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The short answer
A clear instruction to a money assistant has four parts: the action, the amount, the person or bill, and the timing. Give one task per instruction and use the same names each time. With the Pryme Personal Assistant, check what it prepares before you approve, because nothing moves without your approval.
Why clear instructions matter
An assistant, human or AI, can only prepare what it understands. Vague instructions lead to drafts you have to correct, and corrections take time. Clear instructions lead to drafts you can approve in seconds. Because a money assistant deals in amounts and recipients, clarity also lowers the chance of approving something you did not mean.
Think about how you would brief a trusted younger relative running errands for you. You would not say "go and pay that thing". You would say which bill, how much, and by when, and you would expect them to show you the receipt. A money assistant needs the same brief. The Pryme Personal Assistant adds one more safeguard: it shows you what it has prepared and waits for your approval, so you see the result before the money moves rather than after.
The four parts of a good instruction
- Action
- What you want done: prepare a transfer, pay a bill, move money into savings, set a reminder.
- Amount
- The exact figure in naira or the currency you mean. Say it in full.
- Person or bill
- Who receives it, or which bill. Use the name you always use.
- Timing
- Now, on a date, or on a repeating schedule.
Compare these two, with example amounts:
| Vague | Clear |
|---|---|
| "Sort out light." | "Prepare ₦10,000 of electricity for my prepaid meter now." |
| "Send Mum something." | "Prepare a ₦30,000 transfer to Mum for Saturday." |
| "Save some money." | "Move ₦20,000 into savings on the 28th." |
| "Remind me about school." | "Remind me on 1 January to pay the children's school fees." |
Instructions by task
Bills
Name the bill type and, if you have more than one, which one: "my Lekki meter", "the shop's data line". Pryme supports airtime and data, electricity and cable TV. If a bill amount changes from month to month, ask the assistant to prepare it so you can check the amount before you approve.
Sending money
Use one consistent name per person. If you have two contacts called Tobi, say "Tobi my cousin" or use the surname. Say whether it is one-off or regular. For family support from abroad, our guide to paying bills in Nigeria for family from abroad has wider tips.
Saving
Say how much and when. "Every payday, move ₦15,000 into savings" (example) gives the assistant a pattern to prepare each time, which you then approve.
Reminders
Reminders do not move money, so they are the safest place to start. Include what the reminder is for and when: "Remind me two days before my rent is due on the 30th."
Reminders are also a good way to pair the assistant with tasks it cannot do for you, such as visiting the school bursar or renewing a document. Anything with a date can be a reminder.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Several tasks at once. "Pay light, send Mum thirty and save twenty" invites mistakes. Give three separate instructions.
- Half amounts. "Send him fifteen" could mean ₦1,500 or ₦15,000. Say the full figure.
- Changing nicknames. Calling your brother "Junior" one day and "Kelechi" the next makes matching harder.
- Approving without reading. The instruction is only half the job. Read the prepared item before approving.
- Including secrets. Never add a PIN, password or code to an instruction.
When the draft does not match
If what the assistant prepares is not what you meant, the fix is almost always in the instruction. Decline, then ask again with the missing part added. If it picked the wrong person, add the surname or relationship. If the amount is off, say it in full. If the date is wrong, name the day and the date. After two or three corrections, most people find their instructions settle into a pattern the assistant gets right first time.
Worked example: a Friday evening list
Example only. Bisi, a hairdresser in Ikeja, used to say: "Eva, do my usual." It never worked well. Now she says four short things:
- "Prepare ₦12,000 of electricity for the salon meter."
- "Prepare a ₦35,000 transfer to Kunle, my landlord's agent, for Monday."
- "Move ₦10,000 into savings now."
- "Remind me on Wednesday to buy relaxer stock."
She checks each prepared item. The landlord transfer shows the agent's account name, which matches the one on his receipt, so she approves. The savings move she approves straight away. Total time: about three minutes, all of it in her control. Before, the same jobs meant four separate trips through her banking app and at least one forgotten bill a month. If you are deciding how much to keep aside each month, our guide to how big your emergency fund should be is a good next read.
Where Pryme fits
The Pryme Personal Assistant is available to every Personal Account customer. You speak to it and give instructions; it prepares bills, savings moves, reminders and transfers, and you approve each one. See how to speak to your assistant for tips on the speaking side.
Questions people ask
What should I say to my money assistant?
Say what to do, how much, to whom or for which bill, and when. One task per instruction works best.
Can I give the Pryme assistant several tasks at once?
It is safer to give them one by one, so each prepared item is easy to check before you approve.
What if I say the wrong amount?
Nothing moves until you approve. Check the amount on screen, decline if it is wrong, and ask again.
Can I set up regular savings with the assistant?
You can ask it to prepare savings moves on a schedule, such as every payday, and approve each one.
Sources
- Central Bank of Nigeria: Complaints Management · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigerian Communications Commission: Measures to Protect Consumers against Financial Frauds · 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.