NAIROBI, KENYA: In a clarification published on 2018-11-21, Safaricom said it was not secretly taking money from subscribers’ M-Pesa wallets when they buy airtime or data bundles for other users.
The telco said the confusion stems from the steps customers go through when using Sambaza credit or bundles for a recipient who already has an Okoa Jahazi debt. According to Safaricom, the system first alerts the user that they may either settle the outstanding balance and complete the purchase in one transaction, or cancel the process entirely.
“Customers, however, are always advised to note a few things about the services before going ahead and buying airtime or bundles for a loved one from their phones,” reads part of the statement from Safaricom.
Safaricom said Sambaza credit and Okoa Jahazi are useful when a subscriber has run out of airtime. But before the transfer is completed, the customer is prompted to decide whether to clear the pending Okoa Jahazi amount and add the new airtime or bundle purchase at the same time.
For example, the company said a person who wants to send bundles worth Sh100 to another customer who also owes Sh50 under Okoa Jahazi would end up paying Sh150 if they accept the combined transaction.
Safaricom added that after the customer agrees to the prompt, the process moves to the M-PESA menu, where the user is again asked to confirm the full amount by entering a PIN.
To send a data bundle, the company said customers can dial 544#, choose 98 to view more options, and then select option 13 to send a bundle to another customer. At the final stage, the system offers the option to Sambaza additional airtime to clear any outstanding Okoa Jahazi balance.
The clarification was aimed at addressing claims that the telco was deducting money from users without their knowledge when they tried to buy airtime or bundles for someone else.
