For millions of Nigerians all over the country, knowing how to recharge Airtel data or airtime, especially the quickest ways to actually do that, is an extremely valuable piece of information they crave for. We know this because Airtel is the third largest telecommunication company in Nigeria with several millions of subscribers who need to recharge every now and then to be able to stay connected with their family and friends.
There are different ways to recharge Airtel data or airtime in Nigeria. Of course, the processes one needs to follow to do this are very simple and only require just a bit of one’s time to achieve.
How Do I Recharge Airtel Airtime?
Like we have mentioned, there are different, easy ways to recharge Airtel airtime. Let us walk you through these different ways.
A. By Loading Recharge Card
This is the most well-known method and oldest way of recharging Airtel airtime. All you need is to buy a recharge card and use the code *126*PIN# to load it on your Airtel number. Below is the entire process explained better;
- Buy The Scratch Card
First, you need to buy an Airtel scratch card of your choice. You can find these cards at different shops around you. The cards are in different denominations for you to choose from depending on the amount of money you want to spend.
- Scratch Off The Panel
After buying the scratch card, just check the back and of the card and you will see a colored panel there. Gently scratch off this colored panel at the back of the card to reveal a sixteen-digit number.
- Type The Code
After you have scratched off the panel and have seen the sixteen-digit number, apply the *126*PIN# code to recharge. For instance, if the number at the back of your card is 1234567890123456, all you need to do is insert this number where the PIN is to look like this *126*1234567890123456# and then press the call button. Your airtime will be promptly loaded.
What Should I Do If I Mistakenly Overscratch a Recharge Card?
Sometimes, people make this mistake while scratching off the colored panel at the back of their scratch cards. They end up over scratching it and, in the process, wipe off a number or more thereby making it impossible to load the number.
If you have made this mistake, do not panic, it is possible for you to recover the number and use it to recharge your line. There are different ways to do this;
- Call Customer Care
If you have over scratched your card and have lost a number or more, just call the Airtel customer care by dialing 111 or 121. You can also call Airtel customer care even if you’re not using an Airtel number. All you need to do is dial 0802 150 0121. When your call is picked, make your complaint to them and ask to recover the lost number.
After you make your complaint, you will be asked to provide the serial number on the card you bought. Realize that when you buy a scratch card, the card comes with your PIN number as well as a serial number and batch number. So, when you are asked to provide your serial number, just check the card and call it out to the Airtel customer care agent. Provide any other information they ask and your lost PIN number will be sent to you.
- Reach Out On Social Media
This is another way to retrieve your lost PIN number. Airtel is on different social media platforms so you can reach out to them and make your complaint. Remember to keep your card’s serial number because you will be asked to provide it.
An example of how social media can be used to retrieve a lost PIN is provided below; an Airtel customer who over scratched his card, reached out to Airtel on Twitter and the telecom company promptly replied to him asking for his serial number.
@yembuktronics Hi, kindly provide the serial number of the card and the at least clearly seen 10 digits number from the recharge pin and…
— Airtel Nigeria (@AirtelNigeria) March 3, 2014
B. You Can Recharge Airtel Airtime By Using *444# Bank USSD Code
Airtel has now made it possible for customers to recharge airtime from their banks by using a simple code; *444#. You have to register for this service to be able to use it. First-timers who are about to use the service for the first time can register by doing the following;
- Simply dial *444# or *444*Amount# on your phone
- A list of banks will drop for you to choose from
- Select your bank
- You will be prompted to enter your bank account number. Kindly enter the number for a one time opt-in to use the service
- If successful, your bank account will be promptly debited and your phone number will be credited with the airtime you have requested for
After you have registered by using the steps above, you will not need to follow all those steps again when you use the service again. If you are already a registered user, all you need to do is dial the code *444# and a list of services will drop down for you to pick from. Just select the service you want to use and continue with the convenience recharge experience.
Please note that if you have more than one bank account and you want them all linked to the *444# code, you can do this by dialing the code and then selecting the “Add Bank Account” option. After doing this, just follow the instructions on the menu to add the bank account appropriately.
C. How To Recharge Airtime By Using Airtel App
This is another very easy way to recharge your Airtel line. Airtel has produced an app that can take care of the different needs of their customers including recharging their airtime.
Use the following steps to recharge your line with Airtel App;
- Download the Airtel app from Google Play Store (for Android users) or Apple Store (for iPhone users).
- Open the App and observe the features in it
- Click on ‘Recharge’. The option is there under ‘Quick Actions’.
- Enter your phone number which you want to recharge
- Enter the amount of airtime you want to recharge
- Select the payment method you wish to use and pay for the airtime and enter your email address
- Follow the instructions given based on the payment option you have chosen to complete your transaction
- Receive airtime on your Airtel line.
D. Recharge Airtime By Using Your Bank USSD Code
This is another very easy way to recharge your Airtel line. Your bank has a USSD code dedicated to helping you recharge your line without stress. All you need to do is find out the code and use it to recharge quickly.
There Are Requirements To Meet
You can’t just wake up and start using your bank’s USSD code to recharge your line. There are certain requirements you have to meet first.
- Some banks require that your account must be linked to a debit card to be eligible
- Your phone number must be profiled for SMS alert
Below are the USSD codes for different banks. Go through the list to check your bank’s USSD code and start using it.
- If you are using Diamond Bank, dial *302*amount# to start the recharge process
- If you’re using Access bank, dial *901* amount#
- For Stanbic IBTC, use the code *909*amount#
- If your bank is GTBank, dial the code *737*amount#
- For Eco Bank customers, dial *326*amount#
- If you use FirstBank, dial*894*amount#
- For Fidelity Bank users, use the code *770*amount#
- If you’re using FCMB, dial *389*214*amount#
- For Sky bank users, dial *389*076*1*amount#
- If you use Heritage bank, dial *322*030*amount#
- For Jaiz bank users, dial *389*301*amount# to recharge
- If you use Keystone Bank, dial the code *322*082*amount#
- For Sterling Bank users, use the code *822*amount#
- If you use UBA, dial *389*033*1*amount#
- For Zenith Bank, use the USSD code *966*amount#
- If you use Unity bank, dial the code *322*215*amount#
If by chance, your bank is not listed here, you can simply reach out to them and ask for the code to recharge your number.
What To Do If You Mistakenly Recharged Another Person’s Line Instead Of Your Own
Some people have made this mistake in the past and it is terrifying especially if the amount in question is large. For instance, if you want to recharge your Airtel line with N5000 and you mistakenly send the money to another number instead f your own, the situation will definitely hurt. However, there are ways you can remedy the situation.
There are actually two ways you can do this;
A. Call Customer Care
You have to call the Airtel customer care immediately you find out about the error by dialing 111 or 121. You can also call Airtel customer care even if you’re not using an Airtel number by dialing the number 0802 150 0121.
Once you finally reach customer care and your call is picked, proceed to make your complaint and ask for the money to be reverted back to you. However, this will not just happen except you do two things first.
1. Confirm The Ownership Of Your Number
Airtel will need to confirm that you are indeed the owner of the number you claim you are trying to recharge so as to thwart any fraudulent motive by dubious people. To do this, you will be asked to provide some information including
- Your full name
- Your date of birth
- Your last top-up
- Sometimes, even your ID number
2. Provide Details About The Transaction
After you have successfully proven that you are the owner of the number that you tried to recharge, you will be asked to provide some details about the transaction you are trying to correct. You will be asked to;
- Provide the wrong number which you mistakenly credited while trying to recharge your own
- Confirm the Intended number you originally wanted to credit before the mistake
- Provide your Bank account number
- Provide the date of the recharge
- Provide the transaction reference ID
Once you are able to do this, the reversal processes will begin and you will eventually get the money.
B. Reach Out On Social Media
This is yet another way to try and get your money back. If you feel like calling customer care is too tedious for you, you can simply reach out to Airtel on social media instead and they will attend to you. Airtel is present on various social media platforms including Instagram and Twitter.
However, take note that when you contact Airtel on social media, you will still be asked to provide the information talked about above. This is to effectively stop dubious people from assuming a false identity and steal other people’s money.
How To Recharge Airtel Data
There are different ways to recharge Airtel data. Just like it is with airtime, you can recharge data using different means. Let us walk through these different methods.
A. Recharge Data By Using The “141# Code
This is one of the most widely used methods to recharge Airtel data. It is the traditional method where you buy airtime and then use that airtime to buy data on your phone.
The process is simple. All you need to do is;
- Load up your phone with the airtime needed to buy the data you want
- Proceed to dial the code *141#
- A list of different data bundles will be displayed for you to select from
- When this happens, just select the bundle you prefer
- The data will be sent to your phone and your airtime will be taken to ay for the transaction
But there is another way; a shorter one. If you already know the shortcode, you can just request the data directly without having to go through the processes above. All you need to do in this case is;
- Load up your phone with the right amount of airtime needed to buy the data you want then
- Dial *141*Shortcode#. For instance, if you want to buy IGB data for a month, dial *141*1000#
- Once you do this, you will be credited with the data. Also, your airtime will be taken from your phone to pay for the data.
B. Recharge Data By Using The *444# USSD Code
Just like you can buy airtime with the USSD code *444#, you can also buy data with it. It is a simple and very convenient process. First-time customers will need to register first by dialing the code as we have discussed above.
*444# is the only code you need!
Dial *444# to buy airtime and data directly from your banks. pic.twitter.com/xP3dPMHsRC
— Airtel Nigeria (@AirtelNigeria) November 22, 2019
To buy data using the *444# code, follow the following steps;
- Dial *444# on your phone and a list of options will be shown on your screen
- Since you want to buy data, simply select ‘Buy Data’ from the list
- Select the data bundle you want to buy
- Your bank account will be debited and you will be credited with the data bundle you have bought
C. Buy Data By Using The Airtel App
You can also buy Airtel data by using the Airtel app. This is one of the very easy methods. All you need to do is follow the following processes;
- Download the Airtel app from Google Play Store (for Android users) or from Apple Store (for iPhone users)
- Open the app and observe the features
- Select ‘Buy Bundles’. The option is there under ‘Quick Actions’.
- Enter the number you want to recharge
- Select your preferred data bundle from the Daily, Weekly, or Monthly list of bundles that will be presented to you
- Select the payment method and follow the instructions to pay and complete the transaction
- Receive data on your phone
What Are The Procedures For Recharging An Airtel Mifi?
If you have an Airtel Mifi and you want to recharge it, take note that there are different ways you can do it. However, the steps to take are simple.
Recharge Using The Web
You can recharge your Airtel Mifi using the web. All you need to do is;
- Visit the Airtel Broadband page from your browser.
- Log in by inserting your mobile number and your password
- Select the desired bundle and activate Wifi plan.
Recharge Using USSD Code
You can also recharge your Airtel Mifi by using a USSD code designed for that purpose. All you need to do is;
- Dial *370# on your smartphone
- Select ‘Buy Mifi Plan’
- Select your desired data bundle from the list that will be shown to you
- Select ‘Activate with airtime’
- Receive your data
What Are The Available Plans for Mifi Users?
For Airtel Mifi users, there are various data plans that you can choose from. These different plans have been made available to cater to the various needs of customers who, apparently, do not all want the same thing.
Below are the available plans for Airtel Mifi users. They are divided into two parts;
1. Mifi Plans
Under the Mifi plans, you will find the following;
- 15GB Plan
This plan costs N5,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 25GB Plan
This plan costs N8,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 40GB Plan
This plan costs N10,000 and lasts for 3o days
- 75GB Plan
This plan costs N15,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 120GB Plan
This plan costs N20,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 200GB Plan
This plan costs N30,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 280GB Plan
This plan costs N36,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 400GB Plan
This plan costs N50,000 and lasts for 90 days
- 500GB Plan
This plan costs N60,000 and lasts for 120 days
- 1TB Plan
This plan costs N100,000 and lasts for 365 days
2. Ultra Plans
Airtel has also made available Ultra Plans for Mifi users. The Ultra Plans are listed below;
- 40GB Plan
This plan costs N10,000 and lasts for 30 days. It also comes with 250MB of extra data that last daily upon exhausting the main bundle
- 75GB Plan
This plan costs 15,000 and lasts 30 days. It also comes with 500MB of extra data that last daily upon exhausting the main bundle
- 120GB Plan
This plan costs N20,000 and lasts for 30 days. It also comes with 1GB of extra data that last daily upon exhausting the main bundle
How To Recharge An Airtel Router
For Airtel Router users, there are also different ways to recharge data. Below are those ways;
You Can Recharge By Using The Web
Airtel customers can recharge their Airtel Router using the web. All they need to do is;
- Visit the Airtel Broadband page
- Log in by inserting their mobile number and password
- Select the desired bundle and activate the Wifi plan
You Can Recharge By Using USSD Code
You can also recharge your Airtel Router by using the *370# USSD code. All you need to do is;
- Dial *370# on your smartphone
- Select ‘Buy Router/Mifi Plan’
- Select your desired Router data bundle from the list that will be shown to you
- Select ‘Activate with airtime’
- Receive your data
The List Of Available Router Bundles To Choose From
There are several data plans available for Airtel Router users. The data plans are divided into different sections;
1. Routers Plans
Under the Router plans, you will find the following;
- 15GB Plan
This plan costs N5,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 25GB Plan
This plan costs N8,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 40GB Plan
This plan costs N10,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 75GB Plan
This plan costs N15,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 120GB Plan
This plan costs N20,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 200GB Plan
This plan costs N30,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 280GB Plan
This plan costs N36,000 and lasts for 30 days
- 400GB Plan
This plan costs N50,000 and lasts for 90 days
- 500GB Plan
This plan costs N60,000 and lasts for 120 days
- 1TB Plan
This plan costs N100,000 and lasts for 365 days
2. Unlimited Ultra Plans
Under the Unlimited Ultra Plans, you will find the following;
- 30GB Plan
This plan costs N5,000 and lasts for 7 days. It comes with 1GB of extra data that kicks off daily upon exhausting the main bundle
- 130GB Plan
This plan costs N20,000 and lasts for 30 days. It comes with 3GB of extra data that kicks off daily upon exhausting the main bundle
- 210GB Plan
This plan costs N30,000 and lasts for 30 days. It comes with 3GB extra that kicks off daily upon exhausting the main bundle
- 550GB Plan
This plan costs N60,000 and lasts for 30 days. It also comes with 3GB extra that kicks off daily upon exhausting the main bundle
Ultra Plans
Under Ultra Plans, you will find the following;
- 40GB Plan
This plan costs N10,000 and lasts for 30 days. It comes with 250MB of extra data that kicks off daily upon exhausting the main bundle.
- 75GB Plan
This plan costs 15,000 and lasts for 30 days. It comes with 500MB extra that kicks off daily upon exhausting the main bundle
