How To Use The Ayoba App To Send and Receive Mobile Money

Mobile money is an electronic wallet service that allows people to receive, send, save, and spend money using a mobile phone. There is no doubt that it has changed the financial landscape in Uganda and is proving the reality of a cashless society.  It has grown to become a popular alternative to both cash and banks because its fast, easy to use, as well as convenient and secure.

Mobile money can be used anywhere there is a mobile phone signal — one reason people have resorted to using it instead of banks. Businesses including; companies, startups, developers among others are taking advantage of this, integrating mobile money services into their business or apps as it a faster way to make payments — whether it is sending, receiving or spending, because it is more self explanatory. Notably, startups and mobile application developers developing apps with mobile money services are making it more convenient for users to make in-app mobile money transactions without having to leave the app. For instance, Ayoba —it allows its users send and receive money within the app. SIMFY the developers of the app partnered with MTN allows for person to person mobile money transactions while the chat at the same time. Thus, no need of having to do one task at a time.

Susan Kayemba, the Senior Manager Digital Services at MTN Uganda says they are happy their customers can now send and receive money within the ayoba app as they chat at the same time.

The feature to allow MTN users make in-app person to person mobile money transactions came at a time just after the MTN Uganda announced a partnership with SIMFY Africa to launch Ayoba as a new data-free app that enables users to access more affordable communication, subscribe to news channels as well as entertain themselves through gaming. The app is similar to other IM apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, but the features are unique as they are more of in-app built services —one of it being mobile money transactions.

To send and receive MTN Mobile Money using the Ayoba app, three things to keep in mind, one, you need to download the Ayoba app, two your number has to be registered to MTN mobile money and three, the recipient has to be registered to MTN mobile money. When all is well, you’re good to start making in-app person to person mobile money transactions with Ayoba.

The app is available for download for Android and iOS users from your respective stores. After downloading the app, signup and get started. The beauty with the Ayoba app is it also allows a user with the app to chat with recipients without the app.

To send money with/within the Ayoba app (this can be done while your chatting);

1. Within the app, select a contact to send money. To do this, at the right-top corner of the app, tap the Plus (+) sign to display your contacts. Proceed to select the contact you wish to send money to. NOTE: If the contact is not listed in your contact, it means s/he does not have the app. However, Ayoba still allows you to send money even to contacts without the app. To do so, tap the Plus (+) sign to display contacts >> click on the three-dotted icon on your top right and select show SMS contacts, then proceed to select the contact to send money to.
2. From the open chat window, tap the attachment symbol and from the list of tabbed displayed options, select the money option. Proceed to choose ‘Send MoMo’.
3. From the displayed contact page, enter amount to send, and a message for the receiver, then tap send.
4. From a confirmation popup, tap continue to enter your 5-digit MTN mobile money PIN.
5. On approval, the money will be sent to the recipient with a notification of the amount and message in the Ayoba app. The receiver will receive the mobile money message showing the amount of money sent and the message attached.

Just like that, you can continuously send money to your contacts, friends, and family through the Ayoba app without necessarily cramming their phone number for manual sending through the *185# MTN short-code or with the MyMTN app.  As an advantage, the new Ayoba Mobile Money sending feature helps you to send money to contacts and notify them within the App itself with a confirmation of the sent amount.