You can top up your phone’s airtime in a variety of ways. You have the option of purchasing a scratch card, which is the most popular. You can also use M-PESA or another mobile money service to top up. However, the vast majority of people use M-PESA, and it is safe to say that the Safaricom-owned service has no competition at this time.

In the past, we talked about how you could buy Telkom or Airtel Kenya airtime via M-PESA for free for up to KES 100. This was done with a pay bill number and could be done natively with an STK or my Safaricom/M-PESA apps, as well as via a WhatsApp tool.

The pay bill number is important because it allows you to top up other networks if you are unable to access a shop that sells scratch cards. It’s also important because there will be times when you don’t have an M-PESA balance but can Fuliza for airtime if you qualify for the overdraft.

You can now top-up any amount of airtime for free, and here’s how:

• Use your STK or my Safaricom/M-PESA app to log in.
• Select Lipa Na M-PESA.
• Choose Pay Bill.
• Enter Business Number (309028)
• Enter your account number (Telkom, Safaricom or Airtel number)
• Choose amount
• Use your PIN code to verify your identity.
• Done

You can also do the same thing with a WhatsApp bot:

• Start WhatsApp on your smartphone.
• OR, use this direct link to the bot (or copy it for later use: https://wa.me/+254203892444?text=Hi).
• You will see a chat interface that is familiar to you.
• Enter whatever you want. Assume it is the most widely used greeting in the world, Hello.
• The bot will send you a text telling you what to do.
• Enter the Telkom/Safaricom/Airtel number to be topped up, followed by the hash # symbol, and then the amount as follows: +254722******# 100
• From the called STK Menu, select Send Authenticate with a PIN.

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