Airtel, MTN reinstate charges on sending mobile money

Telecommunication companies, Airtel Uganda and MTN Uganda have reinstated the transaction charges that had been scrapped on sending mobile money.

Early this year in a bid to reduce the risk of Coronavirus transmission through physical exchange of currency notes, the two companies scrapped sending fees.

Consequently, Airtel announced that all on-net  person to person transactions were free whereas MTN said they had scrapped charges on mobile money transactions for the amounts of Shs20,000 and above.

However, after announcing the gradual lifting of the lockdown by government, the two companies have announced the reinstatement of the charges on sending mobile money.

“MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda wish to inform the public that effective 26th May 2020, all MTN mobile money and Airtel money Person to Person ( P2P) transactions on the same network and Mobile Wallet to bank transactions will be gradually re-introduced  at a 50% discount to standard tariffs for a period of 30 days,” the two companies announced in a joint press statement.

“All MoMo/Airtel Money pay transactions between customers and merchants will continue to attract zero transaction charges for the next 30 days.”

The companies said they remain committed to enabling electronic money transactions as one of the ways to mitigate the risk of transmission of Coronavirus and that any further changes will be communicated.

The move comes as the country is gradually moving towards the full lifting of the lockdown announced over two months ago.

The gradual lifting of the lockdown begun by allowing some businesses to open and on Tuesday, private transport was allowed to return to the road.