Ran out of balance? Here’s what you can do!

Talktime Loan from Service Provider:

You can take a talktime loan from your service provider. All service providers offer this facility to its prepaid subscribers. Generally, the loan amount offered is Rs.10/- and you have to dial or send SMS to the required USSD code. Each service provider has a specified amount, they will provide you a loan only when your balance falls below this amount. This ensures that you take the loan only when you actually need it.

For example (Airtel Loan), Airtel (KA) provides you a talktime loan of Rs.10/- when balance is below Rs.5  and the required USSD code to avail this service is *141*10#

Idea (AP) also provides you a talktime loan of Rs.10/- when balance is below Rs.2 and the required USSD code to avail this service is *150*10#

To avail this service from Idea, you should have been using your prepaid SIM card for 3 months or more.

Talktime Loan from a Friend:

If your friend has the same service provider as you, you can ask him/her for a balance transfer. Balance transfer can happen both between a prepaid to prepaid number or postpaid to prepaid number, provided both are in the same circle. Here too USSD codes are used for the transfer.

For example (Vodafone Balance Transfer), to transfer Rs.30/- from one Vodafone number to another, dial the code *131*30*<mobile number>#

The donor should have been active in Vodafone network for at least 90 days. A subscriber should have at least completed 30 days in Vodafone network to be able to receive balance.

Data/Internet Loan from Service Provider:

You can also take a data loan from your service provider. Currently some of the service providers like Airtel, Vodafone, Idea offer this facility to its prepaid subscribers. Users can avail this loan just by dialling or sending an SMS to the required USSD code.  Here too, the loan is provided only when your balance falls below Rs. 5/-. If your balance is more than Rs. 5/- then you can’t get data loan. Your SIM card should be 90 days old. And you should not have any outstanding loan balance to be paid.

For example (airtel data loan), to get 65 MB data loan from Airtel you need to first dial USSD code 52141, then follow the steps as instructed by the operator on your screen and then you will able to get 65MB data pack.

Next time remember to check your balance:

While the above methods come in handy when you are stuck with no talktime or data balance, they should be used only when you have no other option available. These methods to get a loan involve a premium, you have to provide your service provider a little extra for availing the service.

You can easily check your talktime balance dialing a simple USSD code from your prepaid mobile and avoid getting into the situation where you need to take a loan.

If you are wondering how to keep track of these USSD codes, we have you covered. The iReff app has all the USSD codes you will ever need for managing your prepaid subscription smartly.