Banks, telcos face March deadline on failed airtime refunds

Banks and telecommunications operators in Nigeria have been given a March 1, 2026, deadline to completely implement a brand new refund framework geared toward resolving persistent client complaints over failed airtime and knowledge transactions.

The deadline follows the conclusion of a joint framework developed by the Nigerian Communications Fee and the Central Bank of Nigeria to handle circumstances the place subscribers are debited for airtime or knowledge purchases with out receiving worth, because of community downtime, system glitches, or human enter errors.

In line with a press release on Thursday signed by the Head of Public Affairs, NCC, Nnenna Ukoha, the framework is the result of a number of months of engagement involving the NCC, the CBN, cell community operators, value-added service suppliers, deposit cash banks, and different related stakeholders.

The discussions had been prompted by a rising quantity of complaints from customers reporting failed airtime and knowledge purchases, debits with out service supply, and extended delays in acquiring refunds.

The Director of Shopper Affairs on the NCC, Mrs Freda Bruce-Bennett, disclosed that the framework additionally establishes a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be collectively hosted by the NCC and the CBN. In line with her, the dashboard will allow each regulators to watch failures, establish the accountable occasion, monitor refunds, and monitor SLA breaches in actual time.

“Failed top-ups rank among the many prime three client complaints, and consistent with our dedication to addressing these precedence points, we had been decided to resolve them throughout the shortest potential time,” she stated.

The brand new rule represents a unified place by each the telecommunications and monetary sectors on how such complaints needs to be dealt with. It identifies and addresses the basis causes of failed airtime and knowledge transactions, together with situations the place financial institution accounts are debited with out profitable supply of providers, and establishes clear accountability throughout the transaction worth chain.

Underneath the brand new guidelines, the place a purchaser is debited however fails to obtain airtime or knowledge, whether or not the failure happens on the financial institution degree or with an NCC licensee, the purchaser will probably be entitled to a refund inside 30 seconds. In conditions the place a transaction stays pending, the framework permits for a decision window of as much as 24 hours earlier than a refund is accomplished.

“We’re grateful to all stakeholders, notably the Central Bank of Nigeria and its management, for his or her tireless dedication to resolving this difficulty and arriving at this framework, and for guaranteeing that customers of telecommunications providers obtain full worth for his or her purchases.

“Thus far, pending the approval of administration of each regulators on the framework, MNOs and banks have collectively made refunds of over N10bn to prospects for failed transactions,” the director stated.

The framework additionally introduces an enforceable Service Stage Settlement for MNOs and DMBs, clearly outlining the roles and duties of every stakeholder concerned in airtime and knowledge transactions and the decision course of. Regulators say the SLA is meant to remove delays, shut accountability gaps, and be certain that customers obtain well timed redress.

Bruce-Bennett additional famous that implementation of the framework is anticipated to start on March 1, 2026, as soon as the 2 regulators have made closing approvals and technical integration by all MNOs, VAS suppliers, and DMBs is concluded.

As well as, banks and telecom operators will probably be required to inform customers through SMS of the success or failure of each airtime and knowledge transaction. The framework additional addresses points reminiscent of faulty recharges to ported traces, incorrect airtime or knowledge purchases, and situations the place transactions are made to the flawed telephone quantity.