Safaricom is ramping up its campaign to get customers onto My OneApp, and this time, it’s using one of the strongest incentives we’ve seen in a while.

Earlier today, I received a push notification through the old MySafaricom app inviting me to install My OneApp with the promise of sending money for free. That’s a notable offer coming from Safaricom, considering the telco rarely waives M-PESA Send Money charges as part of promotional campaigns.

The notification reads:

"Welcome to My OneApp! Send Money for FREE! Install the new My OneApp from Safaricom."

Safaricom says users who install My OneApp will have the first Send Money transaction charge of the day refunded, making that first transfer effectively free. However, there is an important catch.

According to the fine print in the promotional banner, the offer is only available to users signing into My OneApp for the first time. In addition, the refund is awarded on the first Send Money transaction completed within 24 hours of the initial sign-in. In other words, existing My OneApp users won’t benefit from the promotion.

Another nudge away from MySafaricom app

This isn’t the first time we’ve reported about Safaricom encouraging customers to leave the old app behind. Last month, we highlighted how the company had started displaying in-app prompts asking MySafaricom users to switch to My OneApp instead. At the time, it looked like an early migration strategy rather than an outright replacement.

This latest campaign takes things a step further. Instead of simply telling users to download the new app, Safaricom is now attaching a tangible financial incentive to the move. Given how valuable M-PESA is to millions of Kenyans, offering even a single free Send Money transaction is likely to catch the attention of many users who have been reluctant to switch.

The signs are becoming harder to ignore

I still have the old MySafaricom app installed, although I rarely use it these days. Receiving this notification through the legacy app felt familiar because it’s almost identical to the migration prompts I saw last month. These campaigns suggest Safaricom is determined to move as many customers as possible onto My OneApp.

For now, if you’ve been thinking about trying My OneApp and haven’t signed in before, this promotion gives you a small incentive to do so. Just remember that the free Send Money benefit applies only to your first eligible transaction within 24 hours of signing in, after which standard M-PESA charges continue to apply.