How to upgrade account online in Nigeria

As the topic goes how to upgrade account online in Nigeria, I will explain all you need to know when it comes to upgrading a bank account in Nigeria especially doing it online.

But the question is;

Cam you upgrade your bank account online?

Well, the answer is yes.

You can upgrade your bank account online in Nigeria, but it depends on the bank. Not all banks in Nigeria will give you the privilege to upgrade your account without going to the bank.

Right now, I have seen that some banks offer options for account upgrade via their websites.

However, I have yet to confirm if the entire process can be completed online via the bank website or if the customer will need to visit the bank to finalize the account upgrade.

Well, I will explain the method I used to upgrade my Zenith bank account without visiting the bank.

Before I do that, I first need to list the requirements you need.

Requirements to upgrade account online

1. A filled account upgrade form.
2. A passport.
3. An ID like NIN, voter’s card, international passport or driver’s license.
4. An utility bill like the Electricity bill (Nepa bill) or House rent bill.

Kindly note that the utility bill must have your home address on it. For an electricity bill, it should not be less than three months old.

Banks usually require the last three months’ NEPA bill.

All these requirements must be snapped and converted into a PDF format, although it depends on how it works for your bank.

How to upgrade account online in Nigeria

To upgrade your account online in Nigeria, you must submit the required documents to your bank via the self service portal for your account upgrade.

However, not all banks in Nigeria offer this option.

Quite unfortunate.

But the truth is that this very self  service portal can be disappointing, as it is not always available to the bank’s customers.

For Example, GTBank has a self-service portal that includes options for account upgrades, dispensing errors, blocking of accounts, etc. However, this very portal is not always available to the bank’s customers.

Possibly due to network issues or other problems.

Again, I noticed that once it is 4 p.m. on weekdays, the GTBank self-service portal doesn’t seem to open. Maybe it is only meant to be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For Zenith Bank, when I checked their self-service portal to see if they have the option to upgrade their account online, I didn’t see such an option. This also includes the likes of First Bank and Fidelity Bank as of the time of writing this post.

Now listen, if you want to upgrade your bank account online, check if your bank has a self-service portal and if the self-service portal has an account upgrade option.

If it does have the account upgrade option, then you’re good to go.

All that is required from you is to submit the required documents to your bank via self service portal.

Once you submit your account upgrade documents to your bank via the self-service portal, the bank will definitely receive them and start working on your request.

Many times, especially the likes of GTBANK, will notify you that they have received your request and are now working on it.

You May Read:

• How To Open A Bank Account Without A Bvn In Nigeria
• Changing Bvn Name In Nigeria Explained

When there’s no self service portal

If your bank doesn’t offer account upgrade via a self-service portal, then you can use a second method.

The second method requires you to contact your bank account officer.

Perhaps this is the very first time you’re hearing such a term as “account officer.” Let me explain a little about it.

An account officer is a professional responsible for managing and overseeing client accounts in financial institutions, such as banks or investment firms.

Their duties include maintaining client relationships, processing transactions, ensuring account accuracy, and offering financial advice.

They handle client inquiries, resolve issues, and ensure compliance with financial regulations.

Account officers often collaborate with other departments to provide tailored financial services.

Their role is crucial in maintaining client satisfaction, enhancing business growth, and mitigating risks associated with account management. Strong communication, analytical, and organizational skills are essential for success in this role.

An account officer is assigned to every bank customer.

As a bank customer, it is your right to know who your account officer is and to have your account officer’s phone number in case you need his/her help or assistance.

In this situation, upgrading your bank account online without going to the bank will require assistance from your account officer.

What you have to do is to get your account officer’s phone number.

Ways to get the person’s phone number includes the followings;

1. By checking it via bank mobile app.
2. By checking it via internet banking.
3. By contacting your bank and requesting to have your account officer’s phone number.

If you cannot see your account officer’s name and contact information on the bank’s mobile app or internet banking, simply contact your bank and ask for your account officer’s phone number.

Contacting your account officer

Once you have your account officer’s phone number, simply contact the person via cellular phone call or WhatsApp.

Request that you want to upgrade your bank account without going to the bank.

Definitely, your account officer will ask the reason for such action, so please give a valid reason.

It is left for account officer to assist your or not to assist you.

In my case with Zenith Bank, my account officer requested that I send all the documents to her via WhatsApp and this includes;

1. A filled account upgrade form.
2. A passport.
3. An utility bill.
4. An ID.

That’s all.

You can get the account upgrade form from your account officer or download it from the internet.

Simply search your bank account upgrade form.

For example, Zenith bank account upgrade form or First Bank account upgrade form.

To fill the form, you will need a PDF app like Adobe and mind you, there’s a space to sign your signature. So Adobe PDF app will be good though it’s not entirely free.

Once you have filled the form, submit the whole documents to your account officer via WhatsApp.

What your account officer will do is to forward your documents and request to the bank customer service representative assigned for account upgrades.

Finally, contact your account officer to see if your request has been approved and is being worked on.

So this is what it entails when it comes to upgrading a bank account online in Nigeria.

When you don’t have a bvn

If you do not have a bank verification number, unfortunately, you cannot upgrade your bank account online because BVN is mandatory for account upgrades.

If you don’t have a BVN, the bank will request that you enroll for BVN before upgrading your bank account.

BVN enrollment requires you to go to the bank, and you cannot enroll for BVN online.

In this situation, you enroll for BVN and afterward upgrade your account when you have received your bank verification number.

In some cases, some banks will accept yor NIN for account upgrade if you don’t have a bvn.

How long does it take to upgrade a bank account in Nigeria?

It takes 24 hours to upgrade a bank account in Nigeria.

In some cases, it will take 48 hours to upgrade an account or a maximum of 72 hours (three business days).

Can i use my nin to upgrade my bank account?

Yes you can use your nin to upgrade your account especially if you don’t a bvn.

Some banks will accept using a NIN to upgrade an account while others will require a BVN and NIN.

I recommend that you enroll for bvn if you haven’t. And with this, I conclude today’s question of the day: how to upgrade a bank account online in Nigeria.