𝗖𝗕𝗡 𝗛𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗧𝗠 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲

By George OPARA

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has declared an increased fee for the issuance or replacement of debit and credit cards from N1,000 to N1,500.

It also said the new fee will be operational from May 1, 2026 across the country.

The apex bank said the upward adjustment is part of a revised guide to bank charges for financial institutions.

This development was disclosed through a circular released on Thursday, titled ‘Guide to Charges by Banks and Other Financial Institutions’, the apex bank said the fee, which takes effect from May 1, applies to standard ATM cards issued by banks and other regulated institutions nationwide.

The regulator also said no maintenance fee will be charged on naira-denominated debit or credit cards, noting that virtual cards will remain free and, the revised framework replaces the previous guidelines issued in January 2020 and applies to all financial institutions regulated by the CBN, including commercial banks, microfinance banks, payment service banks, and mobile money operators.

The CBN added that the new guide was developed following consultations with stakeholders to strengthen transparency and standardisation of charges across the financial system

The Guide aims to enhance flexibility, standardisation, transparency and competition in the Nigerian financial system,” the apex bank said.

Under the revised schedule, the CBN said point-of-sale (POS) payments made by customers to merchants will remain free, noting that the merchant — not the customer — is required to bear the merchant service charge.

The guide also stipulates that the merchant service charge payable by businesses will be 0.5 percent of the transaction value, subject to a maximum of N10,000, regardless of the payment method used.

On transaction notifications, the CBN said customers may still be charged for mandatory SMS alerts on customer-initiated transactions, but only on a cost-recovery basis, while email alerts must be provided at no cost.

The regulator also retained provisions on account maintenance charges for current accounts, stating that the fee remains negotiable but subject to a capped rate, “with a phased reduction already outlined”.

Under the framework, the regulator said the current account maintenance fee will be limited to “N0.5 per mille in 2026”, before being reduced to zero by 2027.

In addition, customers withdrawing from another bank’s ATM will pay N100 per N20,000 withdrawal at on-site locations, while off-site ATMs may attract an additional surcharge of up to N500 per transaction.

This, the CBN said, is subject to disclosure at the point of withdrawal.
According to the guide, electronic transfers of N5,000 and below will remain free, while transfers between N5,000 and N50,000 will attract a charge of N10, and transfers above N50,000 will cost N50.

“In line with the provisions of the extant Consumer Protection Regulations, financial institutions shall apply non-credit related charges on an account only to the extent of the balance in the account and defer any outstanding charge until the account is funded,” the document reads.

The apex bank also directed financial institutions to inform customers whenever charges are negotiable.

“Where a charge is stipulated as ‘negotiable’, financial institutions are required to draw the attention of customers to their rights to negotiate at the beginning of the transactions and subsequently, if the need arises,” the CBN said.

In addition, the circular said account reactivation and certain routine account services will remain free of charge, noting that any new fee, product, or service not listed in the guide must receive prior written approval.