Airtel MasterCard Uganda Restored: How to Get Airtel Money Virtual Card Uganda

February 2025—Airtel Uganda with no official announcement yet, has restored its Airtel Money Virtual MasterCard service after its temporary closure in May 2023.

Initially launched in January 2021, the service, now AirtelMoney Global Pay by MasterCard, had been unavailable for nearly four years, with Airtel previously responding to customer inquiries with, “… the service is unavailable, however, works are underway to have it resolved” but is now back online.

With its return, Airtel customers can once again use the virtual Airtel Money MasterCard for global online payments, subscriptions, and shopping on platforms that accept MasterCard.

How to Get an Airtel MasterCard in Uganda
You can now get your Airtel MasterCard Uganda through the updated My Airtel App (available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store).

Once installed, open the app and enter your PIN to select the “Airtel Money” section. Below your Airtel Money balance, you’ll find “View your AM Global Pay Card,” which is how you activate and use the Airtel Money MasterCard.

Once activated, you’ll receive a confirmation SMS—SUCCESS! Your new card *6**3 has been activated. Please access myAirtel App to view your card and top up to enjoy its benefits.

Comparing Airtel Money Global Pay MasterCard with MTN MoMo Virtual Pay MasterCard
Unlike Airtel Money’s virtual card, the MTN MoMo Virtual MasterCard can currently only be activated via USSD codes, with no clear option available on the MTN MoMo or MyMTN app.

Fees & Validity:

• MTN charges a 3% fee per transaction, while Airtel charges 5% per transaction.
• MTN has a UGX 1,000 issuance fee, whereas Airtel’s virtual card is free to activate.
• MTN’s virtual card is valid for 30 days, requiring renewal every month, while Airtel’s virtual card lasts for one year.

Refunds & Withdrawals:

• MTN does not allow refunds or withdrawals back to Mobile Money.
• Airtel allows users to transfer unused funds back to Airtel Money.

Since neither service provider has a clear refund policy, it is advisable not to transact large sums of money using these virtual cards to avoid potential losses.

One downside of the Airtel Global Pay by MasterCard is it’s 5% transaction fee compared to MTN’s 3%