GTBank to Deduct N6.98 USSD Charge from Customers’ Airtime Starting from Today

Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has announced that starting today, June 18, 2025, it will begin to deduct the N6.98 USSD charge from customers’ airtime instead of their bank accounts. This means that whenever customers use the USSD code for banking transactions, the fee will be taken directly from their mobile phone airtime balance, not from the money in their bank accounts.

This change comes after a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which is working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to solve the long-standing issue of unpaid USSD debts between banks and telecom operators. The USSD charge from customers airtime is part of a new billing model called End-User Billing (EUB), which aims to make the process more transparent and fair for everyone involved.

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GTBank’s decision to deduct N6.98 USSD charge from customers’ airtime is a big shift from the old way, where the fee was taken from customers’ bank accounts. Now, every time a customer uses the USSD code for things like checking their balance, transferring money, or paying bills, the N6.98 fee will be deducted from their airtime. Customers will also get a prompt to approve the charge before it is taken, so there are no surprises.

The move to deduct the GTBank USSD charge from customers’ airtime is not just about making things easier for customers. It is also a way to help telecom companies recover the huge debts owed to them by banks for USSD services. In the past, banks owed telecom operators as much as N250 billion, which led to threats from the telecom companies to shut down USSD services. The government had to step in to prevent this from happening, as millions of Nigerians rely on USSD for banking, especially those without internet access.

Other banks, like United Bank for Africa (UBA), have already started using this new model. UBA told its customers that from June 3, 2025, the USSD charge would be deducted from their airtime, not their bank accounts. Customers are also given the option to stop using USSD banking if they do not like the new arrangement.

The USSD charge from customers airtime is set at N6.98 for every 120 seconds (2 minutes) of a USSD session. This fee is billed by the customer’s mobile network operator, not the bank. Only successful sessions are billed, and customers must have enough airtime for the transaction to go through. If a customer does not have enough airtime, the transaction will not be completed.

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This new system is expected to make USSD banking more sustainable and prevent future disputes between banks and telecom operators. It also gives customers more control, as they can see and approve the charges before they are made. For those who prefer not to pay the USSD charge from customers’ airtime, other banking options like mobile apps, ATMs, and internet banking are still available.

GTBank’s decision to deduct N6.98 USSD charge from customers’ airtime is a major change in how banking fees are collected. It is designed to make things clearer for customers and help solve the debt problem between banks and telecom companies. Customers should make sure they have enough airtime before using USSD banking, and they can always choose other ways to bank if they prefer.

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