Why failed airtime top-ups in Nigeria will now be refunded in 30 seconds

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), will introduce a new consumer protection framework that mandates near-instant refunds for failed airtime and data transactions, from March 1, 2026. Under the proposed rules, subscribers who are debited without receiving value will be entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, a move aimed at addressing one of the most persistent complaints in Nigeria’s digital services ecosystem.

The framework is the product of several months of engagement between the two regulators and key industry stakeholders, including mobile network operators (MNOs), value-added service (VAS) providers, deposit money banks (DMBs), and other participants in the transaction chain. These discussions were triggered by a growing number of cases where customers paid for airtime or data during network outages, system failures, or input errors, but faced long delays—or no resolution at all—in getting refunds.

According to a joint statement from the NCC and the CBN, the new framework represents a unified position between the telecommunications and financial sectors. It identifies the root causes of failed airtime and data purchases, including situations where bank accounts are debited without successful service delivery, and introduces an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA). The SLA clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of banks, telcos, and other intermediaries involved in the transaction and resolution process.

Under the proposed rules, if a transaction fails at either the bank or telco level and the customer is debited, a refund must be processed within 30 seconds. The only exception applies to transactions that remain pending, in which case refunds may take up to 24 hours. Operators will also be required to notify customers via SMS of the success or failure of every airtime or data purchase.

The framework further addresses common errors such as recharges to ported lines, incorrect purchases, and transactions sent to the wrong phone number. To strengthen oversight, it establishes a Central Monitoring Dashboard jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN, enabling real-time tracking of transaction failures, refunds, responsible parties, and SLA breaches.

“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to addressing these priority issues, we were determined to resolve them within the shortest possible time,” said Freda Bruce-Bennett, Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC. She disclosed that, pending final approvals, banks and MNOs have already refunded over ₦10 billion ($7 million) to customers for failed transactions.

Implementation of the framework is subject to final regulatory approvals and the completion of technical integration by all participating operators.