Avoiding Double Payments or Payment Delays with Switchn Prepaid Funds

What’s the Issue?

When transferring money across mobile networks (e.g., Orange Money to MTN Mobile Money or vice versa), you might occasionally experience payment processing delays, especially during peak transaction times. This can result in paying the merchant or recipient twice—once through Switchn and again in cash—if the payment is slow to confirm.

Recommended Best Practice:

To prevent such scenarios, always load funds into your Switchn Prepaid Funds first, then use these prepaid funds for making payments.

Why Use Switchn Prepaid Funds?

• Immediate Transactions: Payments from your prepaid funds are processed immediately without external payment processing delays.

• Prevent Double Payments: If there’s a payment processing delay, your funds will eventually be loaded into your prepaid account. Meanwhile, you can safely pay in cash without risking double payments. Your prepaid funds remain available for future transactions, ensuring no loss.

• Enhanced Reliability: Even when external services (Orange Money or MTN Mobile Money) face delays, your funds are securely stored and ready for subsequent transactions.

What if You’ve Already Paid Twice?

If your Switchn transaction completes after you've already paid directly in cash or otherwise, do the following:

• Contact the merchant or recipient directly and explain you've mistakenly paid twice.

• Provide proof by downloading the transaction receipt from the Switchn History page. This receipt clearly displays the transaction success message, as well as the Sender’s name and phone number, providing clear verification of your payment.

Updated on: 21/05/2025