After months of foreign exchange (FX) restrictions, Nigerian banks have resumed international dollar transactions on naira-denominated debit cards, giving customers renewed access to global spending without the need for separate dollar accounts or prepaid cards.

Previously, only Providus Bank allowed a limited group of premium customers to make international payments with their naira cards. Now, several major banks, including Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), United Bank for Africa (UBA), Wema Bank, and Stanbic IBTC have reintroduced the service, signaling a slight easing of Nigeria’s FX challenges and a step toward normalized cross-border banking.

In a message to its customers, GTBank revealed that its naira debit cards now carry a quarterly international spending limit of $1,000, which covers ATM withdrawals, online purchases, and POS transactions made outside Nigeria.

“This limit includes up to $500 for ATM withdrawals abroad and up to $1,000 for online and POS transactions,” the bank stated. “Please note that the $1,000 quarterly cap applies to all international transactions, including cash withdrawals, online purchases, POS payments outside Nigeria, and other related services.”

Similarly, UBA announced the reactivation of dollar payments for its premium cardholders, including Gold, Platinum, and World variants.

“In line with our continued commitment to providing you with seamless and enhanced banking experiences, we are pleased to inform you that all UBA Premium Naira Cards are now enabled for international transactions,” the bank said.

This means UBA premium users can now make dollar-denominated payments across major platforms for online shopping, ATM withdrawals, and card swipes while abroad.

Wema Bank joined in as well, exciting customers with the announcement that their Naira Mastercard has gone global. In their statement:

“Your Wema Naira Mastercard just went global! Now you can pay in dollars on all your favourite international platforms, Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Netflix, Spotify, YouTube.”

The move comes as a relief to many Nigerians who have had to navigate complex FX workarounds or rely on expensive virtual dollar cards to complete routine international payments. With this policy shift, banks are signaling renewed confidence in foreign exchange management, even if cautiously, by imposing controlled spending limits.

While this development is largely limited to premium customers for now, it reflects improving liquidity in the market and could foreshadow broader access for regular account holders in the future.