EXPLAINER: OPay is not replacing phone numbers with standard account numbers

A social media claim that OPay has stopped using customers’ phone numbers as account numbers and is now issuing standard bank account numbers has sparked confusion among users of the fintech platform.

The claim, which circulated among social media users, urged OPay customers still using their phone numbers as account numbers to visit OPay agents to have their accounts updated.

“OPay is no longer using phone numbers as account numbers. They’re now issuing standard account numbers, so if you’re still using your phone number as your OPay account number, hurry to an OPay agent to get yours updated,” an X user, Israel Gharee, posted.

However, an OPay official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told PREMIUM TIMES that the claim is inaccurate, adding that the company would communicate any major changes to its customers through its official communication channels.

“I have seen the tweet. But even from the comments you will see people are already correcting him. If we have any update or news, we will always share through our communication channels,” the official said on Sunday.

Clarification

The official said the claim may have been prompted by OPay’s My BizPayment feature, which provides users with a separate account number for business transactions.

The feature is available to existing OPay users who want to use their accounts for business purposes. It allows users to provide information about their businesses and, after completing the process, receive a merchant account number.

The existence of the merchant account number does not mean OPay has replaced the phone-number-based account details used by its regular customers.

The business account number is associated with the user’s existing OPay account and is intended for business-related transactions.

BizPayment account

My BizPayment is a business feature within the OPay app, and it’s not a recent update.

Users can access it through the “Me” section of the app and provide information about their businesses, including the nature of the business and how it operates.

The process includes different business categories and operating models. Once the required information is provided, eligible users can proceed to generate a merchant account number.

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The account number generated through this process may therefore look different from the phone-number format associated with a regular OPay account.

That distinction appears to be at the centre of the social media claim.

No instruction to change existing accounts

There is no indication from OPay that ordinary customers have been instructed to visit agents to replace their existing phone-number-based account details.

The company said any change to its account system would be communicated through its official channels.

The OPay official said the availability of a separate merchant account number through My BizPayment should not be interpreted as an announcement that OPay has discontinued the use of phone numbers for regular customer accounts.