We're here to help

Whether you're a customer or one of our valued business partners, we strive to provide you with the best possible support.

Call Us

Customer Support Line:
733

Business Support Line:
747

Email Us

Customer Email:
m-pesacustomercare@safaricom.et

Business Email:
m-pesabusiness@safaricom.et

Get in touch through Social

Address

Wello Sefer, Africa Avenue (Bole Airport Road) Kirkos sub city, Woreda 01

Frequently Asked Questions

Consumer

  1. Call the contact Center on 733 to report a lost or Stolen Line. 
  2. Your line will be barred and M-PESA Account FROZEN so that no transactions can happen on your M-PESA wallet
  3. Visit any M-PESA Agent or Safaricom Retail Center near you for a SIM card replacement
Your M-PESA account can unfrozen and safely transferred to your new number by our retail staff.

What is M-PESA?

M-PESA is the largest and most successful mobile money platform in Africa. Due to its safety, security and unbeatable convenience, M-PESA is the preferred method of payment for over 55 million people across the continent, handling over 25 billion transactions worth more than $300 billion every year.

M-PESA provides financial services to anyone with a mobile phone and a Safaricom Ethiopia SIM card. You do not need a bank account and it does not matter if you have a basic feature phone or the latest smartphone.

With an M-PESA account, you have an affordable, safe and convenient way to send and receive money, top up airtime, pay bills, get paid, save money and much more, without the need for a bank account. M-PESA allows you to:

  1. Send Money to anyone with a mobile phone in Ethiopia
  2. Receive money
  3. Withdraw Cash at Agents and ATMs
  4. Buy Airtime and Safaricom Packages
  5. Pay Businesses, Government, Utilities and other bills
  6. Send money to bank accounts & transfer money from your Bank to M-PESA
  7. Receive money from abroad

Convenience: You can send money, Buy Airtime and Pay bills anytime, anywhere!

Speed: All transactions, including receiving money from abroad, are instant. The sender and receive always receive a confirmation SMS upon completion of a transaction.

Security: M-PESA is highly secure. Your M-PESA account is secured by a personal PIN number. Do not share this with anyone.

How can I access M-PESA?

M-PESA can be accessed via USSD, App and a new channel called SIM Toolkit (STK).

USSD: Dial *733#

App: Download the M-PESA Safaricom App available in the Google Play Store for Android phones

STK: To access STK you must already be registered on M-PESA via USSD or the app. On your feature phone or smartphone, STK will appear as ‘Safaricom’ in your list of applications.

You can register by yourself or with any M-PESA Agent. You will require:

  1. A registered and active Safaricom Ethiopia SIM Card
  2. Your Year of Birth as per your ID
To register by yourself:

  1. Dial the M-PESA USSD code *733# or download the M-PESA Safaricom App
  2. Accept the Terms & Conditions
  3. Enter your Year of Birth and confirm details
  4. Create a memorable 4-digit M-PESA PIN
  5. Re-enter your new M-PESA PIN
  6. Wait for the confirmation SMS
To register at an M-PESA Agent or Safaricom Shop:

  1. The M-PESA Agent or Store Assistant will either ask you to enter your fingerprint or ask for your phone number and year of birth
  2. You will receive a prompt on your phone to accept the Terms & Conditions
  3. Create your M-PESA PIN
  4. Wait for the confirmation SMS

You can register up to five M-PESA accounts under the same name. Each M-PESA account will have its own PIN and transaction records. You cannot see the transactions of one account on another line.

Note that per regulations, your M-PESA account balance will be shared across all your lines. For example, if you are a Level 2 customer with a 100,000 Birr account limit and have registered two M-PESA accounts, should one of your accounts hold 80,000 Birr, the other account can have a maximum of 20,000 Birr. If you reduce the balance of your first account to 30,000 Birr, your second account could now hold 70,000 Birr.

Maximum balance across all your accounts is 30,000 Birr. Daily transaction limit is 30,000 Birr.

Note: International money transfer, utility and fuel payments are limit exempt as per the National Bank of Ethiopia regulation.

No. M-PESA registration is free of charge

What are M-PESA vouchers?

You can deposit money in your M-PESA Wallet by;

  1. Visiting any M-PESA agent near you with your ID and phone
  2. Transferring money from your Bank account directly to your M-PESA wallet

Visit your Nearest M-PESA Agent with your ID the M-PESA voucher SMS

You need to cash in the Voucher within 7 days of receipt or it expires after which the cash is reversed back to the sender

Call the contact Center on 733 for the Voucher to be resent to your phone

No Charge. Only the sender is charged for sending money to an unregistered user.

Who is an M-PESA Agent?

M-PESA Agents will have visible M-PESA branding. They are usually small businesses, pharmacies, banks, Safaricom shops or standalone Agents with a Safaricom branded umbrella.

A list of M-PESA agents’ location can be accessed on our website or you can call 733 to get Agent location information. 

You can visit an M-PESA Agent to:

  1. Register with M-PESA
  2. Deposit money in your wallet
  3. Withdraw money
  4. Buy Airtime

Can I still use M-PESA if I am not registered?

If you are not registered on M-PESA, you can still receive cash in the form of a voucher sent via SMS. You can visit any M-PESA Agent to withdraw the money.

What are the M-PESA transaction charges?

  1. Send Money (Registered and unregistered).
  2. Withdraw Cash
See our pricing charts for more information

The below transactions are free of charge on M-PESA

  1. Receive money domestically or from abroad
  2. Buy airtime & Safaricom packages
  3. Business payments
  4. Statements
  5. Balance Check
  6. Any account related activities

Before completing any M-PESA transaction, a confirmation screen will appear including the amount, the receiver and the transaction fee. Once you confirm this, you will be asked to enter your M-PESA PIN to complete the transaction.

The confirmation SMS received after a successful M-PESA transaction also displays the transaction fee.

Currently your M-PESA wallet cannot go into a negative balance

The M-PESA system sends a confirmation SMS notification to the sender and recipient for each M-PESA transaction

Reversing a transaction requires the consent of the receiver. There are three way to request a reversal:

Copy the transaction SMS to 789:

  • After completing the transaction, send the whole M-PESA notification message to 789 via SMS.
Via the M-PESA Safaricom App:

  • Once you complete a transaction and realize it was erroneous, tap on the Reverse transaction icon on the M-PESA APP. You will find this either on the transaction confirmation page or by finding the transaction in your M-PESA Transactions.
  • You will be presented with reasons why you want to initiate the reversal e.g. wrong amount, wrong recipient, other etc.-Select the reason
Call the Contact Center directly on 733

  • Select the Request a Reversal option and follow the instructions
  • When you request a reversal, you will receive an SMS response from “Reversal" that the request has been started
  • Safaricom will at this point begin engaging the 2nd party for the reversal and you can expect an update to be shared within 12 hours.
  • You are encouraged to check your SMS messages for an update from the header “Reversal” on the status of the reversal.
  • Note a reversal will not be possible if the unintended recipient refuses or has already used the funds.
  • Reversal requests for historical transactions are also not possible.

The below transactions can be reversed when transferred to the erroneous party

  1. Send Money 
  2. Agent withdrawal 
  3. Deposit transaction
  4. Airtime Transaction

How do I manage my M-PESA Account?

No, you don’t require a bank account to register or transact with your M-PESA wallet

After your SIM card has been replaced, your M-PESA account will be available immediately on USSD, STK and the M-PESA | Safaricom app.

What self-service options are available under My M-PESA wallet?

The below customer self-service options are available

  1. Unlock PIN
  2. Reset PIN (Forgot PIN)
  3. M-PESA Statement
  4. M-PESA Reversal

Is M-PESA secure to use?

Customer Name Check is a service that allows M-PESA customers to confirm the recipient’s name and/or number, before completing a transaction. By confirming these details, customers avoid losing funds by sending money to unintended/the wrong recipients. This service is available for all customers, on all handsets. 

Fraud happens when M-PESA customers disclose their personal account and M-PESA PIN details to another person.

To minimize Fraud an M-PESA Customer should;

  • NEVER disclose your M-PESA PIN to others. Keep your PIN secret or change it if you suspect it has been exposed to others.
  • NEVER give any SIM card information like PUK, Your document ID, Year of Birth, account balance or M-PESA PIN to anyone over the phone.
  • Always report/confirm by calling the M-PESA Contact Center any suspicious activity or requests concerning your M-PESA account.
Our Contact Center will NEVER ask for your M-PESA PIN.

What are the M-PESA self-service options?

No. M-PESA self service options are free of charge

Setting your Security Questions is required in order to reset your PIN by yourself. You can set your Security Questions on USSD or the M-PESA | Safaricom app under the Account section.

To reset your M-PESA PIN:

  •  Via USSD, dial *733#, Select My Account, Manage M-PESA PIN then Forgot PIN
    • Enter your Year of Birth as per your ID
    • Select a security question to answer
    • You will be sent a temporary PIN via SMS
    • Open a new USSD session by dialling *733# and select Create New PIN
    • Enter your Temporary PIN
    • Create a new M-PESA PIN
    • You can now transact using your new M-PESA PIN
  • Via app, on the login screen, select Forgot PIN
    •  Enter your Year of Birth as per your ID
    •  Select a security question to answer
    •  You will be sent a temporary PIN via SMS
    •  Enter your temporary PIN on request
    •  Create a new M-PESA PIN
    •  You can now transact using your new M-PESA PIN
Or visit any Safaricom Retail shop or call the Contact Center on 733 for assistance

Your M-PESA account will lock if you enter your PIN wrongly three times.

To unlock your account, open the USSD or M-PESA | Safaricom app and enter your Year of Birth when requested. 

You can access a full M-PESA statement on USSD and the M-PESA | Safaricom app.

  • Via USSD, dial *733#, Select My Account then Statement
    • Choose the statement duration
    • Enter your email address
    • Your M-PESA statement will be sent to the email address specified
  • Via app, go to the M-PESA tab
    • Select ‘See More’ on M-PESA Transactions
    • Select ‘Export Statements
    • Choose the statement duration and select Export Statement
    • Your statement will appear as a PDF that you can download to your device or share

Your M-PESA statement will contain the unique Transaction ID, Date and time of the transaction, the type of transaction, the recipient of the transaction, transaction status (complete) and the charges incurred.

The maximum duration for statements is 6 months

  • Call Customer Care on 733
    • Select the Change Language option from the automated list then select the language you wish to change to
  • Via USSD, dial *733#, Select My Account then Change Language
    • Select the new language
  • Via STK, Select My Account then Change Language
    • Select the new language
  • Via app, on the login screen, select the language in the top left corner
    • If you are logged into the app, go the Account section and select the language
You will receive a confirmation SMS every time you change language.

Can I use M-PESA internationally?

Yes, but only for transactions in Ethiopia. You can still send money to friends & family so long as you have balance in your M-PESA wallet.

You cannot use your M-PESA wallet to make payments in other countries.

International Money Transfer is a service that enables M-PESA registered customers to receive money in their M-PESA wallet from friends and loved ones all over the world. When you receive money from abroad, there is no limit to your account balance!

You can then use the money received in your M-PESA wallet to send money to another person, pay bills and utilities, withdraw the money at any M-PESA agent and even purchase airtime.

You can receive funds from the US, UK, Africa and the Middle East directly to your M-PESA wallet

No. The funds are received in your M-PESA wallet in Birr.

The sender will revisit the sending International Money Transfer Agent to request for a recall/reverse of the transaction.

What happens to dormant accounts?

The M-PESA account will go dormant after 12 months of inactivity. The account will be closed after another 12 months in dormancy.

Yes. Visit a Safaricom Retail shop or call 733 to activate the dormant account and access the money.

Visit any Safaricom Shop to claim funds previously held in the closed account.

Can I personalize my M-PESA?

My Favourites is a list of people and businesses you can save on USSD to make faster payments.

Instead of having to remember a contacts phone number, or a businesses M-PESA Business Number, simply save them to your Favorites and select them from the list the next time you want to pay.

My Favorites is available for sending money, buying airtime and paying businesses.

After sending money, buying someone airtime or paying a business via USSD, you will be asked if you would like to add the receiver to your Favorites. Give the receiver a short nickname and next time you need to pay them, select their name from My Favorites.

You can also add and remove a Favorite by entering My Account and selecting My Favorites.

How can I access M-PESA support?

Next of Kin will visit Safaricom Retail shop for the claim where they will be required to present below documents; -
  • Court order
  • Death Certificate. 
  • Claimants ID. 
  • Claimant’s Number on M-PESA.
  • Next of Kin ID

You can access the M-PESA Terms & Conditions on the Safaricom Ethiopia website www.safaricom.et  or in a Safaricom shop.

International Money Transfer

This is a service offered by Safaricom that enables you as an M-PESA customer to receive funds from abroad directly to your M-PESA wallet and is regulated by the National Bank of Ethiopia.

Safaricom M-PESA has partnered with several Money Transfer Organizations to ensure you can receive money from all over the world (United States of America, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, South Africa and many more countries): These partners include:

  • Dahabshiil
  • IDT
  • MamaMoney 
  • Ezipay
  • Clicksend
  • Paysend
  • Capital Services
  • G Money Transfer 
  • Afrisend
  • BNB Transfer 
  • HelloPaisa
Friends and loved ones only need to visit their websites, choose Ethiopia as the destination country and Select M-PESA as the preferred channel of sending money.

To receive money from abroad, you only need to activate your M-PESA account either on our USSD channel by dialing *733# or downloading the M-PESA Ethiopia app on Google Play Store and the IOS app store.

There is ZERO costs to receiving money to your M-PESA wallet.

You can receive up to ETB 300,000 per day directly to your M-PESA wallet and use the funds to pay and transact locally.

Upon the sender sending funds to your wallet, you will receive an SMS notification with the amount sent plus the sender names. This will happen within a few seconds of the funds being sent.

Funds will be received in your M-PESA wallet almost instantaneously and within seconds of being sent.

Kindly advise the sender to reach out to the money transfer organization used to send the funds and request a reversal. If the funds are still in the wrong number’s account, Safaricom M-PESA will work with the Money Transfer Organization to ensure a reversal is done within 72hrs.

In case of any queries about the service or a transaction, reach out to our Call Centre by dialing 733 for assistance.

Sender will reach out to the Money Transfer Organization used for any assistance on a transfer

The currency of the amount received will be in Ethiopian Birr

What is M-PESA for Business?

This is a suite of M-PESA payment solutions and opportunities tailored for businesses to enable them achieve efficiency and effectiveness in today’s dynamic payments world.

  • Efficiency: Digitizing payments helps improve efficiency by reducing the need for manual processing. This frees up businesses to focus on other strategic core tasks.
  • Cost saving: Digitizing payments can help save money by reducing the need for paper as well as the number of errors made in processing payments.
  • Increased sales: Increase your sales by providing your customers with a convenient way to pay even if you do not have the infrastructure to accept traditional payment methods.
  • Enjoy lower fees than traditional payment methods. Save money on transaction costs to improve your overall profitability.
  • Improve your cash flow: Instant mobile money payments enable you to manage your cash flow more effectively and avoid cash flow issues.
  • Improved security: Avoid risk of theft and fraud and enjoy peace of mind when conducting financial transactions.
  • Increased customer loyalty: A happy customer is a loyal customer. Build trust and loyalty among your customers and enjoy repeat business and referrals.

How can I access support?

Call support on 747 or send an email to m-pesabusiness@safaricom.et 

Yes you can. Please contact us on 747 or email m-pesabusiness@safaricom.et for more information.


How can I receive payment?

The ideal product is a Paybill service that will allow you to collect real-time payments and accept recurring bill payments.

The ideal product is the Merchant service that enables you to receive payments for your products or services through an M-PESA till.

How can I make payment?

You will need the Disbursement service which will enable you to make payments such as salaries and promotion payments to many mobile numbers in bulk and in real-time.

Are there charges in M-PESA for Business?

We have affordable and competitive fees and commissions that vary depending on the type of service you sign up for. Call us on 747 or email m-pesabusiness@safaricom.et for more information.

How can I integrate my business with M-PESA?

This is a platform that enables financial technology businesses to develop solutions and have them visible to M-PESA consumers (M-PESA Safaricom App) and businesses (M-PESA Business App).

M-PESA open APIs enables financial technology businesses and developers to connect their solutions and applications to M-PESA for payment services.

Who is an M-PESA Agent?

This is an Agent business dedicated to wholesale float distribution through selling float to other M-PESA Agents. Super agents are mostly Financial Service Institutions like Banks.


This is an M-PES Agent business whose mandate is to acquire or recruit other potential M-PESA Agents on behalf of Safaricom M-PESA.

This is an agent business solely involved in the provision of M-PESA Agent services to M-PESA customers, for example registration and customer Cash-In and Cash-Out services.

  • Additional Revenue Stream: Generate additional revenue by earning commissions on M-PESA transactions you process.
  • Increased Foot Traffic: Attract more customers to your businesses by offering mobile money services and increasing foot traffic and sales.
  • Minimal Investment: No need for significant investment to get started. Use your existing infrastructure, such as a mobile phone, shop, and business capital, to provide these M-PESA services.
  • Improved Customer Loyalty: Grow your customer loyalty by providing a convenient and reliable way for customers to conduct financial transactions. Build trust and loyalty among customers, leading to repeat business and referrals.