OPay is a popular financial technology application that offers banking services like traditional banks in Nigeria.
OPay microfinance bank came to the limelight during the cashless policies that were introduced in Nigeria by the Central Bank of Nigeria governor. These cashless policies made lots of Nigerians start using most microfinance banks for their transaction because of the charge-free transactions that the apps offer.
The downside that came with OPay and other microfinance banks is that they don’t have physical branches all over the country for the customer to lay down their complaints. This has made things hard for some people who couldn’t navigate their way out on the app.
One of the commonly reported and experienced issues that many users of OPay face is their account being temporarily restricted.
When your account is temporarily restricted on OPay it simply means that a temporal ban has been placed on your account and you won’t be allowed to do a basic transaction on your account like sending money, airtime recharge, data recharge, and payment of cable subscriptions. This can be very frustrating especially if you have an urgent thing to do with your account.
Many people whose OPay accounts are placed on a temporary restriction will be eager to know the cause of this restriction and how to remove the restriction from their accounts.
So, in this blog post, we are going to provide you with some of the possible reasons why your OPay account is having a temporary restriction.
Why Is My OPay Account Temporarily Restricted?
When your OPay account is temporarily restricted it means you won’t be able to do any transaction with your account during that period. However, many reasons could make OPay place a temporary restriction on your account and these include:
1. Your Account Is Not Verified
One of the first reasons that can make OPay place a temporary restriction on your OPay account is when your account is not verified. You need to verify your account by doing the KYC verification which was made mandatory by the CBN for all account holders.
You can verify your OPay account by providing your BVN and submitting a means of identification through the app. Also, you will be requested to do a facial capture where a selfie picture of your face will be taken through the app.
After submitting these documents, OPay will run a verification check on your documents and once it is marked to be correct, your account will be verified. If the reason why your account was placed on restriction was because of verification, the restriction will be lifted and your account will be fully ready for use.
2. Security Threats on Your Account
Another reason that can make OPay place a temporary restriction on your account, is when the security system notices any security threats on your account. This can happen when your OPay account was accessed from an unrecognized device and location. In other to ensure the security of your funds, a temporary restriction will be placed on your account so that if the threats are real, nobody can have access to your funds. If this is the reason behind the restriction on your account, the restriction will be lifted after 24 hours and your account will be functional again.
3. Breach of OPay Terms and Conditions
If you breach any of the policies of usage of OPay service, a temporary restriction will be placed on your account. When the breach is very serious, your account may likely be banned permanently from using OPay services.
However, if you are sure you didn’t breach any of the terms and conditions of the app, you can appeal to customer care through the various channels and the restriction will be lifted from your account if you prove you are innocent of the claims.
4. High Transaction Volume
Another reason that can make OPay restrict your account is when there is a surge in the transaction volume on your account. For example, you received or sent a large amount that your account has never sent. When this happens, the system may suspect your account to be involved in fraudulent activities and this will make the system restrict your account and take a closer look at your account.
5. Your Account Was Reported
If your account was reported for being involved in any illegal activities, OPay will take action on your account by placing a temporary ban on the account. This can be very serious and you might risk losing your account forever if your account is found guilty of the claims. So to avoid this, kindly desist from using your account to do any fraudulent activities.
Now that we have seen some of the reasons that can make OPay place a temporary restriction on your account, let us look now at how you can remove this restriction.
How Can I Lift the Restriction On My Opay Account Online?
The only way to lift the restriction from your OPay account online is to contact customer care services through the OPay mobile application. Tell customer support about the restriction on your account and also provide them with a screenshot of your claims and other necessary information that can enable fast-track your request.
If the reasons for the restriction are not too heavy, the restriction will be lifted from your account and you can start using the app again for all your transaction.
Conclusion
When OPay places a temporary restriction on your account, you won’t be able to use the account to do any transactions. Many reasons can make OPay restrict your account which can be security threats, using an unverified account, and other issues. To lift the restriction, reach out to the OPay customer service through the OPay mobile application.
