USSD solutions and USSD payments in Nigeria
Reach every phone, with or without data.
Smartphones are not everywhere and data is not free. USSD reaches every mobile subscriber in Nigeria. We design the menus, build the session logic and connect it to your backend, so customers can pay, check and respond from any phone.
What you get
USSD Solutions, built for Nigerian organisations.
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Payments & collections
Let customers pay fees, bills and dues by dialling a short code, confirmed back to your system in real time.
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Self-service
Balance checks, result checks, registrations and status lookups without a call centre.
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Surveys & promotions
Run polls, sign-ups and campaigns that reach feature-phone users too.
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Session design
Short, forgiving menus designed around USSD session limits and real user behaviour.
- Works on every handset
- No data required
- Real-time backend callbacks
- Built for session timeouts
Why USSD still matters
Millions of Nigerians use basic phones, and many smartphone users ration their data. USSD works on every handset on every network with no app and no internet connection, which makes it the most inclusive digital channel available. For payments, balance enquiries and quick responses, it is often the only channel that reaches everyone.
The catch is that USSD sessions are short and screens are tiny. Good USSD services are designed around that: short menus, sensible defaults, and a backend that responds fast enough that the session never times out.
How it works
From first call to live, in 4 steps.
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Design the menus
We map each journey into the fewest possible screens.
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Build the service
Session handling, validation and connections to your backend.
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Connect the code
We work with you and your aggregator to route the short code to the service.
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Launch & measure
Monitor sessions and completion, then refine the menus.
FAQ
Questions about ussd solutions
What can a USSD service do?
Common uses are payments and collections, balance and status checks, result checks, registrations, surveys and promotions.
Do customers need internet to use USSD?
No. USSD works on any mobile phone without data or an app.
Can school fees be paid by USSD?
Yes. A USSD menu can let parents pay fees from any phone, with the payment confirmed back to the school's system in real time.
Do you provide the short code?
Short codes are provisioned through licensed aggregators and networks. We build the service and work with you and your aggregator to connect it.
Insights
Further reading
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USSD
USSD for business in Nigeria: when to use it and how to design it well
Why USSD reaches customers apps can't, what Nigerian businesses and schools use it for, and the design rules that make USSD payments work.
Also from MWare
Our other solutions
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