CBN sanctions bank over failed instant payment

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said, it has mandated banks to pay a fine of N10,000 to customers for each failed transaction not resolved within 24 hours.

The apex bank has therefore asked Nigerians to report any failed instant payment transaction not reversed into the customer’s account within 24 hours after complaint by the sender or beneficiary to it.

Mr Kofo Salam-Alada, director, Consumer Protection Department, CBN, said that “When you do instant payment, you want it to be instant and when it is not achieved then there should be sanctions to such providers. However, we want to use this medium to inform the public that the first point of call is actually your service provider not CBN and it is only when your bank cannot resolve it and there’s no promise of resolution that you come to CBN. “After that, the CBN can step in and look at the issues and see whether the customer is entitled to what he’s claiming against the bank. It is not all the time that customers come to the bank that they will get what they want.

“We will examine the issues and see whether there was any failure on the part of the bank before the decision is made,” he said.

The CBN had in September 2018 published a circular on the guidelines for instant electronic payments, which also include sanctions for banks and other financial institutions that abuse the system.

According to the CBN, all instant electronic funds transfer disputes should be resolved within three working days.

Also, where a customer and the bank fail to agree, the aggrieved entity should report to the Director, Consumer Protection Department, CBN within five working days of the failure to resolve the dispute so as to minimise customer pain.