Imagine gifting someone data, only for them to tell you they never received it. Or you recharge your line, but your airtime vanishes instantly.

This could be due to a new practice by Nigerian telecom providers - MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile where gifted data, promotional data (Awoof), and recharged airtime are now deducted to repay borrowed airtime and data loans.

In this article, we’ll break down:

• How telecom loan repayments work.

• Why your gifted data might be deducted.

• The only type of data safe from deductions.

• How to protect your data from loan repayments.

When you borrow airtime (XtraTime, QuickBorrow, etc.) or data (XtraByte, Borrowed Data, etc.), your network automatically deducts repayment from the following sources:

• Recharged Airtime – Any airtime you top up via bank transfer, USSD, or recharge cards will be deducted to settle outstanding loans.
•  Gifted Data – If someone sends you data via USSD, SMS, or mobile apps, it may be deducted to clear your debt instead of being credited to your balance.
• Awoof Data – Any promotional or free data from your network can also be used for loan repayment.

Suppose you owe ₦500 (loan + service fee), and a friend gifts you 1GB of data worth ₦500. Instead of receiving the data, your ₦500 debt is deducted first, leaving you with nothing.

 

The only type of data that cannot be used for loan repayment is Corporate Gift (CG) or SME Data, data gifted by businesses, organizations, or special telecom promotions. If you want to ensure your recipient receives their gifted data, CG & SME Data is the safest option.

 

Before sharing data with friends or family, follow these steps:

- Check their loan balance – Use USSD codes or carrier apps to confirm if they owe money.

- Warn them about deductions – Let them know that any outstanding debt will be deducted from the gifted data.

- Send Corporate Gift (CG) Data – If available, use this option to ensure full delivery.

- Repay loans before sending data – Always clear outstanding debts first to prevent unexpected deductions.

 

- No refunds or reversals – Once data is deducted for repayment, telecom providers do not process refunds.

- Contact your network provider – If you experience unauthorized deductions, reach out for clarification.

Use these code to verify if you or your recipient have outstanding loans before sending data (*310#).

 

With Nigerian telecom networks becoming stricter on loan repayments, even gifted or Awoof data is no longer safe if the recipient has an outstanding balance.