Documentation

Mobile money deposits

Mobile money deposits allow clients to transfer money into their savings accounts using mobile money services. This feature uses the mobile money request-to-pay API, where a payment request is sent to the client's mobile phone.

Important Note

Mobile money deposits cannot be initiated from the Symba Payments portal. They are initiated through the USSD application that clients use directly (not yet available).

How it works

Mobile money deposits use a Provider-First approach for incoming money:

  1. A payment request is sent to the mobile money provider
  2. The client approves the payment on their phone
  3. The provider confirms payment was received
  4. ONLY THEN is the deposit recorded in Microbanking and credited to the savings account

This approach ensures that money is received BEFORE it's recorded in the account, preventing crediting money that was never actually received.

Transaction flow:

  • A deposit record is created with 'pending' status
  • The mobile money provider sends a payment request to the client's phone
  • When the client approves the payment on their phone, the mobile money provider notifies the system
  • The deposit is automatically processed and the funds are credited to the savings account
  • The deposit status changes to 'succeeded'

When deposits get stuck

A mobile money deposit becomes "stuck" when the payment provider's response is ambiguous. This can happen in these situations:

  • Payment request timeout - The request timed out before the client responded
  • Provider server error - The provider returned an error with unclear payment status
  • Recording failed - Payment was confirmed received but failed to record in Microbanking (CRITICAL)
  • Unknown error - An unexpected error occurred

If a deposit gets stuck, it must be manually resolved by verifying whether the payment was actually received and choosing the appropriate action.

Portal functionality

In the Symba Payments portal, you can:

  • Monitor all deposits, including mobile money deposits initiated externally
  • Cancel pending mobile money deposits if needed
  • Refresh status to get the latest status from the mobile money provider
  • Resolve stuck deposits when the payment status is unclear

To access these features:

  • Log in to Symba Payments with a user who is authorized to view deposits.
  • In Symba Payments, click the 'Deposit' menu item in the sidebar.
  • The 'Recent deposits' section will show all deposits, including those initiated through external channels.

To initiate deposits directly from the portal, use cash deposits instead.

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