UBA confirms USSD services would be charged from airtime instead of bank accounts
United Bank of Africa (UBA) has disclosed that USSD services would not be charged to the users’ bank accounts according to the directive from the NCC.
In a move aimed at resolving a prolonged debt dispute between mobile network operators (MNOs) and commercial banks, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had directed deposit money banks (DMBs) to stop deducting USSD transaction fees from customers’ bank accounts.
In an email sent to its customers today, the bank announced that charges will now be taken from users’ mobile airtime, effective June 3, 2025.
The directive is part of the NCC’s End-User Billing (EUB) model, designed to shift financial responsibility back to telecom users and mobile networks.
“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 account,” UBA said in the notice.
“Going forward, these charges will be deducted directly from your mobile airtime balance following the NCC’s End-User Billing (EUB) model.”
The bank explained that “each USSD session will attract a charge of ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, which will be billed by your mobile network operator,” and users will receive a consent prompt before any deduction is made.
The NCC’s decision follows years of unresolved tensions over a ₦250 billion USSD debt owed by banks to telecom operators. The issue nearly led to service disruptions earlier in 2025 when telcos threatened to cut off banks. In January, the NCC directed the disconnection of USSD codes assigned to nine banks and considered naming defaulters.
UBA encouraged customers to continue using other digital and internet banking options if they prefer not to use the USSD service under the new structure.
