How to Buy Safaricom Airtime for Someone Else
Sending airtime to a parent upcountry, a partner, or a child at school is one of the most common things Kenyans do with M-Pesa. All three methods below let you top up a number that is not your own.
1. The USSD code — works on any phone
- Dial *384*8484#.
- Choose Buy Airtime, then Other Number.
- Type their Safaricom number, enter the amount, confirm with your M-Pesa PIN.
No smartphone needed on either side. You pay face value.
2. The M-PESA app
Tap Buy Airtime, choose the option for another number, type it in and confirm. Same price as USSD, but you can see the number on screen before you commit — worth it if you are typing it from memory.
3. Through a dealer — the same airtime, less money
Safaricom pays dealers a commission, and a dealer that shares it sells you the same airtime below face value. On BingwaPay you pay KES 89 for KES 100 of airtime — 11% less — and the recipient's line receives the full KES 100.
You enter their number, you pay from your M-Pesa, the airtime lands on their phone. See what each amount costs →
Check the number twice
If the number does not exist at all, the top-up will simply fail and the money stays where it was.
Does the recipient know it came from you?
They get a Safaricom confirmation that their line was topped up. Whether your name appears depends on the method — through Safaricom's own channels it typically does not identify the sender, so if it is a gift, tell them.
Questions
Can I buy Safaricom airtime for another person?
Yes. Every method - the *384*8484# USSD code, the M-PESA app, and airtime dealers - lets you enter a number other than your own.
Do they need to approve it?
No. Airtime sent to a Safaricom number arrives without the recipient doing anything. They simply get the airtime and a confirmation SMS.
Can I get the airtime back if I send it to the wrong number?
Generally no. Airtime delivered to a valid Safaricom line cannot be reversed the way an M-Pesa payment sometimes can. Check the number before you confirm.