AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Nothing in Nigerian consumer law lets a business keep a second payment for one sale. The FCCPA 2018 requires prices at the point of payment to match those displayed (section 115) and gives you the right to a written record of the transaction (section 118), and a CBN circular sets 48 hours to resolve POS disputes between merchant and cardholder. Your statement showing two debits and the receipt showing one sale usually settle it.
First, confirm it really is a double charge
Before you go back to the shop, separate three things that can look alike on your phone:
- Two completed debits on your bank statement for the same amount, same merchant, minutes apart. That is a double charge.
- One debit and one failed attempt where the failed one is reversed by the bank. Check your statement after a day or two; a reversal line may appear.
- A hold or pending line that never settles. Some app balances show this before it drops off.
Use your statement, not SMS alerts alone. Alerts can be delayed or duplicated themselves, and a merchant will rightly ask for the statement.
What the FCCPA gives you
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 (FCCPA) does not have a section headed "double charges", but several of its rights, as summarised by the FCCPC on its consumer rights page, point the same way:
- Section 115, price disclosure
- Prices displayed must be equivalent to the point-of-payment price. A second charge is a price you were never shown.
- Section 118, sales record
- A business should give you a written record of the transaction on request, where practicable.
- Section 122, returns
- Consumers may return goods and receive a full refund in the circumstances the Act sets out.
- Section 127, unfair terms
- Agreements that are "manifestly unfair, unreasonable or unjust" cannot be enforced, as the TEMPLARS paper on no-refund policies explains.
- Section 129, prohibited terms
- Terms limiting a supplier's liability for fraud, negligence or misrepresentation are void.
In plain terms, a "no refund" sign does not let a shop keep money it took by mistake. This is information, not legal advice; the Act's full text governs.
If you paid by card at a POS
A CBN circular on chargeback periods (May 2020, effective June 2020, as summarised by Mondaq) set 48 hours for resolving POS disputes between merchant and cardholder and 48 hours for failed POS refunds. Two routes run side by side:
- Ask the merchant to refund the second charge on the spot or by transfer, and get it in writing.
- If they refuse or delay, report to your own bank with both statement lines and the receipt. Your bank raises it with the merchant's acquiring bank.
If you paid by transfer
There is no card scheme behind a transfer, so your bank cannot charge it back. Show the merchant both transfers on your statement, with session IDs, and ask for one to be returned. If the shop refuses, the FCCPC is the regulator for consumer complaints against businesses.
Evidence that settles it fast
| Evidence | What it proves |
|---|---|
| Receipt or invoice showing one item or one total | What you agreed to buy |
| Bank statement with two debits | That you paid twice |
| Both POS slips, or both transfer receipts with session IDs | That the second was a separate completed payment |
| Time stamps | That both happened in one visit |
| Your message to the merchant and any reply | That you asked first |
Steps
- Ask at the counter, politely, with your statement on screen.
- If staff cannot refund, ask for the manager's contact and a written acknowledgement.
- Follow up in writing within a day with your evidence.
- For card payments, report to your bank. The CBN complaints guide says a bank should acknowledge within 3 days; allow 2 weeks before escalating to the CBN Consumer Protection Department.
- For the merchant, file with the FCCPC at complaints.fccpc.gov.ng, or call 0805 600 2020 or 0805 600 3030 (numbers on the FCCPC page, Oct 2026).
If the shop offers store credit instead
Some shops offer a voucher or credit note rather than money back. You can accept it if it suits you, but you are not obliged to: the second charge was money taken for nothing, not a purchase you are returning. Ask for the refund to go back the way you paid, to your card or by transfer to your account, and ask for a written note of the amount and the date it will be paid.
What to say at the counter
Keep it short and specific: "I was charged twice for this receipt, at 6.12 and 6.13. Here are both debits on my statement. Please refund one." Showing the two lines next to one receipt answers most objections before they are raised, and staying calm makes it easier for a supervisor to agree.
Worked example
Example only. Chidi buys groceries for ₦23,750 and pays by card. The terminal shows an error, the cashier tries again, and both go through. His statement shows two debits of ₦23,750 at 6.12pm and 6.13pm, a total of ₦47,500 for one basket. The receipt shows ₦23,750. He shows the cashier, who calls the supervisor; the shop refunds ₦23,750 by transfer the next morning. Had it refused, his bank dispute would have rested on the receipt and the two statement lines.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme customers can generate a verifiable receipt or statement through VerifyDoc.ai when a merchant asks for proof. Businesses taking payment by transfer can use Pryme's bank-transfer checkout (free). See also refunds: what the law expects of businesses and double debit on a web payment.
Questions people ask
A shop charged my card twice, can they refuse to refund?
They have no right to keep a payment for something they did not sell. If they refuse, report to your bank for the card payment and to the FCCPC for the merchant.
Does a no-refund policy apply to double charges?
A no-refund policy is about returning goods, not money taken by mistake, and the FCCPA limits unfair terms (section 127).
How long does a POS double debit refund take?
A 2020 CBN circular set 48 hours for POS merchant-cardholder disputes and failed POS refunds. If your bank misses that, complain in writing.
How do I complain to the FCCPC?
Use the online portal at complaints.fccpc.gov.ng, or call the numbers on the FCCPC website, with your receipt, statement and messages.
Sources
- FCCPC: Consumer rights and responsibilities · accessed Oct 2026
- TEMPLARS ThoughtLab: The legality of no-refund policies under Nigerian consumer protection law · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq: Chargeback period reduction for ATMs, POS and web transactions (CBN circular, May 2020) · accessed Oct 2026
- CBN: How to Lodge a Complaint (CPD/GEN/GUIDE/03, January 2022) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.