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
Ask the lender in writing for a refund and loan closure, with proof of full repayment and each extra debit; under the FCCPC's 2025 digital lending rules it must resolve complaints within 24 hours, or at most 48. If it does not, dispute card or mandate debits with your bank and report the lender to the FCCPC at lenderstaskforce@fccpc.gov.ng.
First, confirm it really is an overcharge
Before you write to anyone, put the numbers side by side. Open your loan agreement or offer screen in the app and note three things: the amount you were told you would repay, the due date, and any charge the agreement says applies on or after that date. Then pull your own bank statement for the period and list every debit from the lender, with date, amount and narration. If the total of those debits is more than the repayment amount in the agreement, and the extra did not come from a late charge the agreement actually describes, you have been overcharged.
Common causes are not always deliberate. A card or mandate debit can retry after you have already paid by transfer, so the same instalment leaves twice. A repayment you made by transfer may not have been matched to your loan, so the system still treats the loan as open and debits you. Sometimes a late fee is applied because a payment landed a day after the due date. Knowing which of these happened makes your complaint shorter and harder to dismiss.
- Two debits of the same amount within minutes or hours: usually a retry or duplicate.
- A debit days or weeks after your loan showed as paid in the app: usually an unmatched or unclosed loan.
- A debit equal to a fee you do not recognise: check whether the agreement lists that fee and the trigger for it.
Step 1: ask the lender, in writing, for a refund
The lender is the first stop, and the rules now give you something firm to point to. Under the FCCPC's Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 (the DEON Regulations), you are entitled to a statement or history of your use of the service within 24 hours of asking for it (Regulation 21(b)). Complaints must be resolved within 24 hours, and where that is impracticable the time the lender gives you must not exceed 48 hours (Regulation 22(d)). The FCCPC resumed enforcing these Regulations on 20 July 2026 after the Federal High Court in Lagos vacated a restraining order.
Use the complaint channel inside the app and the lender's email, so there is a written record. Keep it short and factual:
- Your full name, the phone number and email on the account, and the loan reference.
- The date and amount of your full repayment, with the transfer reference or receipt.
- Each debit you say was not owed: date, amount, narration, and the bank it came from.
- What you want: a refund of a stated total to a named account, and confirmation the loan is closed.
- A request for your statement under Regulation 21(b) and a reply within the time in Regulation 22(d).
Ask, in the same message, for the lender to cancel any card token or mandate it still holds on your account. Our guides on removing your card from a loan app and stopping automatic debits explain how to make sure it cannot happen again.
Step 2: dispute the debit with your bank
If the lender does not reply within its 48-hour outer limit, or refuses, go to the bank or card issuer the money left from. This route works differently depending on how the money was taken, so look at the narration on your statement.
| How it was debited | What to ask your bank | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Debit card (saved card on the app) | Log a card dispute for the specific transactions and ask the bank to block further charges from that merchant | Statement lines, proof of full repayment, the lender's reply or silence |
| Direct debit or mandate | Ask the bank to cancel the mandate and to investigate the debit | Loan closure evidence and the date you paid |
| Transfer you made yourself (paid twice by mistake) | Banks cannot usually reverse a transfer you authorised; ask the lender for the refund | Both transfer receipts |
Ask the bank for a complaint reference number and the timeline it will work to. Banks set their own process for card disputes and the card scheme rules decide what can be recovered, so we cannot give you a fixed number of days; ask the bank to tell you in writing.
Step 3: escalate to the FCCPC
If the lender has not refunded you, you can escalate to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. The DEON Regulations say consumers may report disputes or complaints about the service to lenderstaskforce@fccpc.gov.ng (Regulation 26(2)). The FCCPC also runs a general complaints portal at complaints.fccpc.gov.ng, and lists 0805 600 2020 and 0805 600 3030 as contact numbers. Attach the same evidence pack and copies of your messages to the lender, including dates, so the Commission can see the lender was given the chance to fix it.
The Regulations give the FCCPC strong tools, including suspension or delisting of an approved lender and administrative penalties of up to ₦100 million or 1% of the previous year's turnover for a company, whichever is greater (Regulation 27). That is not compensation for you, but it is why lenders tend to respond once the Commission is copied. Check whether the lender appears on the FCCPC's approvals register; our guide how to check a loan app is registered with the FCCPC shows how.
A worked example
Example only. Ada borrowed ₦40,000 and her agreement said she would repay ₦46,000 on 5 March. She sent ₦46,000 by transfer on 4 March. On 5 March the app also charged her saved card ₦46,000, and on 6 March charged ₦2,300 as a late fee because it had not matched her transfer. Her statement shows ₦94,300 taken in total against ₦46,000 owed, so she is owed ₦48,300 (₦46,000 plus ₦2,300). Her complaint names that figure, attaches the transfer receipt and both card debits, and asks for the late fee to be reversed because the payment was made before the due date.
Where Pryme fits
Proof is what wins these complaints. Any Pryme customer can generate a verifiable statement or receipt through our partnership with VerifyDoc.ai, which the lender or the FCCPC can check is genuine and unaltered (verifiable receipts). Pryme's security settings use a transaction PIN and an authenticator app, so you can see and control what leaves your account.
Questions people ask
Loan app debited me after I finished paying, what do I do?
Write to the lender with proof of full repayment and each extra debit, ask for a refund and loan closure, and request your statement. If there is no fix within 48 hours, dispute the debit with your bank and report to the FCCPC.
How long does a loan app have to resolve my complaint?
Under Regulation 22(d) of the FCCPC DEON Regulations 2025, 24 hours, and where that is impracticable the timeframe given must not exceed 48 hours.
Can my bank reverse a loan app debit?
For card debits and mandates, you can log a dispute and ask the bank to block further charges. A transfer you sent yourself usually cannot be reversed by the bank; you claim it back from the lender.
What is the FCCPC email for loan app complaints?
The DEON Regulations name lenderstaskforce@fccpc.gov.ng. The FCCPC also has a complaints portal at complaints.fccpc.gov.ng.
Sources
- FCCPC: Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 · accessed Oct 2026
- FCCPC: FCCPC resumes digital lending regulation (20 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- FCCPC: Approvals of digital money lenders (register) · 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.