How to top up Safaricom number: scratch card, M-PESA, online or Equitel

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Want to learn how to top up your Safaricom line or another line? I am going to show you how to load airtime using scratch cards, Safaricom M-PESA, Safaricom online portal, Equitel or online (using a debit card or credit card).

I am also going to show you a list of websites you can use to buy airtime online.

The various step-by-step methods listed below can be used:

 Note: This post may contain affiliate links. When you click on something I recommend and purchase it, I will receive a commission for the sale – at no extra cost to you. 

Ready?

Dial *141*PIN# to recharge your Safaricom line

Once you’ve purchased a scratch card, loading the airtime using the above USSD code is easy. Say you buy a Kenya Shillings 50 scratch card, here’s what you need to do to top up your line:

  • scratch to reveal the 16 digit PIN e.g. 5382059517415871
  • then just dial *141*5382059517415871#

You’ll then receive a text message confirming the success of the transaction.

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Here’s an example: ‘Recharge of 50.00 KSH was successful. Balance: 56.00 KSH, expiry date: 2019-09-06. Tariff: Uwezo. Twanga *444*0#, uchague ofa uongee mara mbili zaidi network zote.’

You can use this method to quickly load your Safaricom line with airtime especially if you go to a shop to buy two KSh 100 scratch cards – and only find KSh 50 scratch cards (so a total of four cards).

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Other common scratch card denominations you are likely to find at most retail outlets include the KSh 10, 20, 50 and 100 cards.

To load an internet bundle directly once you buy a scratch card, use the following top up key instead: *544*PIN#.

Here’s an example with the same recharge voucher PIN above: *544*5382059517415871#.

Dial *456# to load airtime to your Safaricom line with a scratch card

To use this method to load airtime onto a Safaricom line:

  • Dial *456# on your feature phone, smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer (if using your SIM in a modem or router)
  • Select option 4: Balances/Top Up
  • Select option 1: Top Up
  • Select option 1: My Number
  • Enter the voucher PIN number e.g. 5382059517415871
  • Press Send
    Wait for an SMS confirming the success of the transaction.

If you top up with a Kenya Shillings 20 scratch card for example, you’ll receive this message: ‘Recharge of 20.00 KSH was successful. Balance: 41.00 KSH, expiry date: 2019-09-06. Tariff: Uwezo. Twanga *444*0#, uchague ofa uongee mara mbili zaidi network zote.’

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Top up via the Safaricom SIM toolkit

Here’s what you need to do to top up your line:

  • Buy a scratch card of any denomination.
  • Scratch to reveal the 16 digit PIN
  • Go to your device’s main menu, and select Safaricom SIM
  • Select Safaricom+
  • Select My Account
  • Select Top-Up services
  • Select Top-up
  • Select My Number
  • Enter the recharge voucher PIN e.g. 5382059517415871
  • Press OK
    Wait for an SMS from Safaricom confirming the success of the transaction

If you top up with a KSh 10 scratch card for example, you’ll receive this message: ‘Recharge of 10.00 KSH was successful. Balance: 10.00 KSH, expiry date: 2019-09-06. Tariff: Uwezo. Twanga *444*0#, uchague ofa uongee mara mbili zaidi network zote.’

If you see the following, ‘Sorry, the recharge voucher you have entered does not exist, please contact Customer Care for assistance. Thank you.’, check the PIN again and re-enter it. Sometimes this happens if you enter even one incorrect number.

Here’s what you need to do to top up another line:

  • Have the 16 digit PIN from the scratch card you purchased ready
  • Go to your device’s main menu, and select Safaricom SIM
  • Select Safaricom+
  • Select My Account
  • Select Top-Up services
  • Select Top-up
  • Select Another Safaricom Number
  • Enter the voucher PIN e.g. 5382059517415871#
  • Press OK
  • Select search SIM contacts? to retrieve the number from your phonebook (enter the name and press OK)
  • Or select the Enter mobile number option to enter the number manually e.g. 0722123456
  • Press OK
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How to top up Safaricom line via M-PESA

  • Go to your device’s main menu
  • Select Safaricom from the menu
  • Select M-PESA
  • Select Buy Airtime
  • Select My phone (or Other phone – to buy airtime for another Safaricom line)
  • Enter amount of airtime you want to buy e.g. 150 to buy Kenya Shillings 150 airtime for your phone
  • Press OK
  • Enter your M-PESA PIN and press OK
  • ‘Buy Airtime for My phone KSH150’
  • Press OK

You will then receive a message confirming the success of the transaction.

What happens when you try to buy airtime from your M-PESA when you have less than Kenya Shillings 5? You will see the following:  ‘Failed. The minimum airtime you can buy using M-PESA is KSh 5.’

And here’s a message a person receives when you buy them airtime from your M-PESA account: ‘Recharge of 100.00 KSH by Mpesa account 254745123456 was successful. Balance: 101.58 KSH, expiry date: 2019-11-12. Tariff: Uwezo. Get 200% Storo Bonus today dial *460# to check your daily target.’

Use Okoa Jahazi advance airtime service to top up your Safaricom line

Okoa Jahazi is Safaricom advance airtime service. You can use the service to borrow airtime during emergencies and pay back later.

Even though you won’t resort to this to get airtime for your voice, text and internet needs, I just had to include it – just in case a situation arises where getting airtime from the service seems like the best option compared to all the options I’ve listed above and below.

To Okoa airtime, dial *131#. To learn more about the service, read these two articles:

  1. How to borrow airtime using Safaricom Okoa Jahazi.
  2. How to borrow data using Okoa Data on a Safaricom line.

How to buy Safaricom airtime online via credit card or debit card

The process of buying Safaricom credit online is almost similar to what I outlined in a Telkom Kenya article I wrote awhile ago. Only thing that is different in the process is the website address (by Pesapal) you need to go to make your purchase.

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So, here is what you do when buying airtime for your line or another Safaricom online:

  • Open your web browser.
  • Go to SafaricomAirtime.com. You can also reach the website by going to Google / Bing and searching for ‘buy Safaricom airtime online’ and then clicking on the link with the address that matches the one I have mentioned.
  • Have your debit or credit card ready – a VISA, American Express or MasterCard with enough money in it.
  • Once on the safaricomairtime.com site, enter your name, your email address & your phone number.
  • Then enter the Safaricom line / number you want to top up.
  • Enter the amount (at least KSh 10)
  • Proceed to the next page.
  • Choose how you want to pay for the airtime purchase (via VISA or MasterCard for example).
  • Proceed to the next page (and enter your card details) to complete the transaction.

How to buy Safaricom airtime on Equitel

  • On your device’s main menu, select the Equitel SIM toolkit icon
  • Select the My Money option
  • Select Buy Airtime/Bundles option
  • Select your Equity Bank Kenya account number (the one you’ve linked to your Equitel SIM)
  • Select Buy Airtime
  • Select Other number
  • Select Safaricom
  • Enter your phone number (or another Safaricom number you want to top up)
  • Press OK
  • Enter amount (e.g. 20) and press OK
  • Tap OK when you see ‘Do you want to buy KShs 20 of airtime for line 0722******-Safaricom?’
  • Enter your PIN
    You’ll see this on your screen: ‘254722****** – Safaricom will receive KSh 20. Charge KSh 0.00. To cancel, send any number or letter withing 25 seconds’
    Note that Equitel / Equity doesn’t charge you to buy airtime for your Safaricom line from your account.

You can also purchase Safaricom airtime from an Equity Eazzy 247 account using the USSD short code *247# on a Safaricom, Airtel or Telkom line.

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Recharge Safaricom line online

If you have a scratch card and want to recharge your Safaricom line via the Safaricom online portal follow the steps below:

  • Enter the URL safaricom.com/bundles in your browser’s web address field.
  • Click on the Top Up tab
  • Click on the Confirm Number tab
  • In the Enter 16 Digit PIN, enter the recharge voucher PIN
  • Then click the button labeled Top up.

Other services you can use to load airtime on your Safaricom line:

  • WorldRemit website
  • Recharge website
  • Chura airtime top up website in Kenya
  • Most mobile banking apps and services in Kenya (accessible via USSD shortcodes or online via apps in Google Play Store, Microsoft App Store and Apple App Store)

To read my other Safaricom posts, check this category. To read my recent articles, go to the Niabusiness.com homepage.

Have anything you’d like to add? Let me know in the comments section below.

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