M-PESA users have yet another reason to continue settling their bills and paying for services over their phones, following a move by Vodacom to reward them.

A statement issued by the company in Dar es Salaam said Vodacom customers will from today be rewarded 1,000 bonus airtime once they pay for services or buy goods through M-Pesa.

Vodacom M-Pesa has partnered with over 200 service providers who accept M-Pesa as a means of payment; such services include -Luku, TV Subscription, water services, taxes, insurance, Pension funds contributions, donations, loan repayments, airline tickets and newly acquired Shoppers supermarket which is the first supermarket in Tanzania that allows customers to pay via M-Pesa.

According to Vodacom Tanzania Managing Director, Rene Meza, the bonus is awarded on first transaction of the day per service one buys from. "If you buy Luku three times in a day, for instance, you will get Tsh1000 on the first transaction only. But if you buy Luku and DSTV you will get the bonus airtime for each of the transactions," says Meza.

The bonus airtime awarded can be used for on-net calling, national SMSes and internet. "We are proud of our customers and we are happy to reward them with this airtime bonus" said Meza.

Over the last four years, M-Pesa has become ingrained in the lives of many people, efforts to drive access to the product have grown steadily, and Vodacom has managed to build an agent network of over 35,000 outlets, effectively covering the country, and bringing the product closer to all customers.

Approximately 35bn/- is transacted daily through M-Pesa, a fact attributed to the service being safe and reliable and is available throughout the country.