Buying airtime for your Safaricom line using M-PESA is a straightforward process that can be done via USSD, the Safaricom SIM Toolkit (STK), or the mySafaricom app.
Each method offers a convenient way to ensure you stay connected.
Here’s how to navigate each option:
How to buy airtime from Mpesa
To buy airtime with M-Pesa for Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom, you can follow these instructions:
1) Buy Safaricom airtime with Mpesa
You can easily and effortlessly buy airtime for your Safaricom line, or for other Safaricom users using these options:
- USSD 334
- Safaricom STK
- M-pesa App
- mySafaricom App
Here’s how to navigate each option:
a) Safaricom airtime via USSD
To buy airtime for your own Safaricom line or others using the USSD 334 option, simply follow these steps.
- With your registered Safaricom line, dial *334#.
- Select the Buy Airtime option
![How to Buy Airtime from Mpesa, Airtel Money, or T-kash for Airtel, Telkom & Safaricom lines 1 How to Buy Airtime with Mpesa for Safaricom Airtel and Telkom choose Buy Airtime USSD 334 menu](https://money.ke/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/how-to-buy-airtime-with-mpesa-for-safaricom-airtel-and-telkom-choose-buy-airtime-ussd-334-menu.webp?_t=1711195330)
- You will then be prompted to either Buy Airtime or Buy Bundles
- Again, select the Buy Airtime option
- You will be prompted to either choose to buy for your own phone, or for another
- To buy airtime for your own phone number, choose the My Phone option
- To buy for a friend, family, or another one of your Safaricom lines, choose the Other Phone option
- In case you select the Other Phone option, you’ll need to enter the exact phone number in the next screen that appears
- Now Enter the amount of airtime you wish to purchase to authorize the transaction.
- Enter your M-PESA PIN.
![How to Buy Airtime from Mpesa, Airtel Money, or T-kash for Airtel, Telkom & Safaricom lines 2 How to Buy Airtime with Mpesa for Safaricom USSD accept or cancel option](https://money.ke/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/how-to-buy-airtime-with-mpesa-for-safaricom-ussd-accept-or-cancel-option.webp?_t=1711195375)
- Review the details of your airtime purchase to ensure they’re correct, then confirm the transaction by choosing the Accept option. Otherwise, choose Cancel.
- You will receive a confirmation message from M-Pesa and Safaricom indicating that your airtime purchase has been successful.
b) Safaricom airtime via STK
- Go to your phone’s main menu and select SIM Toolkit amongst your apps.
- If your phone is multi-sim, and you are using more than one line, choose Safaricom to access the Safaricom toolkit menu
- Go to M-PESA to access M-pesa services
- Choose Buy Airtime: This option allows you to recharge your line or another person’s line.
![How to Buy Airtime from Mpesa, Airtel Money, or T-kash for Airtel, Telkom & Safaricom lines 3 How to buy airtime with M-pesa for Safaricom lines via SIM Toolkit](https://money.ke/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/how-to-buy-airtime-with-m-pesa-for-safaricom-lines-via-sim-toolkit.webp)
- Again, select the Buy Airtime option.
- To buy for your line, select My Phone.
- Otherwise, choose Other Phone to buy for other Safaricom lines
- In case you are buying for another phone, enter the phone number on the next screen that appears
- Enter the amount of airtime you wish to buy.
- Input your Mpesa PIN to authenticate the transaction.
- You will see a prompt saying something like “Buy airtime for my phone number, Kshs 30”
![How to Buy Airtime from Mpesa, Airtel Money, or T-kash for Airtel, Telkom & Safaricom lines 4 Safaricom STK buy airtime](https://money.ke/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/safaricom-stk-buy-airtime.webp)
- To accept, choose the OK option, otherwise, you can opt to Cancel.
c) Buy Safaricom airtime via M-pesa app
To buy airtime via M-pesa app, follow these steps:
- From your phone, launch the M-pesa app.
- Go to the Transact tab on the bottom of your screen
- Scroll down to the Airtime section
- You will see two options:
- Airtime for My Number
- Airtime for Other Number
- To buy airtime for other number, choose the Airtime for Other Number above,
- Then Enter or select the Safaricom phone number to buy airtime for
- Otherwise, choose the Airtime for My Number option if you are buying for the line you are currently using
- Enter the amount to buy, then click continue
- Review transaction details.
- To confirm, simply click the Buy Airtime button
- You will be prompted to authorize via fingerprint unlocking, or entering your M-pesa PIN
At this point, you are billed and airtime credited to your line
Note that Safaricom imposes the following limits when buying airtime:
- Minimum airtime to buy: Kshs 5
- Maximum airtime to buy: Kshs 10,000
2) How to buy Airtel airtime from Mpesa
At the moment, none of the Safaricom options above natively support purchase of airtime for other networks (Airtel, Telkom).
You will need to use a third service. Pesapal is a popular choice.
To buy Airtel credit from your M-pesa balance with this option, you will need to use Pesapal Paybill number.
You can use either USSD 334, Mpesa app, or SIM Toolkit for paybill payments.
Here are the steps to follow for STK
- Access your Safaricom Toolkit
- Go to the M-Pesa menu.
- Select Lipa na M-Pesa and then
- Then go to Pay Bill
- Enter Business Number 220220
- Enter your Airtel number as the account number in the format: AIRTXXXXXX , where XXXXXX is your AIrtel number.
- Enter the amount of airtime you wish to purchase.
- Enter your M-PESA PIN and send it to complete the transaction
2) How to buy Telkom airtime from Mpesa
You can also buy Telkom airtime via M-pesa using the Pesapal option:
- Go to the M-Pesa menu.
- Select ‘Pay Bill’.
- Enter the Business Number 220220
- Enter your Telkom number as the account number.
- Enter the amount of airtime you want to buy.
- Enter your M-PESA PIN to complete the transaction