Shop online with MTN MoMo/Bank card in Uganda (full guide)

There were times when I considered the Ugandan shilling useless in terms of purchasing foreign goods online because I was ignorant of the different options we had which had also been reenforced by the under developed technology used by our service providers.

Uganda has always experienced threats and actual cases of customer manipulation due to its low-level technological interface and the lack of a wide variety of goods to choose from. Consider an example where you are on a mission to buy a pocket drone from the Ugandan local stores. Trust me you are not going to buy the most efficient pocket drone even at a high price yet you could buy one online at $15(approx 55000 UGX) and at zero shipping cost because of Amazon's campaign to provide free shipping for goods less than $25.

Am not giving a lecture on savings so we better dive into the main two methods of online purchase that I know are accessible to almost all Ugandans.  Keep in mind that the methods of e-purchase  are explicit, but I can't give those that are more versatile in first world countries to Ugandans.

WAY #1: MTN MOMO

This is the best method for guys below eighteen because of their inability to have fully personal bank accounts. It also works for any other person as long as the circumstances allow. This is the easiest of the two because you just need your phone and a small balance in your momo account. 

Steps in configuring the momo purchasing

1. Register for a momo MasterCard

Mmi code

*165*6#

If you've ever heard about MasterCard then this will be a reinforcement of your knowledge When you register for a MasterCard, you can purchase directly using it just like the credit card that we'll discuss later, but because of rise in online fraud and the need for protection and guaranteed security as we make purchases, I recommend that you use PayPal which is at least the first in the online purchase field. 

This means that you'll be able to transact with almost all e-commerce websites because all of them use PayPal. 

2. Login to PayPal and navigate to the add card part. 

The fields are easy to fill. When you are done with the filling, click add card and you'll be able to use you mobile number for online purchase.

Points to note

-MTN deducts 1000 UGX for creating a card. Maximize on the card's expiry date inorder to get full use of your money. 

-PayPal deducts $1 dollar from your momo, but that one dollar is transferred to your PayPal so you lose nothing

-Am working on adding Airtel's procedure so if you're an Airtel guy, keep watch.

WAY #2: USING BANK CARDS

Banks provide their clients with mainly two financial cards: the credit card and debit card. Debit cards are mainly used for withdrawal (debiting you with cash) while the credit card is for  a loan(crediting yourself). In our daily lives, we are always around debit cards because anyone can get them unlike credit cards which require  your credit worthiness as a guarantee. 

This is the easiest method, but not the best for young adventurous kids.

Simply login to PayPal or create an account, navigate to connect your card, select card type and, boom you're done.

AUTHOR

                      

                      Emmy Jayson