First Bank Transfer Code 2024

First Bank is a big proponent of multiple banking channels, from being one of the first conventional Nigerian banks to have fully functioning mobile apps to unveiling its iconic Magic Banking USSD banking service ahead of competitors nearly a decade ago.

First Bank Magic Banking is basically mobile banking on steroids. While you need a smartphone and an internet connection to access the First Bank mobile app for mobile banking, Magic Banking cuts off those unnecessary requirements. With just a feature phone and a SIM card, you can access pretty much any First Bank banking function through Magic Banking.

If that sounds too good to be true, consider sticking around till the end of this guide. In this post, you’ll learn what the First Bank transfer code is, how to set it up for your account, and how to complete basic Magic Banking Transactions using the transfer code.

What’s the First Bank transfer code?

If you opened a First Bank account in the last decade, you’re likely only familiar with app and ATM-based transactions on your account. However, you may be unaware of First Bank’s three-digit transfer code dubbed “Magic Banking.”

The appeal is clear: while you need a smartphone or a trip to the nearest ATM stand to use the app and ATM banking channels respectively, you don’t need any of that with the First Bank transfer code. Simply get a phone, literally any kind of phone that uses a SIM card, insert the SIM card linked to your First Bank account, and start banking.

The First Bank code for Magic Banking is *894#, and it works on any smartphone capable of sending SMS. In the following sections, you’ll learn how to activate the code and the banking operations possible through First Bank’s 894 transfer code.

How to activate First Bank transfer code

The First Bank transfer code requires an initial setup to verify your identity before you can start using it for transactions. There are generally two ways to activate your First Bank transfer code for transactions: the prepaid card option and the cardless option.

The former only works for customers that already have a prepaid card from First Bank. If you’re don’t have the card yet, applying for one for the sole purpose of activating your First Bank transfer code is simply not worth it.

If you already have the prepaid card, however, here are the steps required to activate your First Bank transfer code:

• Dial *894# on the phone number linked to your First Bank account.
• Select “Accept” on the initial prompt informing you of the applicable charges.
• The resulting popup should bring up a list of USSD banking services. Select any of the services (apart from account opening).
• First Bank will prompt you to activate your account. Choose to verify your account using the prepaid card option.
• Enter your card number and follow the resulting on-screen instructions to link your card.

However, if you don’t already have a prepaid card from First Bank, the cardless verification method should work better for you. Here are the steps required to setup First Bank Magic Banking via USSD without a prepaid card:

• Dial *894# and select any available First Bank USSD banking service.
• First Bank should prompt you to sign up to continue.
• On the next page, select the “Account with PIN” option to proceed with activating your First Bank transfer code without a prepaid card.
• Enter your 10-digit account number on your next page to commence the activation process.
• Input your First Bank account PIN to verify your identity and complete the First Bank transfer code setup.

If you entered the correct details, the activation process should be successful and you should be able to start accessing First Bank USSD banking services.

How to transfer funds using the First Bank transfer code

Once you’ve activated your First Bank transfer code, you can start using it for different transactions, from transferring funds to buying airtime and even paying bills. If you’re reading this, you’re most likely setting up USSD banking to transfer funds from your First Bank account, and I’ll show you exactly how to do just that.

Here are the steps required to transfer money to another bank using the First Bank transfer code:

• Dial *894# to open the First Bank Magic Banking service menu
• Accept any Terms and Conditions if there are any
• Select the “Transfers” option from the USSD banking menu (it’s the third option for now)
• Set up your USSD transfer code if you haven’t done that already
• Select the recipient’s bank and enter their account number
• Confirm their name and enter how much you’d like to send
• Authenticate the transfer using your PIN or the last few digits of your card number

At this point, you should’ve successfully transferred the funds from your First Bank account to the recipient’s bank account. The entire process should take less than a minute, and you should attempt to complete it as quickly as possible.

Since the entire transaction is over USSD, it has a pretty short timeout, and if the transaction isn’t over before that timeout, you may be cut off automatically.

If you’re repeatedly experiencing timeouts, you can use the short codes *894*Amount*Account Number# and *894*Amount*Account Number# to send money to First Bank and to other banks respectively.

What services are available through the First Bank transfer code?

Nearly all the banking services available on the First Bank app are also available through the First Bank transfer code. Here are basic banking operations available to all First Bank customers through First Bank’s Magic Banking service:

• Account opening
• Funds transfer (First Bank to First Bank and First Bank to other banks)
• Airtime and data topups
• Flight payments
• Balance check
• Cardless withdrawals
• OTP generation
• BVN retrieval
• PIN change/reset
• Taxes and levies

Note that this is not an exhaustive list. You can dial *894# on your device to view the full list of transactions available to all First Bank customers.

Conclusion

First Bank’s Magic Banking isn’t a novel idea in the Nigerian banking industry, but it’s an excellent example of a transfer code well done. Because USSD-based banking targets dumbphones without internet, you’d naturally expect them to lack plenty of features, but that’s not the case with the First Bank transfer code. Armed with *894#, you can access nearly just as many services as the average First Bank customer using the Android or iOS app!