How to Reverse an M-Pesa Transaction

• The request comes from the sender or recipient.

• It is made within 24 hours of the transaction.

• The recipient has enough balance for a full or partial reversal.

• The recipient’s number is not blacklisted from reversals.

• A maximum of 3 reversal attempts is allowed per transaction.

On the older terms page, Safaricom also notes that after you request via 456 you should watch for messages from the header “Reversal”, with an update expected within about 2 hours.

Transactions supported via 456 include P2P reversals (Safaricom to Safaricom) and airtime reversals for airtime you bought for yourself.

If you are the recipient

Safaricom may ask you to confirm or cancel a reversal. If you cancelled by mistake, forward the follow-up message back to 456 to continue the process, as shown in Safaricom’s DIY guide.

Reverse from the M-PESA app

Safaricom’s M-PESA Reversal terms say you can reverse from the M-PESA app when:

• You made the transaction yourself.

• You completed it using the M-PESA app (historical transfers done elsewhere cannot be raised from the app).

• The transfer has just been concluded.

1. After the transfer, tap Reverse transaction on the M-PESA app.

2. Choose a reason (for example wrong amount, wrong recipient, or other).

3. Submit the request and watch for notifications from “Reversal”.

Safaricom says you may get a short confirmation within about 2 minutes, then a message that the reversal has started, with a further update expected within about 2 hours while they engage the other party.

Reverse from the mySafaricom app

The same terms apply for mySafaricom: the transfer must be yours and must have been done in that app.