As Nigeria moves towards becoming a cashless society, as revealed in a recent announcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as part of its plans, the use of USSD codes among Nigerian banks has increasingly become a trend. Most of these banks have conveniently made it easy for their customers to use USSD codes to create seamless transactions, including transferring money, recharging phones,(airtime) checking balances, and so on, without connecting to the Internet.
This USSD, which stands for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, is a communications protocol used by mobile phones to communicate with the mobile network operator’s computers.
Due to the convenience and ease that comes with the use of these USSD codes, all Nigerian banks have designed their unique code that can be used to make quick transactions, which is overtime called “quick banking services,” that customers can use to access their bank from the comfort of their home without having to go to the bank due to the “self-service” features made available through these USSD codes.
One advantage that makes these USSD codes widely accepted among bank customers is the opportunity it offers for one to use the USSD code to carry out transactions without an Internet connection or the use of a mobile app. It offers those who do not use ‘big phones’ that support applications or internet connection the opportunity to use their “small phone” to seamlessly transact without hitches.
Having said that, in this article, we highlight USSD codes for top Nigerian banks.
Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) USSD Codes
GT Bank is a popular bank in Nigeria known for its customers for its seamless service.
GT Bank’s USSD code is *737#; From this root code, you can do the following:
Check Balance
To check your account balance dial *737*6*1#
Transfer Funds
To send money to other GT Bank accounts dial *737*1*Amount*Recipient’s Account Number#.
Recharge Your Phone
Recharge your mobile phone by dialling *737*Amount#.
Bill Payments
To Pay utility bills and subscriptions, dial *737*50*Amount*Unique Reference Number#.
Open an Account
With the GT bank’s USSD code, you can also open an account in the comfort of your home If you’re new to GT Bank by simply dialling *737*0#
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) USSD Codes
FCMB’s USSD code is *329#. From this root code, you can do the following:
Check Account Balance
To check your bank account dial *329*0#
Transfer Money
To make a transfer or send money, dial *329*Amount*Recipient’s Account Number#.
Airtime Top-Up
To recharge your line dial *329*Amount#.
Bill payments
For subscription and bill payments dial *329*Amount*Biller or Merchant Code#
United Bank for Africa (UBA) USSD Codes
UBA’s USSD is *919#, From this root code, you can do the following:
Account Balance
To check balance dial *919*00#.
Fund Transfer
To transfer money, dial *919*Amount*Recipient’s Account Number#.
Airtime to-Up
To Recharge your phone dial *919*Amount#.
Bill payments
To pay bills dial *919*30*Biller or merchant Code*Amount#.
Fidelity Bank USSD Codes
Fidelity Bank’s USSD services are derivable from its root code *770#.
Account Balance
To check your balance, dial *770*0#
Transfer Money
To send funds dial *770*Recipient’s Account Number*Amount#.
Airtime recharge
To top up your phone use *770*Amount#.
Bill payments
To Pay bills use *770*Merchant or Biller Code*Amount#.
Conclusively, as technology evolves, the ease with which things are done, especially when it comes to digital banking, is astonishing. These USSD codes have made transactions a breeze with a fast and convenient banking experience. Using these USSD codes minimizes time and cuts the cost of transporting to the bank or subscribing before having access to the mobile app.
