating your MasterCard for online transactions is as easy as it gets especially if you follow the instructions above. MasterCards are increasingly becoming popular today and many are coming pre-activated. However, if for some reason yours wasn’t, you can do it yourself in a couple of minutes. 

Physical cards are gradually going out of fashion with easy-to-use virtual cards taking their place. Virtual cards are completely electronic, easy to fund, generate and share among friends. Bitmama offers the best dollar and crypto virtual cards for those looking to make online purchases without spending limits. You can also use it to pay for Netflix and other necessary streaming platforms. See our post on how to pay for spotify in Nigeria Get started today by downloading the Bitmama app for Android or iOS .