Airtel Money customers can now receive money directly into their mobile money wallet from any network without the withdrawal code that carried a 7-day validity. This development, effected on February 6, 2024, comes in response to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and industry players’ collaborative efforts to ensure seamless mobile money interoperability as outlined in the CBK National Payments Strategy 2022-2025.
The National Payments Strategy requires all mobile money providers to ensure a seamless customer journey across their different channels – STK, USSD Menu, and app – to allow direct transactions on and off-network. This will ensure a secure, fast, efficient, and collaborative payment system that supports financial inclusion and innovation that benefits Kenyans.
With these changes, a customer registered on any mobile money platform can now send money directly to the recipient’s wallet. This will apply to any amount as low as KES 1 and as high as KES 250,000 per transaction daily.
A customer sending money through the SIM Menu, USSD Menu *334#, or the app will now simply select ‘Send Money” to any network, and enter the number of the recipient to complete the transaction, which will immediately reflect in the wallet of the recipient – without a withdrawal code.
