₦airaland Forum

Na wa oo, na because of 30,000 you write this long epistle.

You stated this happend after system update, sounds typical, like a tech glitch, airtel cannot run away, they will sort the issue soon

I believe it’s a glitch. Happened to me last night and all I did was to dial *939# to reset my login password and the app opened

This was exactly how Skrill started to fall apart too until my 50 dollars got trapped there forever.

I lost 1800 naira on that app 2 years back, recharged airtime that never loaded and they refused giving me back my money

CBTxFactor:
Hello, Fellow Nairalanders, I hope you're all having a good day than I am.
We need to talk about what is currently happening with Smartcash PSB, the digital banking subsidiary owned by telecom giant Airtel Nigeria.
If you have money inside this app, or if you’ve been planning to use them for their much-advertised features, please read this thread carefully and secure your funds if you still can.
There is an ongoing, quiet crisis hitting Smartcash PSB users, and the complaints rocking the comment sections on their official social media handles (especially X/Twitter @smartcashpsb) are becoming too frequent and alarming to ignore.

My Personal Experience: How My ₦30,000 Vanished and They Ghosted Me.
Let me share my own firsthand nightmare with this platform. I had an active account with a total balance of ₦30,000 sitting safely inside it. Out of nowhere, following their recent "system upgrades," my account simply vanished. I was abruptly logged out, and every attempt to log back in or reset my credentials has been completely blocked. It is as if my account never existed in their database.
To make matters worse, I’ve tried reaching out to them via their so-called support on X. I sent multiple DMs detailing how my money disappeared, but they don't even acknowledge or reply to my messages. It’s total radio silence while they hold onto my ₦30,000. I can't even reach them through their help line +2349125939939 because all I get is a recorded message of "we're experiencing technical difficulties..."

The 10% Cashback Bait: Now Completely Broken
One of the biggest features Smartcash used to drag millions of Nigerians away from OPay and PalmPay was their highly publicized 10% Cashback promo on Airtel airtime and data recharges. It was a sweet deal on paper ...spend money and get instant percentages back into your wallet.
However, users are now crying out that this feature has been completely inoperable for a long duration. Not only are people not receiving their promised cashbacks, but the transactions frequently trigger errors, leaving users with failed recharges and trapped bonuses that can no longer be redeemed. They used the 10% cashback to lure people in, and now the system has been abandoned.

The Core Issues: What Customers Like Myself Are Facing
From the massive outcries rocking their recent social media posts, the operational failures of Smartcash PSB fall into three scary categories:

1. Forced Deactivations and "Vanishing" Funds
The bank has been sending out emails to certain users claiming they need to deactivate their wallets due to "upgrade issues." They explicitly assure customers that their balances are safe. However, multiple users have reported that after their wallets are deactivated for this "upgrade," the money is debited, and the bank fails to re-onboard them.

2. Constant Biometric Locks & Inaccessible Support
Following recent app updates, the application is abruptly logging users out. When trying to log back in, the app rejects previously registered biometrics. To make matters worse, when users try to reset their details via customer service, they are being told their bio-data (like Date of Birth) is incorrect even though the customer set it up themselves.

3. Hidden/Ghost Transactions and App Bugs
Many business owners and casual users complain that when transfers are made, money leaves the account immediately (debit alert received), but the transaction completely vanishes from the app's history. Users are left stranded at POS points or merchant shops with no receipts to prove they actually sent money. To make matters worse, sending money from other banks to smartcash PSB will be tagged successful but nowhere to be found within the recipient's account.

Current Outcries From Stranded Customers
A quick scroll through the comments on their recent X posts shows a pattern of absolute panic. Here is what real users are saying right now in their comments section:

App Lockout:"I updated the app and it doesn't accept my biometrics anymore. It locked my account. Customer service is telling me my date of birth is incorrect so I can't unlock it or get my money out!"

Missing Transaction Proof:"Sometimes when I send money and the person hasn't seen the alert, I check my transaction history to generate a receipt, but I can't see it! Even though I got the debit alert immediately. I almost got beaten up at a shop because of this issue."

The Silent Treatment:"You people will not reply DMs, your customer care number (939) is not connecting, and you have locked my money inside the app. Is this how you want to run a bank?"

Why This is Dangerous
Unlike regular commercial banks with prominent, dedicated brick-and-mortar branches on every street corner, Smartcash is a Payment Service Bank (PSB). While backed by Airtel, trying to resolve core banking issues at a standard telecom customer care center has proven to be a nightmare for many, as the telecom staff often lack the banking infrastructure to fix backend wallet glitches.
They lured millions of Nigerians in with promises of zero transaction fees and 10% cashback, but what use is a free transfer if you wake up one day and cannot access your capital?

Over to You, Nairalanders:
Are you currently using Smartcash PSB?
Have you experienced these random logouts, missing funds, or frozen wallets?
If you had issues and successfully got your money out, please share how you did it so others can learn.🙏🏾

Let's push this thread to the front page so Airtel and Smartcash PSB management can address this systematically before it turns into a full-blown financial disaster for unsuspecting Nigerians!
Mods, please help 🙏🏾 raise awareness on this matter by pushing this to the front page. Thank you.


#SmartcashPSB #AirtelNigeria #DigitalBanking #NairaCrisis

. Dial *939# reset your Smartcash login password and login in again. It will open

Therepentant:
I used smartcash like almost daily. I do not experience all this. I get my cash back and all.

e be like say you dey use *939*77# 2GB for N300 weekly abi

CBTxFactor:
Hello, Fellow Nairalanders, I hope you're all having a good day than I am.
We need to talk about what is currently happening with Smartcash PSB, the digital banking subsidiary owned by telecom giant Airtel Nigeria.
If you have money inside this app, or if you’ve been planning to use them for their much-advertised features, please read this thread carefully and secure your funds if you still can.
There is an ongoing, quiet crisis hitting Smartcash PSB users, and the complaints rocking the comment sections on their official social media handles (especially X/Twitter @smartcashpsb) are becoming too frequent and alarming to ignore.

My Personal Experience: How My ₦30,000 Vanished and They Ghosted Me.
Let me share my own firsthand nightmare with this platform. I had an active account with a total balance of ₦30,000 sitting safely inside it. Out of nowhere, following their recent "system upgrades," my account simply vanished. I was abruptly logged out, and every attempt to log back in or reset my credentials has been completely blocked. It is as if my account never existed in their database.
To make matters worse, I’ve tried reaching out to them via their so-called support on X. I sent multiple DMs detailing how my money disappeared, but they don't even acknowledge or reply to my messages. It’s total radio silence while they hold onto my ₦30,000. I can't even reach them through their help line +2349125939939 because all I get is a recorded message of "we're experiencing technical difficulties..."

The 10% Cashback Bait: Now Completely Broken
One of the biggest features Smartcash used to drag millions of Nigerians away from OPay and PalmPay was their highly publicized 10% Cashback promo on Airtel airtime and data recharges. It was a sweet deal on paper ...spend money and get instant percentages back into your wallet.
However, users are now crying out that this feature has been completely inoperable for a long duration. Not only are people not receiving their promised cashbacks, but the transactions frequently trigger errors, leaving users with failed recharges and trapped bonuses that can no longer be redeemed. They used the 10% cashback to lure people in, and now the system has been abandoned.

The Core Issues: What Customers Like Myself Are Facing
From the massive outcries rocking their recent social media posts, the operational failures of Smartcash PSB fall into three scary categories:

1. Forced Deactivations and "Vanishing" Funds
The bank has been sending out emails to certain users claiming they need to deactivate their wallets due to "upgrade issues." They explicitly assure customers that their balances are safe. However, multiple users have reported that after their wallets are deactivated for this "upgrade," the money is debited, and the bank fails to re-onboard them.

2. Constant Biometric Locks & Inaccessible Support
Following recent app updates, the application is abruptly logging users out. When trying to log back in, the app rejects previously registered biometrics. To make matters worse, when users try to reset their details via customer service, they are being told their bio-data (like Date of Birth) is incorrect even though the customer set it up themselves.

3. Hidden/Ghost Transactions and App Bugs
Many business owners and casual users complain that when transfers are made, money leaves the account immediately (debit alert received), but the transaction completely vanishes from the app's history. Users are left stranded at POS points or merchant shops with no receipts to prove they actually sent money. To make matters worse, sending money from other banks to smartcash PSB will be tagged successful but nowhere to be found within the recipient's account.

Current Outcries From Stranded Customers
A quick scroll through the comments on their recent X posts shows a pattern of absolute panic. Here is what real users are saying right now in their comments section:

App Lockout:"I updated the app and it doesn't accept my biometrics anymore. It locked my account. Customer service is telling me my date of birth is incorrect so I can't unlock it or get my money out!"

Missing Transaction Proof:"Sometimes when I send money and the person hasn't seen the alert, I check my transaction history to generate a receipt, but I can't see it! Even though I got the debit alert immediately. I almost got beaten up at a shop because of this issue."

The Silent Treatment:"You people will not reply DMs, your customer care number (939) is not connecting, and you have locked my money inside the app. Is this how you want to run a bank?"

Why This is Dangerous
Unlike regular commercial banks with prominent, dedicated brick-and-mortar branches on every street corner, Smartcash is a Payment Service Bank (PSB). While backed by Airtel, trying to resolve core banking issues at a standard telecom customer care center has proven to be a nightmare for many, as the telecom staff often lack the banking infrastructure to fix backend wallet glitches.
They lured millions of Nigerians in with promises of zero transaction fees and 10% cashback, but what use is a free transfer if you wake up one day and cannot access your capital?

Over to You, Nairalanders:
Are you currently using Smartcash PSB?
Have you experienced these random logouts, missing funds, or frozen wallets?
If you had issues and successfully got your money out, please share how you did it so others can learn.🙏🏾

Let's push this thread to the front page so Airtel and Smartcash PSB management can address this systematically before it turns into a full-blown financial disaster for unsuspecting Nigerians!
Mods, please help 🙏🏾 raise awareness on this matter by pushing this to the front page. Thank you.


#SmartcashPSB #AirtelNigeria #DigitalBanking #NairaCrisis

UPDATE: Thank you all for your feedback and suggestions. I apologize for the long post; my goal was simply to provide full context, not to start a smear campaign.
​As for the update: I unexpectedly received a call from them today (on a public holiday). They apologized for the inconvenience, asked me to re-register my account, and assured me they would restore any missing funds.
All we wanted was communication and acknowledgment, particularly given the sensitive nature of the situation. I hope they resolve this quickly and keep users better informed when issues like this arise in the future.

Ur pa needs the piggy much.Buy one for him

Dybala85:
Exactly! Return to your old ways by buying a piggy bank. Obviously, you can’t catch up with this pace and mindset. No offense intended

Mine is working perfectly

GeneralOuki:
the interface is data friendly though, it's very simple and uncomplicated.

Lol you so funny. How cool is the interface when I gave you 2 strong probs with?
They're just mid; they don't retain transactions details

Why not report them to CBN for quick resolution?

Smartcash please release my money ooo.Since morning I never chop oo

Tenses:
With this well crafted and detailed epistle, you have erased any doubts that this is a smear campaign against Smartcash.

The question, who's bankrolling you?

Good day, there is no smear campaign anywhere, Smartcash is not working currently; my attempt to buy data via Smartcash proved abortive.

How can Nigerians be trusting their money on the hands of people that sometimes have no verifiable offices?

👏 👏👏👏. U are so SMART.

GeneralOuki:
I no longer get the 10% cashback and I was abruptly logged out of my account on the App. I was still able to access the account through the ussd code. But 2days later I was able to log in to the app and it asked for my pin which I provided, since then no issues.
The thing about smartcash is that I don't put anything above ₦2,000 in that account, I mostly use it for data purchase and nothing else.

occfx:
Everything is fallen apart in Nigeria... Even to browse internet now na wahala

what else is new

CBTxFactor:
Hello, Fellow Nairalanders, I hope you're all having a good day than I am.


#SmartcashPSB #AirtelNigeria #DigitalBanking #NairaCrisis

Still wonder how people can save their money in fly by night banking apps

LamineF:
Lol you so funny. How cool is the interface when I gave you 2 strong probs with?
They're just mid; they don't retain transactions details

It's mid yeah, but the issue of retaining transaction details is an app glitch I believe, I just checked my transaction details on the app and it was there. Of you can't see transaction details then try uninstalling the app and reinstalling again maybe that would solve it for you.

But all in all, I don't trust smartcash enough to put anything more than ₦2,000 in the account.

If your has been blocked
Dial*939# to change your pin
Answer the security question
Your account will be unlocked
Don't panic,your money is save

CBTxFactor:
This is serious. This is my first experience with this so I wasn't familiar with their game.

If your has been blocked
Dial*939# to change your pin
Answer the security question
Your account will be unlocked
Don't panic,your money is save

SamuraiXXX:
If it's not a regular bank it's not the same thing as a regular bank.

If them dey tell una, una no dey gree hear!

Oil dey your head.

When i am not mad, i will now work hard and sweat for my money and say na to put better figure in online bank remain. Kaiiiii
When traditional bank never finish.

This is why i dont play with my brick and mortal traditional bank ooh.

First Bank, i duff my hat for una.

Yes i agree, we move with trend, tech and all that but if i bank with say OPAY or MONIEPOINT etc without any physical presence and there is a little glitch, abeg how would my mind be at rest, na better BP dey come so. Why, the fear of the UNKNOWN. You are not sure who to talk to, you are not sure how or when your issue will be resolved, you are not sure of the security of your cash.
Abeg that is not good for my health and peace of mind jare.

I leave all that nonsense for those who can cope with the headache and heart break.

Haven said all that, i duff my hat for Moniepoint.
That's where i drop small small cash for everyday use.
But better money na for brick & mortal bank oo

Raregem9000:
I just tried mine too and it's locked. The last time I had issue with these guys, it took days before they fixed it after so many tweets. Customer service is 0

It affected me too...I only dialed *939# to set my PIN and my account is back...guess it was a system glitch

They are trying though...kudos to them

Bmaster:
[give them like 6 days,they will be back.This glitch and network disruptions is what many nigerians from the south east has been passing through with EEDC.

It affected me too...I only dialed *939# to set my PIN and my account is back...guess it was a system glitch

They are trying though...kudos to them

CBTxFactor:
Hello, Fellow Nairalanders, I hope you're all having a good day than I am.
We need to talk about what is currently happening with Smartcash PSB, the digital banking subsidiary owned by telecom giant Airtel Nigeria.
If you have money inside this app, or if you’ve been planning to use them for their much-advertised features, please read this thread carefully and secure your funds if you still can.
There is an ongoing, quiet crisis hitting Smartcash PSB users, and the complaints rocking the comment sections on their official social media handles (especially X/Twitter @smartcashpsb) are becoming too frequent and alarming to ignore.

My Personal Experience: How My ₦30,000 Vanished and They Ghosted Me.
Let me share my own firsthand nightmare with this platform. I had an active account with a total balance of ₦30,000 sitting safely inside it. Out of nowhere, following their recent "system upgrades," my account simply vanished. I was abruptly logged out, and every attempt to log back in or reset my credentials has been completely blocked. It is as if my account never existed in their database.
To make matters worse, I’ve tried reaching out to them via their so-called support on X. I sent multiple DMs detailing how my money disappeared, but they don't even acknowledge or reply to my messages. It’s total radio silence while they hold onto my ₦30,000. I can't even reach them through their help line +2349125939939 because all I get is a recorded message of "we're experiencing technical difficulties..."

The 10% Cashback Bait: Now Completely Broken
One of the biggest features Smartcash used to drag millions of Nigerians away from OPay and PalmPay was their highly publicized 10% Cashback promo on Airtel airtime and data recharges. It was a sweet deal on paper ...spend money and get instant percentages back into your wallet.
However, users are now crying out that this feature has been completely inoperable for a long duration. Not only are people not receiving their promised cashbacks, but the transactions frequently trigger errors, leaving users with failed recharges and trapped bonuses that can no longer be redeemed. They used the 10% cashback to lure people in, and now the system has been abandoned.

The Core Issues: What Customers Like Myself Are Facing
From the massive outcries rocking their recent social media posts, the operational failures of Smartcash PSB fall into three scary categories:

1. Forced Deactivations and "Vanishing" Funds
The bank has been sending out emails to certain users claiming they need to deactivate their wallets due to "upgrade issues." They explicitly assure customers that their balances are safe. However, multiple users have reported that after their wallets are deactivated for this "upgrade," the money is debited, and the bank fails to re-onboard them.

2. Constant Biometric Locks & Inaccessible Support
Following recent app updates, the application is abruptly logging users out. When trying to log back in, the app rejects previously registered biometrics. To make matters worse, when users try to reset their details via customer service, they are being told their bio-data (like Date of Birth) is incorrect even though the customer set it up themselves.

3. Hidden/Ghost Transactions and App Bugs
Many business owners and casual users complain that when transfers are made, money leaves the account immediately (debit alert received), but the transaction completely vanishes from the app's history. Users are left stranded at POS points or merchant shops with no receipts to prove they actually sent money. To make matters worse, sending money from other banks to smartcash PSB will be tagged successful but nowhere to be found within the recipient's account.

Current Outcries From Stranded Customers
A quick scroll through the comments on their recent X posts shows a pattern of absolute panic. Here is what real users are saying right now in their comments section:

App Lockout:"I updated the app and it doesn't accept my biometrics anymore. It locked my account. Customer service is telling me my date of birth is incorrect so I can't unlock it or get my money out!"

Missing Transaction Proof:"Sometimes when I send money and the person hasn't seen the alert, I check my transaction history to generate a receipt, but I can't see it! Even though I got the debit alert immediately. I almost got beaten up at a shop because of this issue."

The Silent Treatment:"You people will not reply DMs, your customer care number (939) is not connecting, and you have locked my money inside the app. Is this how you want to run a bank?"

Why This is Dangerous
Unlike regular commercial banks with prominent, dedicated brick-and-mortar branches on every street corner, Smartcash is a Payment Service Bank (PSB). While backed by Airtel, trying to resolve core banking issues at a standard telecom customer care center has proven to be a nightmare for many, as the telecom staff often lack the banking infrastructure to fix backend wallet glitches.
They lured millions of Nigerians in with promises of zero transaction fees and 10% cashback, but what use is a free transfer if you wake up one day and cannot access your capital?

Over to You, Nairalanders:
Are you currently using Smartcash PSB?
Have you experienced these random logouts, missing funds, or frozen wallets?
If you had issues and successfully got your money out, please share how you did it so others can learn.🙏🏾

Let's push this thread to the front page so Airtel and Smartcash PSB management can address this systematically before it turns into a full-blown financial disaster for unsuspecting Nigerians!
Mods, please help 🙏🏾 raise awareness on this matter by pushing this to the front page. Thank you.


#SmartcashPSB #AirtelNigeria #DigitalBanking #NairaCrisis

I also got the below from them...

If you are unable to access your account...kindly re-onboard so that your previous balance can be credited to your account. Airtel users can repnboard either using *939# while non-Airtel users can only uninstall and reinstall the App to re-onboard after which the previous balance will be credited

jametex:
Just tried mine now and it's locked.

I was told to dia a number or 939

How i resolve mine this morning...


If you are an Airtel user, dialed *939# to set your PIN and boom your account will be unlocked

Non-Airtel users need to uninstall and reinstall their App so that it can take them through the set PIN journey

Raregem9000:
I just tried mine too and it's locked. The last time I had issue with these guys, it took days before they fixed it after so many tweets. Customer service is 0

If you are an Airtel user, dialed *939# to set your PIN and boom your account will be unlocked

Non-Airtel users need to uninstall and reinstall their App so that it can take them through the set PIN journey

wiseone28:
I just checked mine it's true

It says account blocked

How i resolve mine this morning...


If you are an Airtel user, dialed *939# to set your PIN and boom your account will be unlocked

Non-Airtel users need to uninstall and reinstall their App so that it can take them through the set PIN journey

Ok, thanks bro

myqel:
If you are an Airtel user, dialed *939# to set your PIN and boom your account will be unlocked

Non-Airtel users need to uninstall and reinstall their App so that it can take them through the set PIN journey

Any digital bank other than opay, palmpay, Ren money, fairmoney... Count me out. Right from time I didn't fancy the idea of this Airtel smartcash

damble:
No wonder I have not been able to make transfer into my account with them since yesterday

You might need to uninstall and re-download a new App or or re-onboard using *939# if you are an Airtel user and your previous balance will be credited into the new account

collins2good:
My

How i resolve mine this morning...


If you are an Airtel user, dial *939# to set your PIN and boom your account will be unlocked

Non-Airtel users need to uninstall and reinstall their App so that it can take them through the set PIN journey

Toluabigr8:
May the almighty thunder strike you down, must everything be political or propaganda to you?

I just check mine now, my account has been locked for no reason, if you like keeping using all these yeye saturated fintech bank...

How i resolve mine this morning...

If you are an Airtel user, dialed *939# to set your PIN and boom your account will be unlocked

Non-Airtel users need to uninstall and reinstall their App so that it can take them through the set PIN journey