Have you run out of airtime and need to make a call? Safaricom gives you some options such as the advance airtime (okoa jahazi) or redeeming your Bonga Points for minutes or airtime. Still, these two solutions may not be ideal for you, in which case you may opt to be called instead.
To do that you can use Safaricom’s flashback service popularly known as Please Call Me. This service sends an SMS to somebody requesting them to call you back. The service is free of charge and is available to both prepaid and postpaid Safaricom subscribers. Similar services are also available on both Airtel and Telkom Kenya.
Sending the Flashback
To send a flashback on Safaricom do the following:
- Go to your phone and dial *130* followed by the Safaricom number of the person you wish to call you then close the code with a #. i.e. *130*0722123456#.
- The person will soon after this receive an SMS with the message: Please call me thank you.
Please Call Me Conditions
As useful as this service is, it comes with the following conditions that are worth noting:
- The flashbacks cannot be sent to numbers on other local networks or international numbers.
- You are given a daily limit of 5 free flashbacks. Once you’ve exhausted the free flashbacks, you are given another 5 flashbacks that are charged at 50 cents each.
You Attempted to Call Me
Flashbacks are only useful as long as the person they’re intended for are reachable. Otherwise you’ll have to wait until they are back on the network for them to receive the SMS request.
So rather than sending this request to such a person, Safaricom will likely take care of this request for you as long as they have the ‘you attempted to call me’ service activated, and you’re not in their blacklist.
This service sends them an SMS automatically the moment they are back on the network telling them you had tried calling them. Think of it as a free automated please call me. for when your recipient is not reachable.
