Guaranty Trust Bank Notifies Customers, Implements New USSD Fee Deduction Method
Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has announced a change in its billing method for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) transactions, effective June 18, 2025.
The bank will now deduct the N6.98 transaction fee directly from customers’ airtime balances instead of their bank accounts.
This development is part of a broader industry shift mandated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to resolve long-standing disputes between telecom operators and banks over unpaid USSD service charges. The new billing model aims to address the estimated ₦250 billion debt owed by banks to telecom companies.
Under the End-User Billing model, customers will receive a prompt at the start of each USSD session, and the airtime will only be deducted upon confirmation, provided there’s sufficient balance. This change aligns with the NCC’s directive for Deposit Money Banks to deduct charges for USSD transactions directly from users’ mobile airtime.
GTBank customers are advised to ensure they have sufficient airtime balance to complete transactions without interruptions. The bank’s adoption of this new model is expected to enhance the overall efficiency of USSD transactions and improve customer experience.
