A few megabytes can sometimes stand between a customer and a completed transaction. A data bundle running out at the wrong moment can mean postponing a payment, checking a balance later or searching for Wi-Fi before accessing an essential service.
Safaricom is seeking to remove that small but familiar frustration through My OneApp, its unified digital platform that brings together M-PESA, mobile connectivity and other services without consuming customers’ data bundles once the app is connected.
The company says the app is zero-rated, meaning customers need an active internet connection to launch and connect to the service, but once connected, using My OneApp does not deduct from their mobile data balance.
That distinction could be particularly useful for customers managing their finances, buying airtime, checking balances or accessing other services when their data bundle is running low.
“My OneApp doesn’t use your data. You’ll still need to have mobile data or Wi-Fi on for the app to work, but once connected, you won’t be charged for using it,” Safaricom says in its official communication.
The move comes as Safaricom continues to shift customers from separate digital experiences into one platform. My OneApp combines the former M-PESA App and mySafaricom app, creating a single destination for services that customers previously accessed through different applications.
From one interface, customers can send and receive money, pay bills, purchase airtime and data bundles, check balances and statements, manage home fibre services, access Bonga points and explore financial products such as M-Shwari and Ziidi.
For a small business owner, the convenience can extend to managing payments through Pochi Wallet. For a household, the app can help with connectivity and fibre management. For an individual customer, it can become a daily financial and communications hub.
Safaricom has also added features designed to make the experience more personalised. AI-driven recommendations can learn from customer behaviour and suggest relevant services, such as a bundle when data usage is running low, while customers retain control over the information they share.
The latest updates introduce an easier-to-navigate mini-apps view, Secure Internet management for Home Fibre, roaming activation and bundle purchases, as well as multiple payment options on one screen, including M-PESA, Bonga and ShirikiPay.
Customers can also set up Ratiba standing orders more quickly, adding another layer of convenience for recurring payments.
Security remains central to the platform.
Safaricom links access to a customer’s physical SIM card, requiring the Safaricom line to be set as the primary data line during first-time activation. Mobile data, rather than Wi-Fi, may also be required during the initial authentication process.
After successful authentication, customers can use the app without consuming their data bundles. If the SIM is removed from the device, re-authentication may be required.
The app also includes CARE tools such as statements, PUK retrieval, security controls, fraud reporting and line management, alongside Zuri AI support.
Other capabilities include Scan-to-Pay, AI Pay, chat, NFC tap-to-pay and mini-apps offering access to third-party services in areas such as investment, credit, transport and entertainment.
Safaricom says My OneApp was developed following extensive customer feedback, surveys and testing, with about 150,000 customers participating in its beta programme.
The app is available to eligible Safaricom customers using compatible Android, iOS or Huawei smartphones, with 4G and above supported. Customers can download or update My OneApp through their respective app stores and complete the required authentication.
As digital services increasingly become part of everyday life, Safaricom’s zero-rating of My OneApp could make a practical difference: keeping essential financial and connectivity services accessible even when a customer’s data balance is close to zero.
For the customer staring at a nearly exhausted data bundle, that may be more than a technical upgrade. It could mean one less barrier between them and the transaction they need to complete.