Safaricom is no longer allowing unregistered mobile money users to receive money from users of its M-Pesa platform.
A statement from the company says that effective February 5th, M-Pesa users will no longer be able to send money to unregistered mobile money customers.
Customer Notice pic.twitter.com/iWa3szPtJv
— Safaricom PLC (@SafaricomPLC) February 3, 2024
Given that there are other mobile money services in the country like Airtel Money from Airtel Kenya and T-Kash from Telkom Kenya, among others, this should mean that any mobile phone number that isn’t registered with any of those mobile money services cannot receive money from M-Pesa.
The short statement from Safaricom does not reveal the exact reasons why this move is necessary.
Before the announcement, M-Pesa users could send money to users not registered on any mobile money service for significantly higher rates than those who are registered. Over the past year, Safaricom has moved to even the costs of sending money between registered users regardless of the network they are on. Previously, those on its network and registered on its M-Pesa platform used to be charged a lower rate than those registered on competing mobile money services.
