Understanding Safaricom Post Pay; Should you switch?

Safaricom recently unveiled a new Post Pay experience. This is a complete change in direction from the company’s old rules around Post Pay. It is now easier, faster, and hassle-free to join. All you need to do is dial stuff from the comfort of wherever you are, and you’re in. Compare that with the paperwork of the old times. The best part actually is that the bundles you can get on Post Pay don’t expire. Instead, they roll over each month, automatically.

I’ve switched to Post Pay. It means I’ll be paying a monthly fee at the beginning of each new month. It means I don’t have to stress myself each day with planning. All I need to know is I am on a plan, and the end of the month, I will have a bill to pay. And that for me, is easier living.

What is Post Pay?

Currently, you buy airtime then you use that Airtime to buy data, make calls, and to text. You’re therefore on Pre-pay. You’ve already paid for what you’re using.

On Post Pay, you only pay after use. So you use your SIM card for data, voice calls, and SMSs. Then at the beginning of a new month, you get an email from Safaricom with a bill of all you used. You then pay this bill like you would pay your rent, or pay for Kenya Power tokens, using a provided M-Pesa Pay Bill number.

That simple? Well, yes. But there are other simple things you need to understand down below.

How do I sign up for Post Pay?:

Signing up now is easy. All you need to do is dial *544#, or use the mySafaricom App. And choose the option for ‘Join Post Pay’. The process is very simple, and in less than a minute you’ll be on Post Pay. However, there are things people don’t understand. It was also challenging for me at first. Given, this is my first time trying out a Post Pay plan.

So here are a few things to understand before joining:

• Credit Limit: This is a way to tell Safaricom that you don’t want your Post Pay Bill at the beginning of the month to be over a certain amount. So for example, if you’re only comfortable with spending 1000 bob per month, you can set that as your limit. Safaricom already suggests a limit based on your use. My suggested limit was 1800, and that’s what I left it at. With the credit limit, you’re essentially getting a zero-interest “loan” from Safaricom to use for the month to buy bundles, and pay later.

• Post Pay Bundles: You may ask yourself, what are the bundles for? They’re special bundles for postpay users only. You can choose to buy them because they’re well-tailored for different people, or you can choose to just be on Post Pay while buying whatever other normal bundle suits you. Which means you can join Post Pay without a bundle, and use your credit limit to buy other things like Giga Bundles, Platinum bundles etc.

• When do I pay? A bill will arrive on your email at the beginning of every month detailing your spending, and how to pay. You’ll have between 3rd and 16th to settle your bill, and avoid being disconnected.

Post Pay Bundle options:

The Safaricom Post Pay bundles are pretty good deals for many people. This is especially if you already have a Fibre Home connection, meaning you only need data for when you’re outside the house. The included minutes can be used to make calls to all networks, and to the US, China, India, and Canada. The SMSs are also to all networks. Here are the bundles:

The KES. 1000 bundle is what many people will go with, I believe. It is a good way to see if the Post Pay life works for you. It is also a good way to limit spending in a month. For me, rather than constantly buying data bundles, and topping up airtime to make calls, with the 1000 bundle, I can survive the whole month with the data and minutes. If the data runs out, I still have that credit limit from which I can buy normal bundles. However, I cannot subscribe to a new post pay bundle once I’m on another. I’ll have to wait for another month cycle.

After signing up:

So you’ve gone through the process:

• You have either set your own credit limit or used what Safaricom suggested or even decided you’re rich enough to go without limits.
• You’ve chosen to either purchase a post-pay bundle from above, or you’ve decided to go without a bundle. You could even have decided to use your postpay credit to purchase a platinum bundle if that suits you.

You’ve confirmed everything and now you’re on Post Pay. So what happens next? Well, first you get welcome messages from Safaricom:

The SMSs will detail to you the process of everything that has just happened. For example, when Signing up, I chose to have my suggested KES. 1800 as the credit limit. From that credit limit, I chose to buy the KES. 1000 bundle that offers 5GB data, and 400mins to all networks. The SMSs welcome you to the Post Pay tariff, and detail all that.

So why do I get less bundles than what I selected on Post Pay?

If you look at the texts, I’ve selected 5GB, 400mins for 1000 bob. But I’ve been given 322 minutes, and 4GB data at KES. 806 bob instead. Why?

If you’ve ever rented a house, and the landlady/landlord was a good person, you know that you’re always only charged rent for the days of the month you’ve actually been there. So say your rent is KES. 30,000 and you moved in on 15th, you’ll only pay KES. 15,000 for that month, right?

Well, the same scenario is at play here. I signed up for Post Pay on 7th of March, and will only pay for the amount between now and beginning of April. Safaricom prorates the resources from each bundle option you buy. It may not be a welcome move for everyone, but it makes sense since, at the beginning of next month, I will get all my bundles, and if my current bundles aren’t used up, they will automatically roll over, no expiry!

You also get an email from Safaricom:

Make sure you input the correct email address when signing up. This email address should be easily accessible because this is where you’ll be getting detailed information from Safaricom. I’ve used the same email address where my M-Pesa statements are sent to. It makes life easier.

From the email sent by Safaricom, you get to know how to manage your new Post Pay SIM card. You see how to check for balance, usage, buy bundles, check bills and other things. These aren’t things that are necessary for everyone, I believe, but they’re important.

What changes after Switching to Post Pay?

Well, a lot. You’re now on a completely different platform. Your usage for the month is already set. Your life is waaaay simpler. So here are a couple of things that have changed:

1. Credit Limit is how you roll: This is the new way things roll. You no longer have Airtime balance. You have a credit limit. For example, from my KES. 1800 limit, I’ve used up KES. 806, as you’ve seen above. Which means I can still use up about KES. 994 before the month ends. With that remaining credit limit, I can buy other normal data bundles, or call bundles. I can increase or decrease my limits.
2. New Shortcodes: For example *144# no longer works. Almost everything you need to do on Post Pay is on *200#. That will be the main shortcode to use.
3. Forget about buying Airtime: You can no longer buy airtime. You don’t need it. If you try to buy airtime from M-Pesa it’ll fail. If you try to top up with a scratch card, it’ll fail.
4. Sambaza, Bonga Points, Data manager? Well, you can not Sambaza with Post Pay. But if you buy bundles, you will still get your Bonga Points. If you’ve activated data manager, it’ll still work.
5. The Priority of use: The bundle that expires will be what’s used up first. So for example, I already have the KES. 1000 bundle that doesn’t expire, but I want some 1GB file and I don’t want to use my bundle. I can purchase a Giga bundle with my limit, and that’s what will be prioritised over my other bundle.

What are the Advantages of Safaricom Post Pay?

For me, and I’ve already mentioned this, the main advantage is being able to have a controlled life. Instead of spending without a plan, each month I will know that at the beginning of the month I need to pay for rent, home internet, and for my Post Pay use. With the set limit, I have control over how much I can spend in a month so that I don’t get huge bills I cannot handle.

With the postpay bundles, I am happy that they don’t expire, so they will automatically roll over to the new month. I am happy that I can use them to make calls, and send texts to all networks. I am happy that I can also use the minutes to call China, India, Canada, and the US without incurring any extra charges.

Safaricom has promised that there will be new things added in the future, that will make Post Pay even better. These are:

1. Calls to more countries. I hope they include African countries. Please. Especially East African countries.
2. Device financing. This is the most exciting part for me. When this rolls out, one will be able to pick up a new phone from Safaricom and pay for it monthly under Post Pay. So for example, the new Galaxy S20 can cost you like 10k a month with minutes, data, and SMS. Then after a certain period, it is yours, or you can exchange it for a new model.

So should you switch to Post Pay?

Well, yes.

In the past, Post Pay has been seen as something for the business class. Now, it is actually just for anyone who wants a simple approach to things. Try a Post Pay bundle, and see if you’re comfortable with Safaricom’s offering. Perhaps even, try switching to Post Pay, and buy the normal bundles you always do and see if setting limits, helps you properly manage your life.

Note that if you’re on Blaze you need to unsubscribe, before switching to Post Pay. If you experience any issues unsubscribing, contact Safaricom and they will help you.

In the comment section below, share any issues or concerns you may have, and you will get answers.