How USSD payments work

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The payment code

Every Bila merchant has a unique USSD code that customers dial to make a payment. No app or internet connection is required.

Example: A customer dialling *384*777*1# will be prompted to enter the amount to pay your business.

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Step 1: Customer dials your code

The customer dials your USSD code on any mobile phone. No smartphone or internet is needed.

• With amount: *384*777*1*25# — skips the amount prompt
• Without amount: *384*777*1# — customer is asked to enter the amount

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Step 2: Amount is confirmed

If no amount was included in the code, a prompt appears asking the customer to enter how much they want to pay. A summary screen then shows the merchant name and amount for the customer to confirm before proceeding.

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Step 3: Mobile money PIN authorisation

The customer’s network sends a secure prompt asking for their Mobile Money PIN to authorise the payment. Supported networks:

• Airtel Money
• MTN MoMo
• Zamtel Money

Note: The final amount charged includes a small processing fee. This is displayed to the customer on the PIN screen before they confirm.

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Step 4: Payment complete

Once the PIN is entered and approved by the network, the transaction is processed instantly. The customer receives a “TRANSACTION SUCCESSFUL” message from the network provider and the merchant is notified.

No page refresh or manual reconciliation needed — the payment reflects on your Bila dashboard immediately.

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Supported use cases

USSD payments work across a wide range of business types.