USSD charges now deducted from airtime, not bank account — GTBank

Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has announced that it will begin deducting Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) transaction fees from customers’ airtime balances instead of their bank accounts, effective June 18.

The bank disclosed this change in a message to customers on Wednesday, stating:

“Dear Customer, please be informed that effective June 18, the N6.98 USSD fee will be deducted from your airtime balance, no longer from your bank account.”

This move aligns with a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which instructed deposit money banks (DMBs) to stop withdrawing USSD charges directly from customers’ bank accounts.

Recall Tribune Online reports the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has mandated banks to begin deducting Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) charges directly from customers’ mobile airtime, effective June 3, 2025.

ALSO READ: Meta offered $100m bonuses to lure OpenAI employees — CEO Altman

This directive aligns with the NCC’s End-User Billing (EUB) model, which requires mobile network operators to charge users for USSD sessions by debiting their airtime rather than billing through bank accounts.

Previously, banks deducted USSD charges from customers’ bank accounts while transferring the financial burden of infrastructure usage to telecom operators.

This arrangement sparked concerns within the telecom sector, as banks were accused of profiting from the service without adequately compensating telecoms for infrastructure costs. By 2024, this dispute had led to a debt accumulation estimated at ₦250 billion.

To resolve the impasse, the NCC introduced the End-User Billing framework, instructing banks to settle all outstanding debts to telecom providers and transition to the airtime deduction model only after clearing their obligations.

Under the new system, customers will be prompted to confirm charges before any USSD session begins. Airtime deductions will occur only upon user approval and if there is sufficient balance.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE