How to Buy Airtel Airtime from M-Pesa: Top Airtel FAQs in Kenya

How to Buy Airtel Airtime from M-Pesa

1. Open the M-Pesa Menu: This is usually located in your mobile phone’s SIM toolkit.
2. Select Lipa na M-Pesa: This is the option for making payments.
3. Select Paybill: This is where you’ll enter the business number for the transaction.
4. Enter Business Number: There are multiple paybill numbers you can use to buy Airtel airtime from M-Pesa. Here are a few examples:
   • Pesapal: 220220
   • MyAirtime Kenya: 215215
   • Onfon: 710101
   • Mylilys Supermarket: 309028
   • Jovan communication: 833030
   • Jonnel Communication: 180705
   • Milton Sons: 665511
   • Janada: 156076
   • Hope Speed: 4019575
   • Okazika: 156215
   • Tupay: 737373
5. Enter Account Number: Here, you’ll enter your Airtel mobile number.
   • Enter the Amount: Input the amount of airtime you wish to buy.
6. Enter your M-Pesa PIN: This is your secure PIN for M-Pesa transactions.
7. Confirm the Transaction: After entering your PIN, you’ll be taken to a page where you can confirm the details of your purchase before finalizing the transaction.

Once the transaction goes through, you will receive an M-Pesa confirmation message. Subsequently, you’ll receive another confirmation from Airtel with a message confirming your successful airtime recharge.

How to Send Money from M-Pesa to Airtel Money

In today’s interconnected world, the ability to transfer funds between different mobile money platforms is crucial. This section will guide you on how to send money from M-Pesa to Airtel Money, a process that has been simplified over the years. As of 2024, here’s the most recent method:

1. *Dial 334# from your M-Pesa registered line.
2. Select ‘Send Money’ from the menu.
3. Choose ‘Send to other Network’.
4. Enter the Airtel mobile number (or other network user’s number) you want to transfer money to.
5. Enter the amount you want to send.
6. Enter your M-Pesa PIN.
7. Review the transaction details and confirm.

Once the transaction is confirmed, you will receive a confirmation message from both M-Pesa and Airtel Money confirming the successful transfer. This process allows you to send money from M-Pesa to Airtel Money without having to visit any vendor, making it a convenient option for many users.

How to Know Your Airtel Number

In today’s fast-paced world, where juggling multiple SIM cards has become the norm, it’s not uncommon to find yourself in a situation where you can’t recall your Airtel phone number.

Using the USSD Code

1. Insert the Activated SIM Card: Ensure that the Airtel SIM card you want to check is inserted into your mobile handset. Without the physical SIM card in your device, you won’t be able to execute the USSD command.
2. Dial *100#: Using your phone’s keypad, dial *100# and press the call button. This USSD code is the gateway to accessing various Airtel services, including checking your phone number.
3. Select Option 3 – Manage My Account: After dialing *100#, you’ll be presented with options. Select option 3, typically labeled as “Manage My Account.” This option allows you to manage various aspects of your Airtel account.
4. Choose Option 1 – Number & Balance: In the “Manage My Account” menu, select option 1, usually labeled as “Number & Balance.” This is the crucial step where you’ll retrieve your Airtel phone number.
5. Receive the SMS Notification: After a few seconds, you’ll receive an SMS notification with your Airtel number.

How to Sambaza Airtel Credit

Airtel’s Sambaza service allows you to share or transfer credit from your Airtel line to another Airtel line. It’s a convenient way to help friends or family in need of credit. Here’s how you can sambaza Airtel credit:

1. Check Eligibility: Ensure that you have enough credit in your Airtel account to share. Check if your Airtel line is eligible for the Sambaza service, as certain promotional or special offers may affect eligibility.
2. Access the Sambaza Menu: Dial *544# on your Airtel phone and press the call button. Navigate through the menu options to find the Sambaza option. The exact navigation might vary based on the menu options available at the time.
3. Enter Recipient’s Number: Select the option to sambaza credit. Enter the recipient’s Airtel phone number to which you want to send credit.
4. Choose Amount: Choose the amount of credit you want to sambaza. Some menus might allow you to select from predefined amounts, while others might require you to enter the amount manually.
5. Confirm Transaction: Review the details of the transaction, including the recipient’s number and the amount. Confirm the transaction to initiate the sambaza process.
6. Confirmation: Once the transaction is successful, you’ll receive a confirmation message indicating that the credit has been transferred to the recipient’s Airtel number.

How to Send “Please Call Me” on Airtel

In today’s interconnected world, staying in touch is more important than ever. But what happens when you run out of airtime and urgently need to communicate? Airtel’s “Please Call Me” service comes to the rescue.

1. Dial *100#: Start by dialing *100# on your Airtel phone. This USSD code is the gateway to accessing various Airtel services, including the “Please Call Me” service.
2. Select ‘Kopa & Other Services’: After dialing *100#, you’ll be presented with options. Select the option for “Kopa & Other Services”.
3. Choose ‘Call Me Back’: In the “Kopa & Other Services” menu, select the option for “Call Me Back”.
4. Enter Recipient’s Number: Here, you’ll enter the Airtel mobile number of the person you want to send the request to.
5. Send the Request: Press the send or enter button to send the “Please Call Me” request.

Once the request is sent, the recipient will receive an SMS with your phone number and the message “Please call me back. Thank you.” Airtel provides 5 free “Please Call Me” messages per day, and the service is free of charge.

How to Buy SMS in Airtel

Whether it’s for personal use or business purposes, Airtel provides a variety of SMS packs to cater to your needs. Here’s how you can buy SMS in Airtel:

1. Dial *370#: Start by dialing *370# on your Airtel phone. This USSD code is the gateway to accessing various Airtel services, including the SMS packs.
2. Select Suitable SMS Bundles: After dialing *370#, you’ll be presented with options. Select the SMS bundle that suits your needs, considering factors such as the expiry period and the amount charged.
3. Confirm the Purchase: After selecting the SMS bundle, confirm the purchase.

How to Redeem Airtel Bonga Points

Airtel’s Bonga Points, also known as Zawadi Points, is one such program that allows you to earn points for every Ksh 10 spent on calls, SMS, or data. These points can be redeemed for free airtime, data, or even phones and accessories. Here’s how you can redeem your Airtel Bonga Points:

1. Dial *326#: Start by dialing *326# on your Airtel phone. This USSD code is the gateway to accessing various Airtel services, including the Bonga Points service.
2. Select ‘Redeem’: After dialing *326#, you’ll be presented with options. Select the option for “Redeem”.
3. Choose Product to Redeem: Choose the product you wish to redeem. This could be airtime, data, or phones and accessories.
4. Enter Number of Bonga Points to Redeem: Enter the number of Bonga Points you wish to redeem and send

How to Okoa Airtel

Airtel’s Okoa service allows you to borrow airtime when you need it most and pay it back later. Here’s how you can use this service:

1. Dial *310#: Start by dialing *310# on your Airtel phone. This USSD code is the gateway to accessing various Airtel services, including the Okoa service.
2. Select ‘Kopa Credo’: After dialing *310#, you’ll be presented with options. Select the option for “Kopa Credo”.
3. Choose Airtime Amount: Depending on your usage and eligibility, you will be offered an airtime advance amount of up to KES 100.
4. Confirm the Transaction: After selecting the airtime amount, confirm the transaction. You will receive a message confirming the transaction.

Once the transaction is confirmed, you’ll receive the borrowed airtime immediately.

How to Check Airtel Balance

Airtel provides a variety of methods to check your balance. Here’s how you can check your Airtel balance:

1. Dial *123#: Start by dialing *123# on your Airtel phone. This USSD code is the gateway to accessing various Airtel services, including checking your balance.
2. Dial *121#: Alternatively, you can dial *121#, then press answer, type 2, and send. Your Airtel balance and validity will be displayed on your phone screen shortly.
3. Dial 1212#: You can also dial 1212# to check your internet data balance, validity, and Airtel main account balance.

How to Transfer Airtime from Airtel to Airtel

Airtel’s Me2U service allows you to share or transfer credit from your Airtel line to another Airtel line. It’s a convenient way to help friends or family in need of credit. Here’s how you can transfer airtime from Airtel to Airtel:

1. Dial *432#: Start by dialing *432# on your Airtel phone. This USSD code is the gateway to accessing various Airtel services, including the Me2U service.
2. Select ‘Transfer Airtime’: After dialing *432#, you’ll be presented with options. Select the option for “Transfer Airtime”.
3. Enter Recipient’s Number: Enter the Airtel number you wish to transfer airtime to.
4. Enter Airtime Amount: Enter the amount of airtime you wish to transfer.
5. Enter Transfer Pin: Enter your transfer PIN.
6. Confirm the Transaction: Press the send or ok button on your phone to confirm the transaction.

Once the transaction is confirmed, both the sender and recipient will receive confirmation messages indicating that the airtime has been transferred.

Conclusion

With Airtel’s wide range of services, you can ensure that you’re always in touch, whether it’s through calls, SMS, or data. From buying airtime and SMS packs to transferring credit and redeeming Bonga Points, Airtel provides a seamless and efficient way to manage your communication needs.