How to withdraw from MTN Mobile Money without Ghana Card
With the introduction of friction by way of presentation of ID Cards before MoMo transactions – withdrawals are especially affected, a lot of individuals have asked whether there are any workarounds for this.
Especially now that the only ID card you can use to withdraw is the Ghana Card, you’ll need a workaround to withdraw your money if you don’t have the card.
As with any change that heavily relies on human adherence rather than the tech side of things, hacks are possible.
Today, I would like to talk about some ways that you can technically withdraw your MTN Mobile Money from your wallet if you don’t have a valid ID Card.
Yes, there could be situations when you don’t have an ID Card at all for transactions, like me, when I misplaced my National Passport and my Ghana Card was not yet ready.
First of all, it is important that the new presentation of ID cards directive has been put in place by MTN Ghana, in what they claim as a good way to fight the prevalence of MTN Mobile Money Fraud. Therefore, it is in your best interest to adhere to them.
Again, this article is not to rubbish the efforts of MTN Ghana, but to lend a helping hand to those who might need it.
Now, let’s look at how you can withdraw your cash via MTN Mobile Money if you have no valid ID Card.
Withdraw your MoMo at an ATM
Not a lot of people know that you can actually withdraw your Mobile Money at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) here in Ghana once it supports cardless transactions and MTN MoMo.
Some years back, only a few ATMs supported the feature. However, now, a lot more ATMs will allow you to withdraw your money in just a few steps.
You simply need to generate a token from your Mobile Money account and use it for the withdrawal. Be sure to withdraw in multiples of GHS 10 since some ATMs are unable to dispense lower denominations.
Send the Money to a friend who has a Ghana Card
Sometimes, the old ways are the best ways. If you want to withdraw but don’t have an ID Card, it makes sense to send it to a friend who has an ID card to use for the withdrawal.
Your friend can then cash out by themselves and give you the cash or simply give you the cash and keep the e-cash on their wallet.
The problem with this method is that you might end up paying double charges and e-levy if the amount is above your threshold. However, if you really need the money and can’t afford to wait, then this is a good way to get your money even with no valid ID Card.
Send directly to the Merchant
I don’t even know if this method is exactly legal. If it is, then the fight against fraud has a long way to go.
Yesterday, while at the MoMo merchant with a friend who was there to withdraw, the merchant suggested he had a “sim we can send the money to” and once he confirms receipt, he gives us the cash. We didn’t use that route though and went by MTN’s approved means of cashing out.
This method is similar to the method described above. The difference however is that this time, the Mobile Money Merchant is your “friend” and you still get to pay e-levy. It was not clear if the charges will be added to the money sent.
Use your Other Mobile Money Accounts on other Networks
If you have registered for AirtelTigo Cash or Vodafone Cash, you can simply transfer money from your MTN Mobile Money account to the account on the other network. When that is done, you simply go and withdraw from that network’s merchant. You still pay e-levy with this method.
Currently, this method is being used by a lot of individuals. However, the method will soon be obsolete and useless should other Mobile Money networks also demand an ID Card.
Using 3rd Party Services to make payments and transfers
3rd Party services like SlydePay and ExpressPay can help you transfer money from your MTN MoMo account to your bank account or other accounts.
By doing this, you can use the ATM of your bank to make a withdrawal. This method, although effective is unattractive to me due to the huge charges that these 3rd Party services charge.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you don’t find yourself in a situation where you will need to hack your way around withdrawing money from your own wallet because you don’t have your ID Card present.
Remember MTN accepts only the Ghana Card for mobile money transactions.
The following ID cards are no longer supported:
NHIS CardNational IDVoter’s IDSSNIT IDDriver’s License andPassport
Fraudsters who may want to use these methods for their own grim motives should know that MTN is on the lookout for them and they will be caught and prosecuted.
Know any MTN Mobile Money tricks? Share them with us in the comments below.
