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USSD that works on every phone

USSD is the menu that appears when you dial a code such as *123# on your phone. It needs no internet, no app and no smartphone, which is why banks, SACCOs, insurers and utilities across East Africa rely on it. We design and build USSD services and connect them to the systems behind your business.

Ask about USSD

Why it matters

For many customers USSD is the only channel that always works. A feature phone in a village with one bar of signal can still check a balance, pay a bill or apply for a loan. If your customers are everywhere, your service has to work on every phone.

A good USSD service is short. Sessions end after a time limit set by the network, and every extra menu loses people. We design the menus so that the common tasks take the fewest steps.

What we do

Menu design
We plan every screen and every choice so that customers finish what they came to do before the session ends.
Your USSD code
We guide you through getting a dedicated or shared code and deal with the mobile networks on your behalf.
Connection to your systems
The menu reads and writes real data in your core banking, ERP or billing system.
Mobile money payments
Customers pay from the menu and the payment is confirmed against the right account.
Session records
See how many people dialled, which options they chose and where they gave up.
Testing on every network
We test on each mobile network before launch, on basic phones as well as smartphones.

How it goes

  1. We list the tasks

    We agree with you what customers need to do through the code and in what order of importance.

  2. We design the menus

    You read through every screen on paper before anything is built, and we cut the steps that are not needed.

  3. We build and connect

    We build the service and connect it to your systems and to the mobile networks.

  4. We test and go live

    We test on each network, launch, and watch the first days of real use.

Questions we are asked

What is USSD?

USSD stands for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data. It lets a phone exchange short text menus with a service over the mobile network by dialling a code that starts with a star and ends with a hash, without using the internet.

Do customers need internet or a smartphone to use USSD?

No. USSD works on any mobile phone, including the most basic ones, and uses the mobile network itself, not mobile data. That is why it reaches customers that apps and websites cannot.

How do we get a USSD code in Kenya?

USSD codes are provided through the mobile networks. A dedicated code belongs to you alone, while a shared code gives you an extension on an existing one and is quicker and cheaper to obtain. We advise which suits you and handle the application.

What can a USSD service be used for?

Common uses are checking balances, paying bills, applying for and repaying loans, buying airtime, registering for a service and answering surveys. Anything that can be done through short menus and number choices suits USSD well.

Who pays for the USSD session, the customer or the business?

Either. A code can be set up so that the customer is charged a small amount for each session, or so that your business covers the cost and customers dial free of charge. We explain what each choice costs before you decide.

Other services

Tell us what you need

Say what your business does and what you want this to do for it. We will reply with questions, then a written quote.

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