Payment USSD codes South Africa are not controlled by one national code. The right code depends on the bank, wallet, mobile provider, or payment task you want to use. In most cases, you start from your bank’s cellphone banking USSD menu, then choose a payment option such as payments, send money, PayShap, prepaid electricity, airtime, data, vouchers, bills, EasyPay, or Pay@.
Use this page as a quick directory. Choose the task that matches what you need, then go to the most relevant guide before entering a PIN or approving a payment.
Last checked: 26 June 2026. Codes, menus, fees, limits, and eligibility rules can change. Always confirm the final details on the official bank or provider menu before authorising a transaction.
Quick Payment USSD Codes List
| Payment need | Where to go next | What to verify before paying |
|---|---|---|
| General USSD payment codes | USSD codes South Africa | Use this if you are not sure whether you need a bank, network, electricity, airtime, data, or support code. |
| Bank payments by USSD | Banking USSD codes South Africa | Confirm your bank, registered SIM, recipient details, amount, fee, and final confirmation screen. |
| Prepaid electricity by USSD | Buy prepaid electricity USSD code | Confirm the meter number, amount, token delivery method, and whether the token was issued. |
| Airtime or data purchases by USSD | USSD codes South Africa | Check whether you are buying from your bank account, airtime balance, rewards wallet, or mobile network menu. |
| Send money to a cellphone number | Banking USSD codes South Africa | Confirm the recipient’s cellphone number, secret code rules, expiry rules, and whether a reversal is possible. |
| Bill payments by USSD | Banking USSD codes South Africa | Check whether your bank supports the biller through USSD, Pay@, EasyPay, a saved beneficiary, or another channel. |
| PayShap by USSD | Banking USSD codes South Africa | Confirm the recipient’s ShapID, displayed name, bank, limit, and fee before approving. |
The table below lists common official USSD starting points for payment-related tasks. These are not all-purpose payment codes. They are entry points into each bank or provider’s own menu.
| Bank or provider | USSD starting point | Payment-related use |
|---|---|---|
| Absa | *120*2272# | Absa lists this as its Cellphone Banking number. Its help pages include cellphone banking login and payment/send-money steps, and Absa says users do not need airtime to bank using Absa Cellphone Banking. (Absa) |
| Capitec | *120*3279# | Capitec lists this for mobile banking. Its official guides show USSD steps for buying electricity or water, buying airtime/data, paying bills, and sending cash. Capitec also lists *130*3279# for prepaid top-up when out of airtime. (Capitec Bank) |
| FNB | *120*321# | FNB lists cellphone banking through *120*321#, including send-money and payment-related options such as eWallet and account payments. (FNB) |
| Nedbank | *120*001# | Nedbank lists *120*001# for Cellphone Banking, including payments, send money, airtime, data, electricity, and vouchers. Nedbank says Cellphone Banking works without data, but its FAQ says you need airtime available. (Nedbank) |
| Standard Bank | *120*2345# | Standard Bank lists this for Cellphone Banking and says users can pay bills, buy data, and make payments. Its PayShap page also gives a Cellphone Banking path through Payments and Transfers. (Standard Bank) |
| Standard Bank Instant Money Wallet | *120*212# | Standard Bank lists *120*212# for Instant Money Wallet access, including resending vouchers, resetting PINs, and viewing voucher statuses. (Standard Bank) |
| GoTyme Bank / TymeBank | *120*543# | GoTyme’s USSD page lists balance checks, SendMoney, airtime, data, SMS bundles, electricity, vouchers, and GoalSave actions through *120*543#. It also lists *130*543# for buying airtime when the user has no airtime. (GoTyme Bank) |
| African Bank | *120*225# | African Bank lists *120*225# for cellphone banking. Its payment-method page notes that Visa or MasterCard payment is not currently available on *120*225#, so users should not assume every payment type is supported through USSD. (africanbank.co.za) |
Browse by Provider, Bank, or Task
Bank-specific links
Most payment USSD journeys start with your bank because the money comes from your bank account. Use the bank’s official USSD code only from the cellphone number linked to your banking profile.
For bank payments, start with banking USSD codes South Africa. That guide is the better next page for bank-specific actions such as:
| Task | What to look for in the USSD menu |
|---|---|
| Pay a saved beneficiary | Payments, Pay, Beneficiaries, My beneficiaries, or Pay recipient |
| Pay a new person or account | Once-off payment, New beneficiary, Account payment, or PayShap |
| Send cash to a cellphone number | Send money, eWallet, Send Cash, Instant Money, CashSend, or MobiMoney |
| Buy prepaid electricity | Buy, Electricity, Prepaid, Meter number, or Quick Buy |
| Buy airtime or data | Buy, Airtime, Data, SMS bundles, Recharge, or Prepaid |
| Pay a bill | Bills, Pay@, EasyPay, Municipal accounts, DStv, traffic fines, or bank-defined billers |
| Check a payment result | Transaction history, voucher status, token history, resend token, or proof of payment |
Task-specific links
Use buy prepaid electricity USSD code if the payment is for an electricity token. This is the best page when the user needs help with meter numbers, missing tokens, duplicate attempts, wrong meter details, or an electricity purchase that appears to have failed.
Use banking USSD codes South Africa if the user wants to pay a person, send money, use PayShap, pay a beneficiary, buy prepaid products from a bank account, or check a bank-related USSD payment.
Use USSD codes South Africa if the user is not sure which category they need. Some searches for mobile payment codes are actually about airtime balance, data transfer, content-service cancellation, SIM services, or a network menu rather than a bank payment.
Provider-specific payment checks
Different providers use different menu labels. One menu may say “Pay”, another may say “Buy”, “Send Money”, “Payments and Transfers”, “Prepaid”, “Value-added services”, “Wallet”, “Voucher”, “PayShap”, “EasyPay”, or “Pay@”.
Do not approve a payment just because the menu opened. First check that the screen belongs to the correct bank or provider, the task matches what you intended to do, and the final confirmation details are correct.
How to Use These USSD Codes
- Start with the payment task. Decide whether you want to pay a person, pay a bill, buy electricity, buy airtime or data, send cash, use PayShap, or check a previous payment.
- Choose the bank or provider holding the money. If the money is in a bank account, use your bank’s cellphone banking USSD code. If the money is in a wallet, use the wallet’s official menu. If the money is airtime, use the mobile network’s own menu.
- Dial the code from the registered SIM. Banking USSD often depends on the cellphone number linked to your banking profile. Nedbank, for example, says Cellphone Banking is accessed through
*120*001#from your cellphone and works through USSD technology. (Nedbank) - Log in only on the official menu. Enter your cellphone banking PIN only after you have dialled the correct code yourself and the screen clearly matches your bank or provider.
- Choose the payment option. Look for the menu item that matches your task, such as Payments, Buy, Electricity, Airtime, Data, Send Money, PayShap, Bills, Vouchers, or Transfers.
- Enter the details carefully. For electricity, check every digit of the meter number. For send-money services, check the recipient’s cellphone number. For bank payments, check the account, branch code if needed, beneficiary name, and reference. For PayShap, check the ShapID and displayed recipient details.
- Review the confirmation screen. This is the most important step. Stop if the amount, fee, recipient, provider, account, meter number, or reference is wrong.
- Save the result. Keep the SMS, reference number, electricity token, voucher number, proof message, or transaction confirmation until you know the payment has worked.
- Check before retrying. If the USSD session times out after you entered your PIN or approved the transaction, check your bank balance, SMS alerts, transaction history, token history, or voucher status before trying again.
Costs, Safety, and Last-Verified Notes
USSD does not normally require mobile data or a smartphone. Standard Bank says its Cellphone Banking works on any cellphone with no smartphone or data needed, while Nedbank describes Cellphone Banking as working without data or app downloads. (Standard Bank)
Airtime rules are not the same for every bank. Absa says users do not need airtime to bank using Absa Cellphone Banking. Nedbank says its Cellphone Banking does not use data, but its FAQ says users need airtime available rather than minutes. Capitec lists a free *130*3279# option for prepaid top-up when the user is out of airtime. (Absa)
Do not assume a payment is free because the USSD menu opens. A bank may charge for the transaction, the payment type, the voucher, the send-money service, the bill payment, the electricity purchase, or the network session. Check the bank’s current pricing guide or the final confirmation screen before approving.
Limits can also differ by bank, account type, channel, product, and payment method. Standard Bank’s PayShap page lists PayShap limits for its own channel, while Nedbank’s PayShap FAQ lists its own PayShap limits and rules. This is why a directory page should point users to the correct bank or task page instead of promising one universal payment limit. (Standard Bank)
Never share your banking PIN, OTP, voucher PIN, or secret code with anyone who phones, messages, or WhatsApps you. SABRIC advises users not to read OTPs to anyone over the phone, regardless of who the caller says they are. SAPS also warns that if you receive an OTP without starting a transaction, you should not provide it to anyone and should contact your bank. (sabric.co.za)
Be extra careful if your phone suddenly loses signal, especially while you are trying to bank. SAPS advises users to check whether they may have been the victim of a SIM swap if they lose mobile connectivity unexpectedly. (saps.gov.za)
Last-verified notes for publishers
Before publishing or updating this page, recheck:
| Detail | Where to verify it |
|---|---|
| USSD code | Official bank, provider, or government page |
| Menu path | Official help page or live official USSD menu |
| Fee | Bank pricing guide, provider fee page, or final confirmation screen |
| Limit | Official product page, pricing guide, FAQ, or terms |
| Expiry period | Official voucher, token, wallet, or send-money terms |
| Failed transaction route | Official support page, help centre, or bank fraud/support channel |
| Reversal rules | Official bank or provider terms, not social media advice |
All 27 payment USSD code pages
Every page in this section, listed A to Z.
- Ackermans USSD Code
- Blu Voucher USSD Code
- DStv USSD Code
- DStv USSD Code For Payment
- DStv USSD Code To Clear Error
- Easy Load Airtime USSD Code
- EasyLoad Voucher USSD Code
- EasyPay USSD Code
- EasyPay USSD Code To Check Balance
- Edgars USSD Code
- Flash USSD Code
- Foneyam USSD Code
- Game USSD Code
- Jet USSD Code
- Kazang USSD Code
- Makro USSD Code
- Mama Money USSD Code
- Mukuru USSD Code
- Openview USSD Code
- OTT USSD Code
- Pep USSD Code
- RCS USSD Code
- Shoprite Send USSD Code
- TFG Airtime USSD Code
- USSD Code For 1 Voucher
- USSD Code For DStv Balance
- Woolworths USSD Code
Related USSD Guides
Use USSD codes South Africa for the broader directory of South African mobile, banking, airtime, data, and service codes.
Use banking USSD codes South Africa when the user’s payment starts from a bank account or cellphone banking profile.
Use buy prepaid electricity USSD code when the payment is specifically for a prepaid electricity token.
FAQs
How should users find the right page for payment USSD codes South Africa?
Start with the task. If you want to pay from a bank account, go to banking USSD codes South Africa. If you want to buy an electricity token, go to buy prepaid electricity USSD code. If you are not sure what type of code you need, start with USSD codes South Africa.
Are the listed codes official or verified?
The codes in this article were checked against official bank or provider sources on 26 June 2026. Because banks can change USSD menus, fees, and limits, you should still confirm the details on the provider’s official website, app, or USSD menu before publishing or approving a payment.
Do USSD codes work without mobile data?
Yes, USSD can work without mobile data, and several South African banks describe their cellphone banking services as usable without a smartphone or data. However, airtime and session rules vary. Some banks say airtime is not needed, while others say airtime must be available, so check the provider’s current wording before relying on the code. (Standard Bank)
What should users do if a listed code does not work?
Check that you dialled the exact code, used the SIM linked to your banking profile, have signal, and have airtime where required. If the session failed after you entered a PIN or approved a transaction, check your bank balance and transaction history before retrying. If money was deducted but the payment did not complete, save the SMS or reference number and contact the official bank or provider support channel.
Where should users go for provider-specific help?
For bank payment help, use banking USSD codes South Africa. For electricity-token issues, use buy prepaid electricity USSD code. For a wider list of codes and task pages, use USSD codes South Africa.