M-PESA Go is a specialized mobile money features service by Safaricom that allows parents to be in charge of monitoring the finances of their minors before attaining the age of 18.
The feature allows parents to sign up their children between the ages of 12 and 17 to access and use the mobile money feature.
“Sign up your 12-17 year old for MPESA GO, a youth-focused MPESA App,” part of the instruction on the signing up to use the feature reads.
According to Safaricom, the feature provides a supervised framework that allows young adults to make smart financial decisions.
Unlike the earlier version of MPESA, which required users to present a National Identification Card (ID), thereby preventing minors from having their own accounts, the M-Pesa GO allows a mobile line to be linked the a child’s birth certificate while remaining under the parent’s legal ownership.
In addition, the service allows children to send and receive money and to use Lipa Na M-PESA services, such as Paybill and Till, within a controlled framework.
However, Safaricom has implemented limitations to ensure teenagers’ safety while using the feature, including a strict block on all betting and gambling services.
Any attempt to place stakes or send money to a betting Paybill will result in an immediate transaction failure.
Further, the account is entirely prepaid, ensuring that the registered minors have no access to digital loan facilities such as Fuliza, M-Shwari, or KCB M-PESA.
Safaricom has also ensured that there can be no cash withdrawals at agents the account limits minors to digital merchant payments.
Also Read: M-PESA Guide on How to Join Shiriki Pay, Add Users, and Register a Beneficiary
How to Sign Up for M-PESA GO
Parents looking to onboard their children can register up to four M-PESA Go accounts under their primary profile.
Signing up can be done by visiting the official Safaricom website. Parents will be required to enter their own ID and phone number to receive an OTP, and then upload a clear photo or PDF of the child’s Birth Certificate.
Alternatively, the signing up can be done through the M-PESA Super App, where, through the “Services” tab, parents can access the M-PESA Go Mini-App, select “Add a Minor,” and use their phone’s camera to capture the birth certificate directly.
Parents who would like to register their minors in person can also visit any Safaricom Shop to complete the process.
Physical registration will also require the parent to provide their National ID or passport along with the child’s original birth certificate.
If parents choose an existing mobile line previously registered in their own name for the child’s use, all pending loans on M-Shwari or KCB must be cleared, and the parent must opt out of services like Fuliza and Pochi la Biashara.
Additionally, all existing savings on that line must be withdrawn before the conversion to a “Go” account can be finalized.
By dialing *334# or using the Super App, parents act as controllers for their child’s financial life.
Parents can set specific spending limits for daily, weekly, or monthly allowances to ensure a child’s allowance lasts a specific duration, as well as toggle services on or off.
Also Read: Safaricom Explains Why M-Pesa Transaction Fees Are Not Reversed
Difference between M-PESA Go and Shiriki Pay
While both features offer controlled spending, unlike the shiriki pay, the MPESA GO is mainly used for minors.
The minors have their own separate wallet balance, PIN, and dedicated app, unlike Shiriki Pay, where the user spends directly from the parent’s or employer’s wallet.
However, when a minor under the feature turns the legal age to obtain an ID, the account is transitioned to a standard M-PESA line through a Transfer of Responsibility at a Safaricom Shop.
Transitioning to a standard M-PESA line gives the user full control over their accounts and spending.
