Sterling Bank Plc has been operating for over 50 years and the bank still remains one of the major commercial banks in Nigeria. The bank aims to be the financial institution of choice for all Nigerians and one way this can be achieved is by ensuring that banking transactions can be easily carried out by their customers. What banking transaction is carried out the most? It should be a balance enquiry and after that comes money transfer.
Sterling bank introduced a USSD code service that allows their customers to carry out money transfers and other banking transactions with ease. The code is what you came here to find out and you shall, reading is all you should do right now.
The Sterling Bank Transfer Code
*822# is the code for transferring money with Sterling bank. It is a USSD service code and allows you to carry out this banking transaction without the use of data or internet connection. Let us find out how one can use this code to effectively transfer money.
To start with, you need to register on the Sterling bank USSD platform and this can be done using the code as well. This is how;
• Dial *822# from the phone number registered with your Sterling Bank account
• Reply with 1 for registration
• Enter the 10 digits of your bank account number
• Enter the details of your debit card as requested
• Create a 4-digit PIN
• Re-enter your PIN for confirmation
• Finish
If you follow the steps listed correctly, you will receive a notification that you have been successfully enrolled on the Sterling Bank USSD service. You can now proceed to transfer money from your account with the USSD code. The code allows you to carry out intra and inter bank transfers so you can transfer money to sterling bank accounts and other bank accounts as well. Here is how to transfer money with it;
• Dial *822# from the phone number registered with your Sterling Bank account
• Reply with 4 for transfers to sterling bank or with 5 for transfers to other banks
• Enter the correct account number of your beneficiary if sterling bank. For other banks, follow the onscreen prompts to select the bank of the beneficiary, proceed and enter his or her correct account number.
• Enter the amount you wish to transfer
• Confirm if the displayed account name matches that of your beneficiary
• Enter your 4-digit PIN to approve the transfer
• Finish
That is all it takes to transfer money and if you follow the steps accordingly, you will get a confirmation notification. The sent amount will be debited from your sterling bank account and credited into that of your beneficiary.
An alternative method of transferring money with this code is by dialing *822*Transfer Amount*Beneficiary Account Number# and then follow the onscreen prompts.
Example
Let’s assume you are transferring the sum of N70,000 to a beneficiary with 8908908900 as the account number. Dial *822*70000*8908908900# and follow the onscreen prompts. You will need to choose the beneficiary’s bank (if sterling or other banks) and enter your PIN to approve the transfer.
Now you have learnt how to transfer money with the Sterling bank USSD code, there are other features of the code you should be aware of. Find out below.
Sterling Bank USSD code service charge
As you make use of the USSD code to transfer money, one thing you should have in mind is that the service is not free – certain charges apply.
You will pay a fee if you make transfers from Sterling bank to Sterling bank and also when you make transfers to other banks. The charged amount is N21 (Twenty One Naira Only) for transfers within Sterling Bank and N52.50 (Fifty Two Naira, Fifty Kobo) for transfers to other banks. This charged amount will be debited from your bank account along with the amount you are transferring on each transfer.
Sterling Bank USSD code limits
Sterling bank places a limit on the amount of money you can transfer per transaction and in a day. The maximum amount per transaction is set at N20,000.00 (Twenty Thousand Naira Only) while the maximum amount you can transfer in a day is N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only). If you are a Sterling bank customer and you wish to carry out money transfers higher than these amounts, you can visit the customer care at your bank branch and request for a limit increase.
The USSD code does not have any usage limit, it can be used up to a hundred times in a day provided you have not reached the N100,000.00 limit.
Mobile networks that can use the Sterling Bank USSD code
The Sterling bank USSD code can be accessed by any GSM network therefore, it can be used on all major mobile networks in Nigeria. Popular mobile networks like MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9Mobile are all GSM networks.
Why you should use the Sterling Bank USSD code
As a Sterling bank customer, I recommend that you use the *822# to carry out money transfer transactions and I will list my reasons for you;
• It is fast: money transfers using the *832# code takes just 20 seconds to be completed so it is very fast. You cannot transfer money as fast as that at the bank counter.
• It is convenient: you can stay in your house, in your office, in church or in school and transfer money to anyone with this USSD code. It is the most convenient means of transferring money as a sterling bank customer.
• It is secure: your money is safe if you register with the Sterling bank USSD service as it is secured with a 4-digit PIN. No one will be able to transfer money from your account with your phone without your approval.
• It is available 24/7: this code can be used at any time on weekdays (Monday to Friday) and also on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) despite them not being bank working days. The code can also be used on public holidays like Independence Day and Workers day on which banks do not work.
Conclusion
As a Nigerian, you will agree with me that using the Sterling Bank USSD code will save you from a lot of banking stress so it is a welcomed development. Simply dial *822# and perform your banking transactions with ease.