What is Telebirr in Ethiopia
Telebirr is a mobile money service which operates in Ethiopia and was recently launched on the 11th of May 2021. Telebirr was launched by Ethio telecom, which is the owner of this service. Ethio telecom is a government owned telecommunication company which serves as the major internet and telephone service provider in Ethiopia. According to a survey done by the World Bank, Ethiopia ranks among the lowest countries in the world in terms of the use of digital financial services, but that may soon change as it has now launched this great service which will surely unlock doors for a lot of businesses in Ethiopia. You can also find out more by going to Ethio Telebirr.

The introduction of Telebirr has been warmly received in Ethiopia because now Ethio telecom customers can perform several transactions including making payments, transferring money and also making mobile remittance. To prove how well Telibirr has been received in Ethiopia, more than 1 million cellphone subscribers in Ethiopia registered for the Teli birr mobile money service less than a week after its launch.
What makes Telebirr great is the is its convenience, because you can do virtually everything on your mobile phone and the system is less risky than moving around with cash. Telebirr has a very useful App which allows you to make payments at shops using QR codes, you can also purchase goods and services online or even withdraw physical cash at agents across Ethiopia.

There is quite a number of reasons why you should use the Telibirr service but the bottom line is that it will make life extremely easy for you. The reasons why you should use this service are that it is accessible, fast, reliable, convenient, multipurpose and very easy. You do not need to be a tech guy to use this service, anyone can easily make use of the Telibirr service.

How to register or sign up for Telibirr

Before we go any further, it is important to realise that you can only use Telibirr if you are a an Ethio Telecom mobile subscriber, and you can register using any of the two methods below:
Full-fledged registration
You can visit the nearest authorized telebirr retail agent or any Ethio Telecom shop with your Ethio Telecom active mobile number or an identity card.
Self-registration
To do self-registration, you must:
Dial 127# and following the instructions OR Download the Telibirr application from Google Play Store /App Store and register. You can register by entering full KYC or by using the information provided by ethio telecom (Quick registration) if your profile match with the profile your Mobile service number in our system. In order to finalize the full KYC registration, you can also visit nearby Telebirr agent or Ethio Telecom point of sales. Please note that customers registering via the Telebirr App may upload their identity card and recent photo to be fully registered on the system. What can you do with Telibirr? There is quite a lot you can do with the Telibirr service, in fact you can actually think of Telebirr as ‘a bank in your phone’ because you can perfom various tasks which include; Deposit and Withdraw Cash Send and receive money. Buy Air time and mobile packages. Pay for tickets (like unity park) Participate in Fund raising: like donating money for Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. pay for goods/services in different shops/locations Receive payments from customers. Who can use it and who can you pay? As mentioned earlier, any Ethio Telecom mobile subscriber can use the Telibirr service and it is important to note that you can make the following payments; You can pay your Ethio telecom bill or purchase tickets. You can scan and pay for the goods you purchased and services. You can easily pay employee salaries and other bulk payments. You can donate for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. How much does it cost? Telibirr offers both free and paid services and it is important to note that the fees depend on the type of transaction you want to make. Below is the information on the fees for various transactions; Free services Registration ( self and Via agent) Deposit/Cash-in Receive domestic money (P2P, Bulk transfer) Receive International Remittance Change phone number PIN Change Balance Query/Mini statement Block account Unblock account Language change Close account Airtime Purchase Bill Payment Receive SMS notification Accessing the service via USSD, App and Web Linked to Bank account transfer to and from telebirr account Account closure (Life cycle or customer request) Paid Services (Deposit and Withdrawal Ranges and Tariff) Min. tansaction (Br.) | Max. transaction | Person to Person Transfer | Over-the-counter Transfer | Withdraw (Br.) amount (Br.) amount (Br.) (Registered Initiator) (Unregistered initiator) 1 50 Free Free Free
51 100 1 2 2
101 300 2 4 4
301 500 4 7 6
501 1000 5 10 8
1001 3000 7 14 10
3001 5000 9 18 12
5001 8000 12 22 15

How to top up your Telibirr account

With Telebirr, you can exchange your cash with equivalent electronic money in a process called cash in, and once you make a cash in, you can make various transactions using the funds in your Telebirr account. Depositing funds into your Telibirr account is quite easy and there is a total of two ways for you to make the deposit. To make a deposit, you must follow either of the two options below;
1
Visit any authorized telebirr agent, or an Ethio telecom point of sales and make a deposit. When you give the agent your money, he will transfer equivalent e-money into your telebirr account. Please note that you will immediately receive a notification for the transaction.
2
You can make make a bank transfer from your linked bank account, that is if you have a linked bank account. To make a deposit, you must open your bank account app or USSD and choose to transfer to Telebirr, you then need to enter your mobile number and the amount you wish to deposit. Complete the process by inputing your bank PIN.

How to withdraw from your Telibirr account?

Withdrawing funds from your Telibirr account is very easy, in fact, this is an ideal option if you want to withdraw e-money. The Telebirr platform enables you to make cash withdraws from their telebirr account from anywhere they may be as long as there is a nearby authorized Telebirr agent or Ethio telecom shop. If you’re a non-telebirr user you will receive a voucher PIN via SMS and you can take the PIN to a nearby telebirr agent or Ethio telecom’s shop to withdraw your money anytime.