El-zionNews

USSD CHARGES: TELECOM COMPANIES TO BEGIN DIRECT BILLING OF SUBSCRIBERS STARTING JUNE 18

EL-ZION NEWS   

Telecommunications subscribers in Nigeria will begin to incur direct charges from their mobile network providers for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services starting Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

This update was announced in a statement jointly signed by Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), and the Publicity Secretary, Mr. Damian Udeh.

According to Adebayo, this development aligns with the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) USSD pricing and service guidelines, formulated in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant stakeholders.

He explained that the new system will enable telecom providers to deduct charges for USSD sessions directly from users' airtime balances at a rate of N6.98 per 120 seconds.

“Customers will be prompted to opt-in and approve the charge before any deduction takes place,” Adebayo stated, adding that billing will only apply to successfully completed sessions.

He emphasized that the change will not affect the availability or operation of USSD banking services, and users can continue to access bank codes as long as they maintain sufficient airtime.

“USSD services play a vital role in expanding access to financial services, particularly for unbanked and underbanked populations.”

He pointed out that the previous system, in which banks were billed by telecom companies, led to ongoing disputes over unpaid charges, resulting in service disruptions and customer confusion.

“To address these challenges, the NCC’s 2025 determination introduced the End-User Billing (EUB) model, which allows mobile network operators to charge customers directly for USSD sessions.

“To implement the EUB model, the CBN and NCC have mandated that only banks meeting specific regulatory and operational standards are eligible for migration,” he said.

Adebayo recommended that customers experiencing connectivity issues should reach out to their telecom provider, while transaction-related concerns should be directed to their respective banks.