M-Pesa

What is M-Pesa?

M-Pesa Mobile Wallet is a branchless banking service, allowing transfer methods only through mobile phone devices.

Vodafone M-Pesa is a Mobile Wallet service from Vodafone that offers Money Transfer, Bill & Utility Pay, Merchant payments and Business Solutions (Enterprise Cash Management) enabling instant transfer and receipt of money anytime, from anywhere.

M-Pesa allows users to deposit, withdraw, transfer money and pay for goods and services easily with a mobile device. Other services include financing and micro-financing. M-Pesa was launched in 2007 by Vodafone for Safaricom and Vodacom, the largest mobile network operators in Kenya and Tanzania. 

M-Pesa has since expanded to South Africa, Afghanistan, India, Romania and in 2015, to Albania.

M-Pesa allows users to:

• Send balances using PIN-secured SMS text messages to other users  (including sellers of goods and services)
• Deposit money into an account stored on their cell phones
• Redeem deposits for regular money.

M-Pesa is available in the following countries:

• Romania
• Kenya 
• Tanzania

Note - Users are charged a small fee for sending and withdrawing money using the service.

M-Pesa customers can deposit and withdraw money from a network of agents that includes airtime resellers and retail outlets acting as banking agents.

M-Pesa has become the most succeful mobile-phone based financial service in the developing world, 2010.

By 2012, a stock of about 17 million M-Pesa accounts had been registered in Kenya. By June 2016, a total of 7 million M-Pesa accounts have been opened in Tanzania by Vodacom. The service has been lauded for giving millions of people access to the formal financial system and for reducing crime in otherwise largely cash-based societies.

What are Mobile Payments?

Whether it is booking travel, buying online, paying back loans, or sending money to friends and family, payments need to be made. Mobile payments make that process efficient and effective. Instead of cash and credit cards, mobile payments allow customers to use a mobile device, which they carry everywhere, to pay for goods and services.

In the African travel industry, mobile payments simplify the reservation process by enabling users with a mobile money account in any country to instantly make travel purchases in their home and foreign countries.

Benefits of Mobile Payment Solutions

Ability to Provide Financial Services

Mobile payments are a great solution for providing financial services to the unbanked population of the world (estimated at 50% of the world’s adult population, according to Financial Access’ 2009 Report “Half the World is Unbanked”). Because 70% of Africa now has mobile phones and banks in this part of the world are inaccessible to most of the population, mobile payment solutions are an effective way to supply the banking services needed by the people.

Alternative Airlines, the specialist online travel agent in booking lesser known and niche destinations, is delighted to announce it accepts M-Pesa on all of its websites. M-Pesa allows customers to pay through their mobile, at a pace that is suitable and comfortable for them.

Commercial Manager Sam Argyle, stated, “At Alternative Airlines, we are always trying to make flight bookings easier for our customers. Adding a payment method like M-Pesa was a natural fit as many of our customers like using M-Pesa to enjoy the ease and comfort that M-Pesa offers."

About Alternative Airlines

Alternative Airlines is an Online Travel Agency bonded by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). We specialise in finding the best available fares on the widest range of airlines and making them available to you online, with prices in the currency of your choice.

Alternative Airlines handles all your travel arrangements and payments, complete with ticketed confirmation. We do not direct you to other websites or service providers.

We help you through the process. This is what makes us Alternative Airlines.

Browse for flights, find some amazing deals, make a reservation and pay in the currency of your choice today with Alternative Airlines.

Let Alternative Airlines help find you the best prices and make international and domestic flight reservations with us today.

Join the Alternative Airlines Members Club and get £100.00 back on your 5^th booking with Alternative Airlines. You will have insight to many benefits and exclusive deals on over 650 airlines. Click on the Members section on the Alternative Airlines website for more information and join today.

We are open every day from 8am until 8pm (UK local time).

News

19th September 2017

Vodafone M-Pesa launches benefits for Maharahstra & Goa circle

Vodafone India through its wallet –M-Pesa has launched talk time plans for its customers in Maharashtra and Goa Circle wherein subscribers can avail full talktime benefits on recharges of Rs. 30, 40, 50, 70, 90 and 100 using the mobile wallet.

The company said there are no restrictions on the number of times the customer recharges his wallet to avail this offer. “With additional talktime benefits ranging from 18-25% of the recharge amount, customers can have huge savings on their mobile recharges with this exclusive offer, only through M-Pesa,” stated the telecom operator.

“Customers are increasingly moving towards mobile wallets and we see many of our customers purchasing mobile recharges instantly and conveniently through our M-Pesa app,” said Ashish Chandra- Business Head, Vodafone Maharashtra & Goa. “ With this offer, we are rewarding every mobile recharge above Rs 30, made through the M-Pesa App with full talktime benefit so that our customers can make more calls for the same amount,” he added.

13th September 2017

Vodafone M-Pesa now offering full talktime on every recharge

Vodafone M-Pesa India has today rolled out a ‘Every time, full talktime’ offer which offers full talktime offer for evry recharge for its pre-paid customers. The prepaid customers can avail full talktime benefit on recharges from Rs 30 to Rs 100, exclusively on Vodafone’s mobile wallet service, M-Pesa. 

There are no limits to the number of times a customer can avail this offer. One can recharge multiple times in a week or even in a day, making every recharge a full talktime recharge. To avail this offer, you have to download M-Pesa App for recharge.

Vodafone M-Pesa is a Mobile Wallet service from Vodafone that offers Money Transfer, Bill & Utility Pay, Merchant payments and Business Solutions (Enterprise Cash Management) enabling instant transfer and receipt of money anytime, from anywhere.

The ‘Every time, full talktime’ offer is also available on recharge through USSD by dialing *400# or through the M-Pesa app & website. Existing Vodafone M-Pesa customers in India can also enjoy full talktime through this offer. With additional talktime benefits ranging from 18-25% of the recharge amount, customers can have huge savings on their mobile recharges with this exclusive offer, only through M-Pesa.

Suresh Kumar - Operations Director, Vodafone India said, “Vodafone has consistently brought innovative and better value offerings to enhance customer experience. We are happy to present the ‘Every time, full talktime’ recharge offer through M-Pesa. Customers are increasingly adopting mobile wallets and we see many of our customers recharging their accounts  instantly and conveniently through our M-Pesa app. With this offer, we are rewarding every mobile recharge above Rs 30, done through the M-Pesa App with Full Talktime benefit so that our customers can make more calls for the same amount.”