Guides
Step-by-step help for the moments codes alone don't cover, like your phone being stolen.
Our bank and app pages tell you which code to dial. These guides cover what a code can't: what to do, and in what order, when something has gone wrong, and how the system behind those codes actually works. They fall into two groups. Account and card security guides are for emergencies, a lost card or stolen phone, and each one starts with the call to make before anything else. They are written separately for each provider because their fraud lines, apps and replacement steps differ. USSD banking guides explain the dial-a-code system itself, so you know why a session times out or why a code only works from your registered number.
Account & card security
- Fintech app
How to block your OPay account when your phone is stolen
What to do the moment your phone goes missing, in order: restrict the account, secure your SIM, then report stolen funds.
- Bank
How to block a UBA ATM card
The fastest way to stop a lost UBA card: call the Fraud Help Desk first, then use UBA's Block My Card service and arrange a replacement.
- Bank
How to block a First Bank ATM card
Contact FirstContact, switch off every exposed card channel in FirstMobile, then request a replacement and track any fraud complaint.
- Bank
How to block a GTB ATM card
Tells card hotlisting apart from an account restriction, covers instant replacement and how to report theft-related debits.
USSD banking
One guide lives here for now: the explainer on how USSD banking works. Help with common problems, such as failed sessions and registering for your bank's code, is the natural next addition, and will be added here when it has been written and checked.
Looking for a specific code instead?
For a bank's USSD codes go to Banks, for OPay, Moniepoint and other fintechs go to Apps, and to find a code, work out transfer charges or look up a sort code use Tools.
Frequently asked questions
- Are these guides official bank advice?
- No. FintechNG is independent and not affiliated with any bank or app. Each guide is written from the provider's own published pages, which are cited, but your bank's instructions always come first. See our terms for the full disclaimer.
- What should I do first if my phone is stolen?
- Call your bank or app's official fraud line straight away and ask them to restrict your account, then ask your network to block the SIM. Our OPay stolen-phone guide walks through the full order of steps.
- How current is this advice?
- Each guide cites the official pages it is based on, and any USSD code it points to links to a reviewed row showing the date it was checked. Providers change procedures, so if a step doesn't match what you see, follow the bank's own instructions.