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The short answer
e-BillsPay (Electronic Bills Payment) is a NIBSS service that lets you pay registered billers, such as schools, government agencies, insurers and subscription services, through internet banking, a bank branch or USSD (*565*6*biller code#), without needing the biller's account number. NIBSS's FAQ, last updated July 2024, gives fees for branch and internet banking of a fixed ₦100 minimum or 0.5%, capped at ₦1,200, and for USSD a fixed ₦75 or 1.5%; the biller decides whether to absorb the fee or pass it on.
Many Nigerians use e-BillsPay without knowing its name: it is often the "pay bills" or "NIBSS e-BillsPay" option in a bank's internet banking, or the branch counter's way of collecting a school or levy payment. It runs on NIBSS Instant Payment, so billers receive value straight away.
What e-BillsPay covers
NIBSS's e-BillsPay FAQ, last modified 21 July 2024, says it handles bills, fees, levies, premiums, airtime and subscriptions. The biller's bank details are configured in the system, so you only need to choose the biller and enter what it asks for, such as a student number or policy number.
Ways to pay
| Channel | How | Notes from the NIBSS FAQ |
|---|---|---|
| Internet banking | Choose e-BillsPay or bill payment, search the biller by its first three letters, fill the fields | Receipt issued on success |
| Bank branch | Ask the teller to pay via e-BillsPay, give the biller and reference | Same fee table as internet banking |
| USSD | Dial *565*6*biller code# on any phone | Zero-rated session, no airtime needed; about 60 seconds; enrolment usually by date of birth (mmddyyyy), some banks use the last four digits of a card |
The FAQ does not describe a separate mobile app channel; banks may offer billers inside their own apps through other routes.
Fees, as published by NIBSS
The FAQ's fee table, as at its July 2024 update:
- Branch and internet banking: a fixed fee of ₦100 minimum, capped at ₦1,200, or a variable fee of 0.5%, capped at ₦1,200.
- USSD: a fixed ₦75, or a variable 1.5%.
Which applies depends on how the biller is set up. The fee is split between the payer's bank, NIBSS, the acquirer, the biller's introducer and, on USSD, the telco and aggregator. The biller can absorb it or pass it to you, and the FAQ notes that aggregators and introducers may mark fees up. The amount you are charged is shown before you confirm; check it there, because the table may have changed since 2024.
Worked example
Example only. Funmi pays a school fee of ₦180,000 through internet banking to a biller on the 0.5% variable fee. 0.5% of ₦180,000 is ₦900, which is under the ₦1,200 cap, so the fee is ₦900 if the school passes it on. For a ₦400,000 payment, 0.5% would be ₦2,000, so the ₦1,200 cap applies. A ₦10,000 levy on the same variable fee would cost ₦50, but if the biller uses the fixed fee instead, the minimum of ₦100 applies.
How billers get paid
The FAQ says billers receive value instantly because e-BillsPay runs on NIP. Between banks, settlement runs at 8:00am and 2:00pm daily. Billers see payments in real time on NIBSS's Transaction Query System portal and get email or API notifications. Simple billers are configured in about seven working days after approval; complex billers that validate payments through an API take about a month.
If a payment fails but you were debited
- Contact your own bank with the biller's name, the amount, date and the transaction reference.
- Your bank raises it with NIBSS, which logs it in the Dispute Resolution System; the FAQ gives the receiving bank 72 hours to accept or deny the claim.
- If you paid the wrong amount, ask your bank to request a reversal; NIBSS then works with the biller and beneficiary bank so you can pay again.
- If your bank does not resolve it, escalate to the CBN Consumer Protection Department with proof of your complaint.
See also bill payment failed but debited.
e-BillsPay compared with other ways to pay a bill
e-BillsPay is one of several routes a bill can take. Understanding which one you are using helps when something goes wrong, because the complaint route follows the channel.
| Route | Who runs it | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| e-BillsPay | NIBSS, through your bank | Schools, levies, premiums, subscriptions registered as billers |
| Biller's own website or app | The biller or its payment provider | Card or transfer payments on the biller's checkout |
| Bank app bill menu | Your bank, often through aggregators | Airtime, data, electricity, cable TV |
| Direct transfer to the biller's account | Your bank, through NIP | Where the biller gives an account number |
With e-BillsPay, the payment is matched to your reference (student number, policy number) automatically on the biller's side, which is its main advantage over a plain transfer: a school does not have to work out who sent ₦180,000 with the narration "fees". Always enter the reference exactly as the biller issued it, because a wrong reference can leave the payment unmatched even though it was received.
If a biller tells you to pay through e-BillsPay, ask for its exact name as it appears in the biller search and the reference format it expects. Keep the receipt your bank issues; for USSD payments the FAQ says you receive a flash notification and an SMS.
Where Pryme fits
Inside the Pryme app you can pay airtime and data, electricity and cable TV directly, with the charge shown before you confirm, and generate a verifiable receipt with VerifyDoc.ai as proof of payment.
Questions people ask
What is NIBSS e-BillsPay?
An electronic bill payment service run by NIBSS that lets you pay registered billers through internet banking, a branch or USSD without the biller's account number.
What is the e-BillsPay USSD code?
*565*6*biller code#, according to the NIBSS e-BillsPay FAQ. The session is zero-rated.
How much does e-BillsPay charge?
NIBSS's July 2024 FAQ gives ₦100 minimum or 0.5%, capped at ₦1,200, for branch and internet banking, and ₦75 or 1.5% on USSD. Your bank shows the charge before you pay.
My e-BillsPay payment failed but I was debited. What do I do?
Report it to your bank with the biller name and transaction details; the bank raises it with NIBSS, which has a 72-hour dispute turnaround in its FAQ.
Sources
- NIBSS Helpdesk: e-BillsPay FAQs (modified 21 Jul 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- NIBSS: NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) (page modified 17 Apr 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CBN: Complaints management (Consumer Protection Department) · 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.