I have to spend money to verify my FNB app? Ridiculous.

My phone's screen broke, disabling me from accessing my online banking app.

Upon downloading the app on my new phone, I wanted to use secure chat to enable using my cards cross-border. The lady on the other end informed me that she cannot help me because my app is not verified. I was also not able to use it to verify payments and changes to my online banking profile.

I phoned FNB and the kind and helpful (not sarcastic) gentleman informed me that in order for me to verify my app I either had to verify it from a previously verified app (which was obviously not possible) or spend R300 in a payment. This is not constituted by a cross-account transfer. But I actually need to spend money in order for FNB to authorize my app as legitimate so that I can use it to authorise payment. He kindly told me that this was the rule and the conversation ended.

This rule where I need to spend money in order to authorise an app which only then allows me to authorise transactions is exploitative, dangerous and ridiculous. Why MUST I spend money to use an app in order to verify that I am able to use it!?