10 Best Mobile Banking Apps Currently in Nigeria 2024
Now more than ever, mobile banking has taken centre stage in Nigeria. From everyday transactions to the opening of accounts, and even lodging complaints, there is almost no banking activity you can’t do on your smartphone.
But although all banks have mobile apps, some give extremely terrible user experiences. It is not uncommon to hear of app crashing, consistent poor network, transfer reversal, or the app being unable to install on certain mobile devices.
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This defeats the entire purpose of ease and on-the-go banking that these mobile banking apps were meant to bring. We want to save you from that stress. In this post, we have highlighted the 10 best mobile banking apps in Nigeria in 2023 covering the features they offer, the stability of the app, and reviews by actual users.
Top 10 Best Mobile Banking Apps in Nigeria 2024
- Eco Bank
- FCMB
- Sterling Bank
- Access Bank
- First Bank
- Polaris Bank
- Fidelity Bank
- GT Bank
- Union Bank
- Stanbic IBTC
1. Eco Bank
The best mobile banking app in Nigeria currently is the EcoBank mobile app. It’s really simple to bank whenever you want, wherever with the updated and improved Ecobank Mobile app. In all 33 African nations where Ecobank is active, customers can seek customer support using the Ecobank mobile app.
Users of the app can manage their regular banking requirements anytime, anywhere, and immediately from their mobile devices. For interbank transfers, airtime top-ups, statement reading, and internet and cable TV subscription payments, the app makes them quite swift.
Customers only need to enter their mobile number and password to log in, making it easy for them to do so. They also receive responses from the app very quickly, and it offers a special payment method for businesses that use barcode or QR code scanning. The app is cumbersome for individuals with limited storage space because it is rather large. Reviews on the Play Store show that after installing the app, several users had problems signing up, and some users who were already using the app reported trouble logging in.
2. FCMB
Next is the FCMB mobile app called the FCMB New Mobile. You can easily get all your personal and commercial financial services through the new FCMB mobile app. It is quick, practical, and extremely secure. Also, it has a ton of easy-to-use features and a fun structure for navigating.
Customers of the bank can manage their cards and FCMB personal and business accounts in real-time, from any location, at any time. It has a simplistic UI and you only need a password and phone number to log in to the app.
Even if you have never used the app, in just a few minutes, new users may easily sign up and begin taking advantage of the app’s many features. Of course, the app can be used for bill payments, airtime top-ups, and internet subscriptions in addition to the typical inter- and intra-bank transfers.
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Similar criticisms have been made about this app as other mobile banking apps. Even when PINs were correctly entered, many users claimed that they constantly received “Incorrect PIN” error messages while attempting to log in. The app’s frequent crashes during the registration process for new users are another serious flaw. Users who switch phones and download the app again report problems with the app not functioning.
3. Sterling Bank
The Sterling Bank’s OneBank app is a top-of-class and all-in-one digital banking app that lets users register and bank with no hassle, as well as make payments, invest, get financial advice, borrow money, and access lifestyle services.
Although the app’s UI appears complex due to the variety of capabilities it offers, it actually offers its users comfort and convenience in many different ways.
Customers can use their phone numbers to rapidly create a wallet account. The app’s biometric function enables users to log in using their fingerprints, relieving them of the burden of remembering numerous passwords. Consumers can also choose their card’s usage and expiration instantaneously while creating a virtual card for online shopping. It has a One Transfer function which when OneBank users use their OneBank app to scan a OneBank QR, the app enables clients to receive money instantaneously from OneBank users.
Like other apps, it enables the purchase of airtime as well as the payment for airline tickets, cable and internet subscriptions, and utility bills. It also supports QR code payments for merchants. Several users of Sterling Bank’s mobile app have expressed dissatisfaction on the Play Store with the inability to view receipts on the app following transactions. Others say that the app’s overabundance of features makes it challenging to navigate.
4. Access Bank
The AccessMore app, an improvement to the standard Access Bank Mobile app, not only has a chic and stunning look but also features a nice user interface to go along with its simple navigation menu.
Quick account opening, customized themes, and color schemes, one-click access to all favourite features, self-generated QR codes for intra-bank transfers, scannable QR codes for payments, investment services, and PayDay loans are just a few of its features.
Interestingly, the app also enables the application for a Dubai visa and the purchase of cinema tickets. Additionally, it offers card services, airtime top-ups, utility bill payments, new chequebook requests, halt and confirm checks, and simplified foreign exchange transfers. Special fingerprint authentication is included in the app as an extra security measure. Users of this app can conduct online transactions without a token.
Customers can access customer support whenever they need it using the live chat option included in the mobile app. The user feels at home using the app because it is stress-free. For instance, using the app eliminates the need to physically visit the bank to order a new chequebook. One of the common complaints from the Play Store is that the app is very slow, especially on phones with little RAM (2GB or less). Several users also reported having trouble logging in and having fingerprint-related issues.
5. First Bank
Fifth on this list of the top mobile banking applications in Nigeria in 2023 is the First Bank app, known as FirstMobile. A quick glance at the FirstMobile app reveals intriguing features that are appealing and simple to use.
A 5-digit mPIN is first issued to a new user when they register. You must enter this PIN in order to use the app and perform any mobile transactions. In order to complete any transfer or payment transactions, you must also enter a 4-digit transaction PIN.
The only app that supports transfers of up to one million Naira without a hardware token is this one. It offers a great user interface and supports intra-bank transactions in addition to interbank transfers. It may be used to pay for DSTV, Startimes, Gotv, and PHCN bills as well as for airtime purchases. It can rapidly produce account statements and even retrieve transaction details going back two months.
User can easily change their mPIN, change their nickname, synchronize their token with the app, change the transaction PIN, and perform other operations on the account settings page. But First Bank’s mobile app also has some shortcomings. Even after choosing the option to block adverts, some users of the app are claiming that they keep appearing.
Several users report that the app slows when opening, and others are reportedly experiencing trouble downloading transaction receipts. The inability of the app for some users to access saved beneficiaries during transactions is also another problem.
6. Polaris Bank
VULTe is the name of Polaris Bank’s digital mobile banking application and it’s one of the best banking apps of 2023. There isn’t much in the way of aesthetics in the design of the app, and it appears straightforward. The app, however, provides simple, quick, and dependable solutions that are intended to not only satisfy your financial demands but also enhance your overall quality of life.
With its distinctive features and advantages, it enables newly onboarded users to complete their banking activities on the go, including account opening, bill payment, balance inquiry, intra-bank and inter-bank transfers, airtime recharge, and rapid loans.
Customers who have been onboarded can also utilize the Bank’s PayDay Loan, known as Salary Advance, on digital platforms for mobile and the web, where eligibility will be made clear to the consumer in the VULTe application. However, users of the app have complained about troubles they have had signing in since it frequently fails. The fact that the software frequently crashes is another source of annoyance for users. Like most of the apps we’ve examined, Polaris’ VULTe has a number of bugs that have caused users to clamour for an earlier, more reliable version.
7. Fidelity Bank
The mobile app from Fidelity has grown from obscurity to rank among the top banking apps in the nation. The software offers a user-friendly interface and a straightforward layout that leave plenty of room for thought.
The improved software enables you to maintain financial control. Manage your accounts, cards, and transactions safely and conveniently from anywhere.
You can use the App to manage your bank account(s) and conduct transactions from a mobile device. It is incredibly user-friendly and secure. The lightweight 31MB mobile app includes personalized fingerprint and biometric authentication for quick and secure login. Within the app, users will be able to browse all of their accounts.
It has a feature for creating a customizable profile with the option to submit a profile photo. You can control the recipients of financial transfers, bill payments, and airtime top-ups. The app can also be used to pay for subscriptions to PHCN, Gotv, and DStv. Lastly, account statements are simple to produce and take only a few minutes.
Many users who are dissatisfied with the app complain of login issues. For others, both fingerprints and login information are not recognized. Even more frustrating is that after numerous failed attempts to log in, some users were eventually blocked from the app. The app breaking in the middle of transactions is another issue that has drawn criticism on the Play Store.
8. GT Bank
The gorgeous orange background of the GTB’s GTWorld mobile app makes it cool and inviting for users to navigate and take advantage of the app’s special features. The only information needed to log in is your online banking ID and password.
The bank’s client-centric digital strategy served as the foundation for the creation of GTWorld, which includes biometric identification methods like fingerprint and facial recognition that can recognize a customer and adjust to their preferences for how and when they wish to bank.
The GAPS Lite internet banking platform for small businesses, which provides a flexible and secure channel to make payments and collections anywhere in the world, is also seamlessly accessible via the mobile banking app.
After successfully logging in to the app, you may access all of your accounts (savings, current, fixed deposit, and domiciliary) and do additional operations including fund transfers, airtime purchases, and daily transaction history reviews. One of the complaints from users is that the most recent software upgrade has made interbank transfers quite challenging. They also took issue with the fact that occasionally the app indicates that a transaction has failed, but when it is retried, the user gets charged twice.
Others’ problem with the app is that it keeps crashing, even after they’ve tried every fix, including clearing the cache and repeatedly deleting and reinstalling it.
9. Union Bank
One of the oldest conventional banks in Nigeria, Union Bank, has joined the digital banking revolution by providing its clients with a variety of digital banking channels. As clients continue to embrace simple and easy banking through applications, the bank’s mobile app, UnionMobile, ranks among the most downloaded bank apps in Nigeria today.
The UnionMobile app, like the mobile apps from other banks, provides several distinctive features, such as an ATM/branch location, an instant account statement, a weather forecast, the ability to manage and store beneficiaries, and a personalized profile that allows users to add their profile pictures.
Additionally, the app manages a cardless withdrawal system that enables users to withdraw money from any Union bank ATM without the need for a debit card. Once you’ve connected your debit card information to your profile, you can do this.
A more recent update improved the app’s functions by adding the ability to pay utility bills including those for DSTV, GOTV, PHCN, etc. With the app, customers can also purchase airtime and data bundles.
Aside from these functions, the app has a pleasing aesthetic with a basic UI and a bright blue color scheme.
Despite the app’s fantastic features, many users are not satisfied with it for one reason or another. The majority of customer complaints on the Play Store centre on an inability to log in following an app update.
Several people are finding it difficult to register on the app since they constantly receive error warnings whenever they try to log in.
10. Stanbic IBTC
The last bank on our list of best mobile banking apps in Nigeria in 2023 is the mobile app of Stanbic IBTC. The Stanbic IBTC mobile app is associated with a Stanbic IBTC debit card, and it often needs a 3-digit installation code (*909#) to be installed on any iOS or Android device.
For paying for goods and services, school fees, bank transfers, airtime purchases while travelling outside of the country, and internet and cable TV subscriptions, the app performs exceptionally well.
It is linked to your wallet’s savings/current account, pension, mutual fund, and further linked accounts. One can quickly examine their available account balance, ledger balance, and all listed accounts after logging in.
In addition, financial portfolios can be easily managed using the app. Money can be sent to those without bank accounts as well. The beneficiary will receive a voucher through SMS that can be redeemed at any Stanbic IBTC ATM.
On the Play Store, users of this app frequently express frustration over their inability to download or capture transaction receipts. When they needed to send the recipient proof of payment, this frequently put them in a bind.
Others have trouble signing in, and still, more are frustrated by how slowly the app loads. Once more, the most recent update contains issues that delete users’ saved beneficiaries.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, all of the apps were created to make banking simpler and more enjoyable for consumers. However, each user’s experience varies depending on a number of variables, such as the network’s quality, the kind of phone being used, and how the phone is set up to access the apps.
Due to these considerations, not every user will have a great experience, and this is reflected in the users’ mixed ratings of the apps—both favourable and bad, depending on their own experiences. One thing that is constant for the majority of the apps is that every update raises new problems that make the customers wish they had never been upgraded.
Above all, any app typically contains flaws that cause issues for the user, but the true test of a great app is its customer base’s acceptance, popularity, user coverage, and general functionality.
