Getting started on USSD

USSD Updated 17 Aug 2026 Version 1

Summary

Use your SACCO from any phone, with no internet and no app, by dialling a USSD code. About 2 minutes · 5 steps. Also called: shortcode, dial code, star-hash code, feature phone.

Prerequisites

  • Any mobile phone with the number your SACCO registered for you.
  • An active membership. Some services must be switched on by your SACCO first.

Step-by-step

  1. Open your phone's dialler and call the code for your network. There is no sign-in screen or password — the number you dial from is your sign-in. Kenya *384*25611# · Uganda, MTN *165*4*4# · Uganda, Airtel *185*7*3*3#.

    Three dial screens side by side: the code to dial in Kenya, on MTN Uganda and on Airtel Uganda
    Figure 1: Three dial screens side by side: the code to dial in Kenya, on MTN Uganda and on Airtel Uganda

  2. Read the menu that opens. It lists the shared services — Pay to Account, Pay to Reference Number, QuickLoan, Church Pay — then the SACCOs on this code.

    The USSD main menu on the phone, listing Pay to Account, Pay to Reference Number, QuickLoan, Church Pay and your SACCO
    Figure 2: The USSD main menu on the phone, listing Pay to Account, Pay to Reference Number, QuickLoan, Church Pay and your SACCO

  3. Reply with the number next to your SACCO (for example 5) and send. Your SACCO menu opens.

  4. Read the SACCO menu: 1. Saving, 2. Shares, 3. Loan, 4. Create / Reset PIN.

  5. The first time, reply 4 and set your PIN — see Set or reset your USSD PIN. After that, pick an option and answer the questions on screen.

Note: USSD closes a session on its own after a short pause. If you see "This session has expired", dial again and reply without long waits.

Warning: Never share your PIN, account details or confirmation messages. If you lose your phone or see a payment you did not make, tell your SACCO straight away.

The rest of this course: lesson 2 walks the SACCO menu and lesson 3 sets your PIN. Then the tasks: balances (4), saving (5), loans (6 and 7), paying to an account (8), QuickLoan (9).

Common pitfalls & FAQ

  • I don't see my SACCO in the list. USSD matches the number you dial from against your member record, so another number will not work. If yours changed, ask your SACCO to update it. A leading zero is fine — the system removes it.
  • Nothing happens when I dial. Check you typed the whole code, including the leading * and the trailing #, and that you have network signal.
  • Do I need airtime or data? No — USSD uses no data. Some payments carry a fee set by your SACCO; the total shows before you confirm, and you can cancel there.

Back to course: Banking by USSD