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The short answer
A low daily transfer limit is one of the simplest fraud protections you control: if someone gets into your app or USSD banking, they can only send up to that limit before the day resets, which buys you time to block the account. Most Nigerian bank apps let you lower your own limit in settings, and some let you raise it again within a set ceiling, while larger increases usually need the bank's approval or extra verification.
Why a limit works as a safety net
Most account takeovers end in a rush of transfers out, often split across several recipient accounts within minutes. Your daily limit is the maximum the bank will let leave through that channel in one day. If it is set at the bank's default, that may be far more than you send on a normal day. If you set it near what you actually need, a fraudster who gets in faces the same ceiling you do.
A limit does not stop fraud. It caps the loss per day and gives you time to use your bank's block code or call the bank. It works alongside acting fast after fraud, not instead of it.
What Nigerian banks' own pages say about limits
Limits differ by bank, by channel (app, USSD, internet banking) and by your KYC tier. A few examples from banks' own pages, which change and should be checked in your app:
| Bank and channel | What the bank's page says |
|---|---|
| Jaiz Bank, JaizMobile Plus app | Default daily transfer limit ₦150,000; you can raise it yourself in the app up to ₦500,000; above ₦500,000 needs bank approval |
| Sterling Bank, OneBank app | Default daily limit ₦500,000 with self-upgrade using a debit card or facial recognition; limits under Menu, Transaction Limits |
| GTBank, 737 USSD | 737 features page states a daily USSD transfer limit of ₦1,000,000, with amounts above ₦500,000 needing a hardware token |
| Zenith Bank, internet banking | FAQ states a daily limit of ₦3m to Zenith accounts and ₦1m to other banks |
These are the figures on those pages as checked in October 2026; some pages are undated. Your account's actual limit is shown in the app or on request from the bank. For the regulatory background on why tiers carry different ceilings, see KYC tier limits and CBN transfer limit rules.
Steps: lowering your limit
- Open your bank app and look under Settings, Security, Profile or a menu called Limits or Transaction Limits.
- Note the current limit for each channel: app transfers, USSD, card and internet banking can be separate.
- Set the app limit close to your largest normal daily transfer, rounded up a little.
- If you rarely use USSD, ask whether the bank can lower or switch off USSD transfers for your account; USSD runs on your SIM, which can be swapped by fraudsters.
- Confirm with your PIN or OTP, then check the new figure shows in the app.
- Repeat for every bank and fintech app where you keep money.
If you cannot find the setting, call or email the bank through its official channels and ask for a lower limit in writing. Lowering a limit is a reduction in risk, so banks generally process it with less friction than an increase.
Raising it temporarily for a big payment
Rent, school fees or a car purchase may need more than your safety limit. Plan for it rather than raising the limit permanently.
- Raise the limit the day of the payment, make the transfer, then lower it again the same day.
- Expect extra verification for larger increases: a debit card, facial check, token or a branch request, depending on the bank.
- Never raise a limit because someone on a call tells you to; scammers using remote access often ask for exactly this.
- For very large sums, splitting across two days within a modest limit is an option, if the recipient agrees.
Setting a sensible number
Look back at the last two or three months of your statement and find the largest single day of transfers that was not a one-off like rent. Set your limit a little above that. If your monthly pattern includes paying staff or suppliers on a fixed day, either keep a separate account for those payments with its own limit, or schedule a temporary increase for that day. Review the limit when your income or spending changes. A limit set years ago may now be either too tight to be useful or far higher than you need.
What a limit cannot do
A limit does not protect money you send to a scammer yourself, does not apply to cash withdrawals in the same way, and may differ for card payments. Pair it with alerts on every channel so you see each debit as it happens.
Where Pryme fits
In Pryme, sending money requires your transaction PIN and sign-in uses an authenticator app; see security and sending money. Check the app for the limit settings on your account; the limits that apply are shown there.
Questions people ask
How do I reduce my daily transfer limit?
Open your bank app and look under Settings, Security or Transaction Limits. If you cannot find it, ask the bank through its official channels to lower it in writing.
What is the default transfer limit in Nigerian bank apps?
It varies by bank, channel and KYC tier. For example, Jaiz Bank's FAQ gives a ₦150,000 app default and Sterling's OneBank FAQ ₦500,000. Check your own app for your figure.
Can I increase my transfer limit for one day?
Many apps let you raise it within a ceiling and lower it again. Larger increases usually need extra verification or bank approval.
Does a low transfer limit stop fraud?
It does not stop it, but it caps how much can leave in a day and gives you time to block the account.
Sources
- Jaiz Bank: FAQ · accessed Oct 2026
- Sterling Bank: OneBank FAQs (modified 16 Feb 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- GTBank: 737 features · accessed Oct 2026
- Zenith Bank: FAQs · 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.