FACT-CHECK: No! OPay is Not Replacing Phone Number with Standard Account Numbers
BY: Abdullateef Sebiotimo
Claim:
OPay is no longer using phone numbers as account numbers. The company is now issuing standard account numbers, and customers still using their phone numbers as OPay account numbers should hurry to an OPay agent to get them updated.
Verdict:
False.
Full Text:
At exactly 5:00AM on 27 September 2026, X user @Israelgharee posted, “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.”
The post quickly went viral, accumulating 1.2M views, 6.3K likes, 838 reposts, 1K replies and 675 bookmarks as of the time of filing this report.
Accepting the claim as true, a verified X user, Pretty Jenny (@Prettygurly_30) commented, “Wow.. that’s a good update. It reduce transferring money to other people’s accounts by mistake.”
Another verified user, Manuel (@Chemicaee) commented in disagreement to the post and labeled it as false. “Bro, it’s been like that since. Stop spreading fake and old news. For a long time now, everyone has had a different account number from their phone number. You can still receive money with your phone number. You’re the one who is not updated and is spreading old and fake news,” he said.
Displaying reluctance in heading to the message of the post, Kissvow (@Kissvow_connect) commented, “As long as my phone number is working I’m not updating my number now.”
The post spread rapidly among Nigerian users of one of the country’s largest fintech platforms. Because the information, if untrue can cause unnecessary panic, lead people to visit agents needlessly, expose them to potential scams, or create confusion about how to send and receive money, FactCheckAfrica decided to verify the post.
Verification:
A review of the comment section of the said post by FactCheckAfrica revealed that OPay’s official account (@OPay_NG) directly replied to the original post, saying, “Hello @Israelgharee. This post is false and misleading. OPay still uses phone numbers as wallet account numbers.”
The comment also clarified that OPay customers do not need to visit an OPay agent to upgrade or change their account numbers and called on the general public for the information and rely only on verified communication from OPay’s official channels for updates about your account.
Creating and intentionally sharing false and misleading information about a financial institution can mislead the public, create unnecessary panic and cause reputational harm.
It was also requested from the author or the post that it should be brought down or face the wrath of spreading false information as legal actions may be taken.
The OPayBiz / My BizPayment feature
The false claim appears to have arisen from a misunderstanding of OPay’s My BizPayment (also referred to as OPayBiz) feature.
This is an optional business tool available inside the OPay app. Existing users who want to receive business payments can go to the “Me” section, provide details about their business, and generate a separate merchant (standard-format) account number.
This merchant account number is linked to the user’s regular OPay wallet and is intended only for business transactions. It does not replace the phone-number-based account number that ordinary customers continue to use for personal transfers and payments.
Conclusion:
The claim that OPay has stopped using phone numbers as account numbers and is forcing customers to obtain standard account numbers from agents is false. OPay continues to use customers’ phone numbers (specifically the last 10 digits) as their primary wallet account numbers.
