OPay Digital Bank Sort Codes
OPay • Bank identifiers
OPay Digital Bank Sort Codes: The Complete Guide
You are filling in a payment form and it asks for a sort code. Or a supplier wants your bank details for payroll. Or you are setting up a business account on a payment platform and a dropdown wants a bank code. If your money sits in OPay, which number do you give? This guide answers that clearly, explains every other code people mix up with it, and shows you how to avoid the mistakes that send transfers to the wrong place.
The short version
OPay does not have a single sort code the way a UK bank has. In Nigeria, a bank “sort code” is really the bank’s institution code. For OPay you will see 999992 in many payment systems and 100004 in the interbank transfer list. Your app normally picks the right one for you when you enter the 10-digit account number. Always let the system look up the bank name and check it before you pay.
In this guide
1. What a sort code is • 2. The codes people confuse • 3. OPay’s codes • 4. Your OPay account number • 5. Sending to OPay • 6. Receiving in OPay • 7. Forms and business use • 8. International transfers • 9. Mistakes and fixes • 10. Safety • 11. Questions answered
1. What a sort code is, and why the word confuses people
In the United Kingdom a sort code is a six-digit number, written in three pairs such as 12-34-56, that identifies a bank branch. Nigerian banks borrowed the phrase. For many years, banks here also had longer branch-level codes. Today the number most people mean when they say “sort code” is the bank’s own institution code, the short number that says which bank an account belongs to.
That is why you will see the same thing called a sort code, a bank code, an institution code or a NIBSS code depending on the form. In everyday use they point to the same job: telling the payment system which bank should receive the money. The account number then tells that bank which customer gets it.
Some examples of institution codes for traditional banks: Access Bank 044, GTBank 058, UBA 033, Zenith Bank 057, First Bank 011, Wema Bank 035 and Globus Bank 103. Digital banks and wallet providers such as OPay also have codes, and these are where the confusion starts, because the same provider can appear with different numbers in different systems.
2. The codes people confuse with a sort code
Before the OPay specifics, it helps to separate the numbers that are often mixed up. Each one does a different job, and using the wrong one is the most common reason a form is rejected.
| Name | What it is | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Sort code or bank code | Identifies the bank | Choosing the receiving bank on forms and payment platforms |
| Account number (NUBAN) | 10 digits that identify your account at that bank | Telling the bank which customer to credit |
| USSD code | A short code such as *955# that opens a bank menu on your phone | Banking by phone without data. Never used as a bank identifier |
| SWIFT or BIC code | An international bank identifier of 8 or 11 characters | Receiving money from abroad |
| BVN | An 11-digit identity number linked to your bank accounts | Identity checks. Never a payment identifier |
| PIN and OTP | Private codes that approve your actions | Authorising payments. Never share them |
The one that causes the most trouble is the USSD code. Some pages call *955# the “OPay bank code”. It is not. *955# opens OPay’s phone menu. It does not identify OPay to other banks, and a payment form will reject it.
3. OPay’s codes explained
OPay’s legal name in Nigeria is OPay Digital Services Limited. When you pick OPay from a list, the system looks up its institution code behind the scenes. The numbers you are most likely to meet are these.
| Code | Where you may see it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 999992 | Many payment platforms and developer lists, where fintech providers are given codes that differ from the traditional three-digit style | Use it when a form asks for OPay’s bank code and accepts this number |
| 100004 | The interbank transfer list that banks and wallets use to route payments | Use it only if the system you are using asks for it |
| Bank name “OPay” | Dropdown lists in apps and bank websites | Choose it from the list instead of typing a number |
Different platforms keep their own lists, so they can show different numbers for the same bank. If a form accepts either, pick the bank by name. If it only has a free box, try the code the platform itself shows beside OPay. If you are unsure, ask the platform or OPay support which number the field expects.
What never works: guessing, or taking a number from a message. If the system cannot match the code to a name, stop and check, because a wrong code can send money to the wrong bank or fail the payment.
4. Your OPay account number
An OPay account number is 10 digits. For most personal OPay wallets it is simply your registered phone number without the first zero. If your number is 0801 234 5678, the account number is 801 234 5678. You can see it inside the OPay app on your account screen.
This has two practical benefits. People can pay you if they know your phone number, and you can share the account number without a separate lookup. It also means you must be careful: a mistyped digit sends money to someone else’s wallet, and you cannot assume you can get it back.
Open the OPay app
Sign in and go to your account screen.
Copy the account number
Use the copy option so you do not retype it.
Share the number with the bank name
Tell the sender the bank is OPay, so they choose the right bank in their list.
5. How to send money to an OPay account
Whichever bank you use, the flow is the same. You need the receiver’s 10-digit account number and the bank name.
Start a transfer
Open your bank app, internet banking or your bank’s USSD menu and choose transfer to another bank.
Enter the account number
Type the 10 digits carefully.
Select OPay as the bank
Choose it from the list. Most systems show the right bank and fill in the code for you.
Check the name that appears
The account name should match the person you mean to pay. If it does not, stop.
Enter the amount and confirm
Use your PIN or token, then keep the confirmation.
If you are sending by USSD from another bank, the same logic applies. Your bank’s own USSD menu asks for the amount, the account number and the receiving bank. You pick OPay from the list. You do not dial *955# to receive money. That code is for OPay customers managing their own account.
6. How to receive money in OPay
To get paid, give the sender three things: your 10-digit OPay account number, the bank name OPay, and your account name as it appears in the app. Ask them to check that the name appears on their screen before they confirm. Once the transfer goes through, you receive an alert and the balance updates in the app.
Large payments, business payments and payments from platforms can take a little longer to show. If it does not appear, wait, check your transaction history in the app, and ask the sender for the transfer reference. Do not ask for a second payment until the first one is settled or reversed.
7. Forms, payroll and business use
Businesses meet bank codes when they set up payroll, supplier payments, collections and payment-gateway settlements. A few habits prevent most problems.
◆ Choose the bank by name in a dropdown where you can, rather than typing a code.
◆ If a spreadsheet upload asks for a code column, copy the code from the platform’s own bank list.
◆ Run a small test payment before you upload a large batch.
◆ Confirm that the resolved account name matches the staff member or supplier.
◆ Keep a record of the code and the date you used it, in case a list changes.
A business account will have its own account number. If your business receives funds in a personal OPay wallet, the name check may show your personal name. Make sure invoices and records match what the bank shows.
8. International transfers and the SWIFT question
International payments use a SWIFT or BIC code, not a sort code. For OPay in Nigeria, no confirmed SWIFT code is available that you can safely use for naira payments. A BIC with OPAY in its name exists, but it belongs to a UK entity, and its status is unclear. Do not use it for a Nigerian account.
If someone abroad wants to pay your OPay account, ask OPay support what route they recommend, and ask the sender to check with their bank. An international payment sent with the wrong details can be returned with fees deducted.
9. Common mistakes and how to fix them
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Using *955# as a bank code | Form rejects it | Use the institution code or choose OPay by name |
| Typing a 6-digit UK-style sort code | Bank not found | Nigerian forms use the institution code, not a UK sort code |
| Mistyping the account number | Wrong name or failed transfer | Copy the number, read the name before you confirm |
| Mixing up SWIFT and sort codes | International payment returned | Use SWIFT only for foreign payments |
| Trusting a code from a message | Possible scam | Take codes only from the platform or the bank’s app |
10. Stay safe around bank codes
Codes themselves are not secret. The danger is what people ask you to do next. Anyone who needs only your account number and bank name does not need your PIN, your OTP, your card details or your BVN. If a caller or message asks for those, it is a scam.
◆ Never share your PIN or OTP, even with someone who says they work for OPay.
◆ Check the account name on every transfer before you confirm.
◆ Use only the OPay app or official support for help. Phone numbers from social media can be fake.
◆ If you sent money to the wrong account, contact OPay support through the app right away and keep the reference.
11. Questions answered
A quick checklist before you pay
✓ The account number is 10 digits and copied, not retyped.
✓ The bank is OPay, chosen from the list.
✓ The name on screen matches the person or business.
✓ You have not shared your PIN, OTP, card details or BVN.
✓ You have saved the confirmation.
Choose OPay by name, check the account name, and never share your PIN. That is how you use OPay sort codes safely.