Recently, Safaricom has said that its M-Pesa users would no longer be able to send money to phone numbers that haven’t been registered. They didn’t say much about why they were making this change.
As it turns out, this choice was made in line with the Central Bank of Kenya’s (CBK) and other industry players’ attempts to make it easy for mobile money to work with other services, as outlined in the CBK’s National Payments Strategy for 2022–2025.
Before, if you sent money from M-Pesa to an Airtel or Telkom user or an unregistered M-Pesa number, the recipient had to go to an M-Pesa agent within seven days with a unique code to get their money.
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A direct “Send Money” action to a phone number produced a withdrawal code, even though it was possible to transfer money to Airtel Money or T-Kash accounts without having to withdraw first.
Users had to find a hidden “Send to Other Network” button to make a straight transfer to their mobile money account. With the new policy, this limit has been lifted, making it easier for mobile money services to work together and eliminating the need to use accounts that haven’t been registered.
National Payment Strategy
Mobile money services must deliver a smooth experience across all access channels—SIM Menu, USSD Menu, and mobile apps—to facilitate direct transactions within and across networks, per the National Payments Strategy. It fosters financial inclusion, innovation, and Kenyan user advantages by creating a secure, fast, and efficient payment infrastructure.
These improvements allow mobile money users to immediately transfer funds to the recipient’s wallet for any amount, from KES 1 to KES 250,000 per daily transaction.
Users using the SIM Menu, USSD Menu *334#, or mobile app can now choose “Send Money” to any network, enter the recipient’s number, and complete the transaction to credit the recipient’s wallet without a withdrawal code instantly.
Airtel Money’s MD stated
Airtel Money’s Managing Director, Anne Kinuthia-Otieno, commended the Central Bank’s streamlined process as a significant benefit for Kenyans.
She stressed that regardless of the channel used, customers would now have a seamless and affordable experience when transferring funds across networks.
Afterwards, she said seamless, direct wallet-to-wallet transfers benefit Kenyan consumers and demonstrate a commitment to customer-centricity, industry growth, and innovation.
Kinuthia-Otieno added that Airtel Money offers the most affordable and customer-friendly services, including free transfers between Airtel accounts, waived transaction fees for Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) payments, and instant airtime reimbursement of cash-out fees.