3 Simple Ways To Replace A Safaricom Line Online

Have you lost your Safaricom card or simply need a new one and wondering how to renew it? This is the most comprehensive guide on how to replace a Safaricom line.

By the end of this guide, you should be able to comfortably replace your Safaricom line without any hassle. Note that you no longer need to visit an agent in order to get your card replaced.

You can now replace your Safaricom line on your own in the comfort of your home. There are different ways you can do this either on your own or with the help of Safaricom customer care.

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We will be shortly discussing the different ways you can replace your Safaricom line but first, we need to understand what exactly is Safaricom card replacement.

What is Safaricom Line Replacement?

This is simply the process in which you transfer all details from your old Safaricom card to a new one. These details include airtime balance, data bundle balance, and M-PESA balance.

It is not yet clear whether you can transfer your contacts from an old Safaricom line to a new one.

There are various reasons that might force you to replace your Safaricom line. These include:

• Lost SIM card
• Stolen SIM card
• Damaged SIM Card
• Upgrading to a 4G Network

What You Will Need To Replace Your Safaricom Line

To replace your Safaricom line, you will need the following:

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• A new SIM Card – This one goes for Ksh 50 (at the time of writing this)
• Your old Safaricom number
• Your old original PIN
• A previous active MPESA account
• Your ID number number

There are 3 simple ways to replace a Safaricom line. These are:

• Doing it yourself
• Using customer care
• Through online support

How to Replace A Safaricom Line on Your Own

Safaricom has made it very easy for customers to self-replace their SIM cards. There is no need to visit accredited Safaricom agents or their care centers.

To replace a Safaricom line on your own, follow the following steps:

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• Buy a new replacement SIM card from the nearest Safaricom dealer.
• Insert the new SIM card into your phone
• Dial *180*1* followed by your phone number, followed by the PIN you used on your old SIM card, followed by your IMSI, then #. Remember to put a star after each of the entries That is *180*1*Phone Number*Original PIN*IMSI#. The IMSI is the serial number found at the bottom of your new SIM card beneath the bar code. This is usually a 20-digit serial number. For example, if your phone number is 0722 002100 and your original PIN is 1234, with the serial number being xxxxxx…You should dial *180*1* 0722 002100*1234* xxxxxx # and then press the call function.
• Note that swapping a Safaricom line on your own takes some time and you may need to be patient.

If you ask a Safaricom M-PESA agent to do the replacement for you, they will use the same procedure outlined above.

If you need your line to start functioning immediately, you will have to use Safaricom customer care to help you swap your Safaricom line.

How to Swap Your Safaricom Line Using Customer Care

If you find the process of replacing a Safaricom line on your own tedious or complicated, feel free to contact their customer support and they will gladly do it for you.

This will also ensure that your new Safaricom card starts functioning immediately.

To renew your Safaricom line through customer care. follow the procedure below:

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• Buy a replacement Safaricom card
• Call Safaricom customer care on 100 or 234. Call using a different number. You don’t have to insert the new card into your phone until after the replacement is complete.
• You will be asked a series of questions that are mostly supposed to prove whether you are the owner of the Safaricom line to be replaced or not. If you used somebody’s ID to register, this is going to be a problem. For example, if you are a man and you registered with a lady’s ID the customer care may ask to speak specifically to the owner of the ID number registered with the SIM card you intend to swap.
• To prove your identity, you will be required to provide information regarding your old Safaricom card such as your full name and ID number, the last top-up amount, M-PESA balance, and the most recent MPESA transaction.
• You will also be required to provide your phone number (for the card to be replaced), your previous original PIN, and your serial number.
• If the process is successful, which is to say you are able to prove your identity, your new Safaricom line should be able to start functioning immediately. This is unlike when you self-replace your Safaricom line and may have to wait for some time before it is active.

How to Replace A Safaricom Line Online

The last option is to swap your Safaricom line online. This does not mean that there is a dedicated platform where you can go and complete the process on your own.

Replacing a Safaricom line online simply means reaching customer care via social media, mainly Twitter. You can also use Facebook but from experience, you will receive a faster response on Twitter.

To swap your Safaricom line online, log into your Twitter account and search for Safaricom Care. Their Twitter handle is @Safaricom_Care. Follow this account then send them a direct message asking that you would like to have your Safaricom line replaced.

A customer care personnel will get back to you to initiate the process. Most likely, they will ask for your phone number then one of the customer care assistants will call you and ask for the details we already discussed above.

How to Replace A Safaricom Line Without Original PIN

This is a scenario that a lot of people looking to replace their Safaricom lines find themselves in. Let’s say you want to swap your Safaricom card but you’ve totally forgotten your original PIN. What do you do?

In this case, it will still be possible to replace the line but you’ll need to prove your identity and ownership by providing the information we already discussed above.

To replace your Safaricom line without a PIN, follow the procedure outlined below:

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• Buy a replacement card at Ksh 50
• Write your phone number and the serial number on the card down
• Call customer care on 100 or 234. Remember that you have to be the owner of the ID registered with the number in order to speak with customer support. If you are not, you will have to find the ID owner. If you don’t have another Safaricom line for calling customer care, you can borrow or use other networks such as Telkom or Airtel. If you use other networks, you will have to call 722 002100 instead of 100/234. Normal call rates will apply in this case.
• Let the customer care assistant know that you want to replace your Safaricom line but don’t remember your original ID.
• You will be asked a series of questions to confirm your identity and line ownership.
• If you successfully confirm your identity and ownership, you will be asked to provide the serial number on your new SIM card. This is a 20-digit number beneath the bar code.
• After the call, insert the new card into your phone and restart the phone. Wait for the network to update then you will be good to go.

How to Activate M-PESA on Your New Safaricom Line

Replacing a Safaricom line is only half the work. You still need to activate M-PESA before you can start using it. After renewing the line, M-PESA is not automatically activated and you will need to do it manually.

First of all, confirm that the new SIM is using your old number by calling using another number on a different phone.

To activate M-PESA on your new Safaricom line, follow these simple steps.

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• Open the SIM Toolkit on your phone
• Select ‘Activate’ or ‘Wezesha‘ depending on the language you are using.
• Enter the start key. This is the M-PESA PIN you were using on your old line.
• Enter the new PIN and then confirm it. You can keep using your old PIN by entering it here.
• Enter the ID number of date of birth. In the case of the DOB, use the format DDMMYYYY. That is the date, month, and year. For example, if you were born on April 3rd, 1992 enter 03041992.

Your M-PESA account will be active again after a few minutes. In the meantime, you will receive a text with your M-PESA balance and secret word.

Conclusion

Replacing a lost Safaricom card is not rocket science. You can easily do the job yourself or enlist the help of a customer care assistant.

Keenly follow the above methods to understand how to swap your Safaricom line without any hassle.