USSD charges: Nigerian banks and mobile network don begin collect fee – See transactions wey e affect

USSD charges

BBC

Commercial banks and mobile network providers don begin charge customers a flat rate of N6.98 per transaction every time dem use di Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) service for Nigeria.

Dis dey follow di March 2021 announcement by di Central Bank of Nigeria and di Nigerian Communications Commission to impose new charge for mobile banking services as part of process to end disagreement between banks and telecoms operators.

Nigerians wake up to di commencement of dis service charge on Wednesday and reactions don begin follow am.

Wetin Banks and your network provider go charge you for?

You go need pay di N6.98 every time you do transaction wit your bank short code.

E mean say, if you use your mobile line- phone number- to comot money from your bank for any transaction, you go pay.

For instance, you use your mobile number to do di following:

  • Buy airtime
  • To buy data
  • Transfer money from your bank account to another account.
  • Pay for services like cable TV, NEPA bill plus oda things.

How you fit avoid paying N6.98 USSD charges?

Dis no go be an easy ride but di alternative na to

  • Visit your Bank for any transaction
  • Use your Bank mobile app – wey go also cost you data but maybe less expensive.

Why CBN and NCC ask Nigerians to dey pay USSD charges?

Dis decision come afta plenti remittal back and forth wey dey go on between Nigeria commercial banks and mobile networks.

Mobile networks bin accuse banks say dem dey default to pay up di money wey dem don already charge customers for mobile transactions.

Central Bank of Nigeria and di Nigerian Communications Commission come agree say make customers dey directly pay for dis services.

CBN and di NCC put a flat fee of N6.98 per transaction every time customers use di Unstructured Supplementary Data Services alias USSD services.

Dis new charges according to CBN for inside statement wey dem release, na part of di agreement wey dem reach, wen di banks and telecommunication operators been meet to discuss di N42bn debt wey banks dey owe mobile operators.

For inside di statement wey CBN chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, and head of operations, Gbolahan Awonuga sign, CBN say di withdrawal charge don become necessary afta dia members and banks fail to reach agreement on payment structure wey no go involve phone users.

CBN say dis na to promote transparency for dia administration, and banks go collect di new USSD charges on behalf of mobile network operators directly from customers’ bank accounts. Dem also add say banks “no fit impose additional charges on customers for use of di USSD channel.”

USSD

BBC

Wetin be [USSD?

USSD mean Unstructured Supplementary Service Data wey dey allow pipo without smartphone or data or internet connection to use mobile banking through code.

Dis Unstructured Supplementary Service Data dey similar to Short Message Service (SMS) but difference dey between dem.

With USSD, users dey interact directly from dia mobile phones by making dia own selections from different menu.

Unlike SMS message, during USSD session, di USSD message create real-time connection. Dis one mean say USSD dey enable two-way communication of information, as long as di communication line remain open. And so both questions and answers dey happun almost di same time.