NewStats: 3,263,671 , 8,180,976 topics. Date: Saturday, 07 June 2025 at 08:31 AM 12d3i

The telecom operators in Nigeria, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and 9Mobile have threatened to withdraw network for banks’ Unstructured Supplementary Services Data, USSD, following what they described as gross misinformation of subscribers on the mode of deduction for transaction fees.

USSD, commonly known as ‘bank transfers’, is done through short codes on mobile phones.

Yesterday, the banks issued a notice to their customers that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed them to stop deducting charges for USSD transactions directly from customers’ s, and that telecoms will now deduct charges from s’ mobile airtime.

The notice from the banks read in part: “In line with the directive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), please be informed that effective June 3, 2025, charges for USSD banking services will no longer be deducted from your bank .

“Going forward, these charges will be deducted directly from your mobile airtime balance in accordance with the NCC’s End- Billing (EUB) model.

“Under this new billing structure, each USSD session will attract a charge of ?6.98 per 120 seconds, which will be billed by your mobile network operator.

“You will receive a consent prompt at the start of each session, and airtime will only be deducted upon your confirmation and availability of the bank to fulfil this service.

“If you do not wish to continue using USSD banking under this new model, you may choose to discontinue use of the USSD channel.”

However, in a swift reaction, the telcos under their umbrella body, the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON said the banks’ notice is a gross misinformation deliberately hatched to suit their selfish interests. Hence they threatened to withdraw network to the banks’ USSD services.

Chairman of ALTON Engr Gbenga Adebayo told Vanguard: ” I don’t understand why the banks are twisting agreements and distorting information just to favour their selfish interests. In the first place, the information wasn’t a directive from the NCC but a t regulatory agreement between the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN witnessed by the telcos and the banks. The agreement was that if the banks finally cleared all USSD debts owed to the telcos by June 2, 2025, they are free to migrate to the end- billing method, so long as the model of migration is transparent and agreed upon by the telcos.

“The reason for that clause was because the telcos insisted that the process of migration is such that will not allow a customer to be billed twice; in other words, that a subscriber would not have his airtime deducted and also have his or her money deducted for same services from his or her bank .

” As we speak, some of the banks have cleared their debts, but the majority are yet to do so. So, even if all the modalities of migrating to end- billing have been perfectly carried out, the implementation cannot even begin because the banks are yet to clear the USSD debt owed to the telcos.

“Our position now is that if that is the way the banks want to treat the agreement, we may withdraw for their USSD services. It is not a must-have. They can do without it. But, they should clear the debts as agreed,” he added.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/06/ussd-charges-telcos-threaten-to-withdraw-services-over-banks-misinformation/

Mouthing...

Una go loose too

Don't count anything when it haven't processed o

But if they want to call you and their useless services they can do free,unsolicited messages are free but the one that their customers are enjoying now is a burden to them

Under this new billing structure, each USSD session will attract a charge of ?6.98 per 120 seconds, which will be billed by your mobile network operator.

6:98 is stylishly 7 naira...
Why are we paying 6:98

Kk

Who do we believe now?

Lol, even 9mobile follow dey threaten

Better o. Whatever rocks their boat

They re wahala! I hope it will not affect my bank app,bcus nah data I dey use

UBA issued that notice. They should withdraw and apologize for this alleged misinformation

What do tou expect from a country that connive with companies to keep hiking prices of their services anyhow

Criminals in suit

So the banks are the real scammers

FreeStuffsNG:
UBA issued that notice. They should withdraw and apologize for this alleged misinformation

you're right,
UBA sent me the exact message

Even when the thing did not connect, they still charged 6 naira. They should fix that nonsense.

Nothing clear.

How bank go de owe?

So much anyhowness in this country

RealityKings1:


6:98 is stylishly 7 naira...
Why are we paying 6:98

69 is a very very important number

:

69 is a very very important number

i can only use my mouth to praise the Lord
i dont eat that

The 600 naira Acceaa bank deducted from my for May USSD no be am at all. Na only internet banking I go Dey do now

Sukakma:
Lol, even 9mobile follow dey threaten

e shock u, e choke me and shocked me

FreeStuffsNG:
UBA issued that notice. They should withdraw and apologize for this alleged misinformation

Maybe they've cleared their own debt and think they can kick start even though some are yet to clear theirs

This is an unfortunate situation that happens when we have a weak bank regulator ,that is failing in its oversight function and its statutory duty of customer protection. What happens when incompetent people are at the helm.

Sam banks that create money out of nothing by ripping off customers. Why should customers be forced to pay for bank services with their airtime? What is the cash in the bank balances then used for?

They wont even pay up their obligations to the Telcos who provide services to them.

FreeStuffsNG:
UBA issued that notice. They should withdraw and apologize for this alleged misinformation

there was a clause that once they clear their debt but they allegedly decide not to clear their debt,

the main problem is that, the banks are confuse because if they pay Telecoms guys these debts, they dont know whether to transfer the cost to end s or write it off as bad debt.

9Mobile follow for Network for Banking transactions? I pity the person using 9mobile for banking services.

just2endowed:


there was a clause that once they clear their debt but they allegedly decide not to clear their debt,

the main problem is that, the banks are confuse because if they pay Telecoms guys these debts, they dont know whether to transfer the cost to end s or write it off as bad debt.

Bad debt how? Have the banks not deducted that money from the customers already?
Why can’t they just pay the telecom companies that provided that services.
Do you know how much customer all over Nigeria must have paid to the banks?

Ndi ara

9Mobile, una follow dey threaten?
MTN dey talk, una put mouth?
I have never heard such words before!

You have been paying N6.9k for every transaction initiated using any bank's USSD-- whether It is successful or not.

Once you type a USSD code to make a transaction, you are charged N6.98k from your bank .

I had complained severally to my banks with loads of emails as to why I am billed, they said it isn't them, it is my service provider.

I called MTN call center and they said they have a contract with banks to charge N6.98k for every transaction initiated using USSD code.

Now, that is aside the bank's charges.

I had taken it up, but there was nothing I could do so I accepted my fate, as I didn't want to any bank's app.

Barely a month later, I'm reading that the charges was me paying the debt my bank owed the Telcos-- and we will keep paying until the debt is cleared.

Then, the new bill will take effect where we will only be billed for successful transaction directly from our call credit instead of our bank

Nigeria, my country.

No ability to subscribers or customers by both the Telcos and the Banks. They wrap up their exploitation in a bunch of high-tech grammar so you are unsuspecting.

----
Let me add:

I had told them they had no right to charge for failed transaction-- These telcos charge you N6.98k even when the issue is from their end-- once you type your bank's USSD code and type what you want to do, you are billed even if you change your mind about the transaction. This has been going on for years in a country we are supposed to have leaders.

Daylight robbery. And the thing is:

The N6.98k charges notification isn't sent to your SMS. It is sent to your email. So most people don't even realize that each time they initiate a USSD transaction, they were billed.

They only see the bank's charges as SMS.

RealityKings1:


6:98 is stylishly 7 naira...
Why are we paying 6:98

Like they said:
You don't have to use USSD code.

Now, you need to know that using your bank's app doesn't attract any charges.

nwirinedu:
This is an unfortunate situation that happens when we have a weak bank regulator ,that is failing in its oversight function and its statutory duty of customer protection. What happens when incompetent people are at the helm.

Sam banks that create money out of nothing by ripping off customers. Why should customers be forced to pay for bank services with their airtime? What is the cash in the bank balances then used for?

They wont even pay up their obligations to the Telcos who provide services to them.