Safaricom scraps night bundles, extends expiry dates

Safaricom has unveiled new data plans, responding to a public outcry that revolved around the validity periods of bundles especially those accumulated for use during off-peak hours.

The telecommunications firm on Friday morning revised its three plans – daily, weekly, and monthly and 90-day data bundles, all being charged at cheaper rates.

The new tariffs, effective at midnight, will also see the telco scrap the night bundles which were awarded upon purchase of the normal data and only usable between 10pm and 6am.

“Our new data bundles will be available to Safaricom Pre-pay and Post-pay subscribers and they will be able to access mobile Internet service through buying data bundles,” said Sylvia Mulinge, the director for consumer business at Safaricom.

Under the daily plan, customers can purchase seven megabytes for Sh5 to a maximum of 15MB for Sh50. Previously the company’s lowest plan was 5MB for Sh5 with the maximum bundle being 100MB for Sh40.

The new weekly bundles will be 5MB at a shilling each (current rate is 4MB for Sh5) to 130MB at Sh100 (the current maximum bundle is 65MB at Sh50).

Monthly data plans have similarly been revised from the prevailing minimum of 100MB for Sh100 to 50 gigabytes for Sh6,750 to new rate of 350MB for Sh250 to 12GB at Sh3,000.

The 90-day bundle will only be accessible through M-Pesa and will not be available through rechargeable vouchers.

Subscribers reacted negatively to the prevailing tariffs when they were first launched in February this year, complaining about the ‘inadequate’ expiry dates affixed to their data.

The telecom firm in March responded and revised the expiry periods upwards (to a maximum of 90 days), with no chance of this data rolling over if they are not utilised by the deadline.

Beginning tonight however Safaricom says customers will be allowed to extend their data expiry dates further on condition that they make a new purchase before the period lapses.

Customers with accumulated night bundles will be allowed to use them during the day on condition that they exhaust them within six months.

“We listened to our subscribers and made the necessary changes to the customer journey to allow them to continue to enjoy the unparalleled data experience that only Safaricom can provide,” said Ms Mulinge.

Here is a detailed pricing plan:

Daily data bundles

Weekly data bundles

Monthly data bundles

90-day data bundles