Young people reading might not believe this but there was a time when you actually had to leave your house to do stuff like bank transfers or settle utility bills. It wasn’t that long ago too. Ten years ago, you had to fight your way through long lines in front of the PHCN office, bank, DStv office, etc. But that all changed when USSD tech came into the mix.
Here are 6 ways USSD codes have made our lives easier.
1) You can now buy airtime from the comfort of your home without having to deal with that annoying, thieving vendor who always adds 20% to the prices.
Say goodbye to daylight highway robbery.
2) You can now buy credit for other people. Like that babe you’ve been trying to impress.
Her or your mother, who you actually haven’t sent credit to in months. Shame on you.
3) Paying your DStv bill without having to interact without having to go to their office and deal with all the paperwork.
Paying in cash and writing your details in a notebook is so 2009.
4) Transferring money to someone without having to wait in biblically long lines in the banking hall.
All the standing and pushing and “Uncle, I’m in front of your back oh!“
5) Check your account balance as frequently as you want when you’re expecting money.
Because constantly having to go into the banking halls to ask a customer care person signals to the person that you’re desperately expecting said money because you’re broke. And you don’t want people to know that.
USSD banking was created so that banking transactions would no longer be stressful or dependent on time and location. This is what First City Monument Bank(FCMB) wanted for its customers when it launched its own USSD service. All any account holder with FCMB needs to do is dial *329# to register (on any phone type) and they’re all set to bank on the go!
