From Thursday, May 1, 2025, GTBank customers will pay more to receive SMS alerts.
Following the increase in prices by telecom providers, banks are passing the burden on. What used to cost N4 per text now jumps to N6, a 50% hike.
We’ve seen this pattern before, telecoms raise charges, banks react, customers grumble. But this time, there’s more going on than a price change.
GTBank sent a message to customers saying: “Please be informed that effective Thursday, May 1, 2025, the SMS transaction alert fee will increase from N4 to N6 per message. This adjustment is due to a recent increase in telecom rates as communicated by the telecommunication service providers.”
It’s a move that comes with options. You can opt out of receiving SMS alerts entirely. GTBank says all it takes is filling out a form and sending it to their support email.
But here’s the thing—those alerts are a major line of defence against fraud. Without them, you’re blind to real-time activity on your account.
Still, for many Nigerians, N6 per message feels excessive—especially in a climate where data is cheaper and mobile apps offer free push notifications. Why pay for something you can get elsewhere for less?
Digging deeper, this price change isn’t GTBank’s idea alone. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) gave telecom companies the green light in January to raise their tariffs by 50%. That decision kicked in by February.
MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile had been shouting for relief, pointing to the naira’s sharp fall, diesel costs, and the constant damage to their fibre-optic infrastructure.
Ecobank made a similar move earlier this year, raising its SMS alert fee to N6 as well. More banks will likely follow.
But where does this leave the average Nigerian? That’s the real question. You’re paying more, yet network quality hasn’t improved. Voice calls still drop mid-sentence. Data crawls when it should fly. And people are not silent about it.
Across social media, users are venting. Advocacy groups are calling for reforms. Yet the response from regulators remains measured. The NCC has told telcos to improve services within three months—or face sanctions.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has also stepped in, warning that any increase in tariffs must be met with better quality.
Still, one wonders: will better service really follow? Or will consumers continue to foot the bill for an industry in crisis?
Telecom operators argue their hands are tied. The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said Nigeria’s telecom prices have been among the lowest in the world, even though the cost of running the networks is going through the roof. In their view, the hike was overdue.
Fair point. But for someone earning the minimum wage or less, every extra naira counts. And that’s the part the banks and telcos often miss.
We may understand the math behind these increases, but that doesn’t make it easier to swallow. We’re paying more for the same—or sometimes worse—service. That’s the real issue.
Now, the ball is in the regulators’ court. It’s not enough to approve hikes. Nigerians need accountability. If we’re paying more, we deserve to see the value. Until then, this feels less like an adjustment and more like yet another deduction we didn’t sign up for.
Would you opt out of SMS alerts to save on costs—or is peace of mind worth the price?
