Customers in Kenya can now send Airtel Money to bank accounts at 30 banks, SACCOs and microfinance banks, straight from their wallets. Airtel Money made the link through Integrated Payment Systems Limited (IPSL), which operates the Pesalink payment network.
How to send Airtel Money to bank accounts in the MyAirtel App
Open the MyAirtel App and select the Pay Bill option. Choose the bank, enter the account number and the amount, then complete the transaction.
Customers without the app can use USSD (the menu service that runs from a phone dial pad) by dialling *334#.
Account check shows the recipient’s bank before payment
The integration includes an account verification feature. It lets customers confirm the recipient’s bank name and account details before they complete a transaction.
The feature targets transaction accuracy and customer confidence.
Airtel Money says the link widens its reach
Michael Bonke, Acting Managing Director of Airtel Money Kenya, said the partnership extends the service into the wider financial system.
“This partnership with IPSL enables us to extend our reach into the broader financial ecosystem through Pesalink. By facilitating wallet-to-bank transfers across multiple financial institutions, we are making it easier for customers to move money seamlessly between mobile wallets and bank accounts. This reinforces our commitment to expanding financial access and delivering greater convenience to our customers,” Bonke said.
IPSL CEO Gituku Kirika said the deal connects banking and mobile money.
“Pesalink was built to make payments open and interoperable, giving customers the freedom to easily and affordably move money, regardless of where it is held. Our partnership with Airtel Money is an important milestone in connecting banking rails with mobile money ecosystems. The power of interoperability is in giving Kenyans more choice in how they make everyday payments,” Kirika said.
Pesalink rails remove separate deals with each bank
The Pesalink rails let Airtel Money connect to participating banks, SACCOs and microfinance banks without separate bilateral integrations and agreements with each institution.
Pesalink is an account to account payment network. The announcement says it spans more than 200 banks, telcos, fintechs and SACCOs.
Bonke placed the deal within earlier partnerships. “The integration builds on the various partnerships we have established with banks, retail outlets, service providers, and digital payment platforms as part of our broader strategy to strengthen Kenya’s digital payments ecosystem,” he said.
Agent and merchant payments follow, with no dates given
Airtel Money will progressively extend the service to cash in and cash out at its agents and to person to merchant (P2M) transfers. The announcement gives no dates for either.
It also states no fees, limits or transfer times for the bank transfers. The dates for agent and merchant services, and any fees, are the next facts to watch.
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