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
BVN fingerprints and the facial image are captured at a bank branch, and NIBSS says updates to customer information are done physically at bank branches, so a re-capture after an injury or with ageing skin starts at your bank. Take a valid ID and your BVN details, explain what has changed, and ask for a reference; neither NIBSS nor the CBN publishes a fixed fee or timeline for biometric updates.
Why your BVN fingerprints can stop matching
The Bank Verification Number is a biometric record. NIBSS, which runs the central BVN database for the banks, says enrolment captures all ten fingers and a facial image, and that people carrying out some banking transactions, such as applying for loans, may be asked to identify themselves with those biometric features, which are matched against the central database (NIBSS BVN page, accessed Oct 2026).
A match depends on the finger you present today looking like the finger that was scanned years ago. That stops happening for ordinary reasons:
- an injury: a cut, burn, scar, amputation or a finger that no longer bends fully
- skin that has worn smooth from manual work, washing, farming, building or salon work
- ageing skin, which tends to be drier and thinner, so ridges read less clearly
- a skin condition or medical treatment that has changed the surface of the fingertips
- a poor original capture, where the scan stored at enrolment was faint or partial
None of these mean your BVN is wrong or that you have done anything improper. They mean the stored template no longer represents your hands, and the record needs a fresh capture. If the problem is a one-off failure at a terminal, see our guide on what happens when a BVN fingerprint does not match first.
Where the update is done
NIBSS states that "update of customer information shall be done at their Bank Branches physically". There is no national self-service portal for re-scanning fingerprints that we could find on NIBSS or CBN pages, and an app cannot capture enrolment-grade prints. In practice that means a visit to a branch of a bank where you hold an account.
Under the CBN's 2021 Regulatory Framework for BVN Operations, banks, microfinance banks and other licensed financial institutions are the participants with direct access to the BVN system (Mondaq summary of the framework). Research gathered by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada in 2022 quotes an anti-corruption group saying customers may be invited to update their record at the nearest branch, and that the last branch where biometrics were captured can be traced. Going back to the bank that first enrolled you is sensible because it holds your original enrolment file, but ask your current bank first; many people now bank somewhere other than where they enrolled.
What to bring
Banks publish their own document lists for BVN updates and they differ, so phone ahead or check your bank's forms page. Bring enough to prove you are the person on the existing record:
- a valid government ID, such as your NIN slip or card, international passport, driver's licence or permanent voter's card
- your BVN, or the phone number linked to it (see how to check your BVN with *565*0#)
- your account number at that bank
- for a lasting injury, a short medical report or hospital letter; this is not a published requirement, but it helps the officer note why certain fingers cannot be captured
- a passport photograph, which some banks still ask for on update forms
Steps at the branch
- Ask for the customer service or BVN desk and say you need a biometric update, not a new enrolment.
- Fill in the bank's BVN update or modification form, stating which details are changing (fingerprints, facial image or both).
- Present your ID so the officer can pull up your existing BVN record.
- Have the fingers and face re-captured. If some fingers cannot be scanned at all, ask the officer to record them as unavailable rather than forcing a poor scan.
- Collect a reference or acknowledgment slip and the officer's name, and ask how you will be told the update is complete.
- After confirmation, test the new capture with something low-stakes, such as a branch biometric check, before you need it for a loan or large withdrawal.
How long it takes and what it costs
For new enrolments, NIBSS says the system confirms an application within 24 hours and the customer receives an SMS. It publishes no equivalent figure for biometric updates, and we found no CBN fee schedule for them. Treat any timeline a bank gives you as that bank's own estimate, and ask whether any charge applies before you start. Our guide on how long BVN modification takes covers tracking a pending request.
Do not enrol for a second BVN
When a print will not match, some people are told by unofficial agents that the fix is to enrol again. It is not. The CBN framework lists duplicate enrolment among the breaches that can put a BVN on the industry watch-list, and a watch-listed person can be refused new banking relationships and lose access to electronic channels and credit (Mondaq summary). Keep one BVN and update it. If you already hold two by mistake, read what the rules say about two BVNs.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme Financial Ltd is a technology company, not a bank; Naira deposits are held by Solid Allianze Microfinance Bank. Approving payments in the Pryme app uses an authenticator app and a transaction PIN rather than SMS codes, set out on our security page, so a fingerprint re-capture at your bank does not change how you confirm a payment in Pryme.
Questions people ask
Can I update my BVN fingerprint online?
No official online route exists for re-capturing fingerprints. NIBSS says customer information updates are done physically at bank branches.
Must I go back to the bank where I first did my BVN?
Not always. Start with a bank where you have an account. Your enrolling bank holds the original file, so it can be the quickest place if your current bank cannot help.
What if I lost a finger or it is badly scarred?
Ask the officer to record the affected fingers as unavailable and capture the rest and your face. A hospital letter helps explain the change.
Is BVN biometric update free?
NIBSS and the CBN do not publish a fee for biometric updates. Ask your bank before you start whether any charge applies.
Sources
- NIBSS: Bank Verification Number (BVN) · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq (Pavestones Legal): The Revised Regulatory Framework for BVN Operations in Nigeria (Oct 2021 framework) · accessed Oct 2026
- Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada: Nigeria, the Bank Verification Number (NGA201199.E, 9 Nov 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.