Airtel Smart Value Tariff Plan in Nigeria: What Replaced It
Airtel no longer lists Smart Value or its *314# code. Its flat-rate plan is now SmartTALK: 25k/sec to all networks, no access fee. Dial *414# to move.
Smart Value was Airtel’s plan with no conditions. Every call to every network cost the same from the first second, with no daily fee, and you joined by dialling *314#. When this page was first written in 2018 the rate was 15 kobo a second.
We went through Airtel Nigeria’s website and the plan is not there. The voice plans page lists two prepaid plans, SmartTALK and SmartLife, and SmartTALK is the one built the way Smart Value was. It costs more.
Smart Value and SmartTALK side by side
| Smart Value, as this page listed it in 2018 | SmartTALK, on Airtel’s website now | |
|---|---|---|
| Calls to all networks | 15k/sec | 25k/sec |
| Cost of a minute | ₦9 | ₦15 |
| What ₦100 buys | 11 min 6 sec | 6 min 40 sec |
| Daily or access fee | None | None |
| A text to a Nigerian number | ₦4 | ₦6 |
| Migration code | *314# | *414# |
The shape of the plan is the same. The price is two-thirds higher, which is ₦6 more on every minute.
How to migrate to SmartTALK
Dial *414# and choose SmartTALK from the menu. Airtel’s SmartTALK page also shows a direct code, *414*1#.
Airtel says a new customer only has to buy, register and activate a SIM. Its SmartLife page says the same thing about SmartLife, so check which plan a new line has landed on.
In 2018 this page said your first migration in a month was free and the next cost ₦100. Airtel’s current plan pages do not mention a migration fee at all.
How to check your Airtel tariff plan
Dial *121#, choose “Manage my account”, then “My tariff plan”.
If you joined Smart Value years ago and never moved, do this first. Airtel’s website does not say what became of lines that were on the plan, so your own phone is the only place to find out. If it still shows Smart Value, call Airtel on 300 and ask what rate the line is charged before you migrate anywhere. Airtel’s site gives no code for going back.
What SmartTALK costs
Calls to any Nigerian network are 25 kobo a second, which is ₦15 a minute. Airtel says there are no access fees and no hidden charges.
| Airtime | Talk time on SmartTALK |
|---|---|
| ₦100 | 6 min 40 sec |
| ₦200 | 13 min 20 sec |
| ₦500 | 33 min 20 sec |
| ₦1,000 | 1 hr 6 min 40 sec |
A text is ₦6. Data with no bundle is ₦4.60 per MB, and that empties a recharge quickly: 100MB that way is ₦460, while Airtel’s ₦100 daily plan gives 110MB. You can switch pay-as-you-go browsing off by dialling *400*1#.
Smart Value had a cheap rate for calls to the USA, Canada, China, India and UK landlines. SmartTALK has nothing like it. Calls and texts abroad are charged at Airtel’s standard international rates, which depend on the country, and Airtel has a rate lookup on its international calling page.
The bonus on a new SIM
New Airtel customers on SmartTALK get a bonus on every recharge of ₦100 to ₦5,000. For the first 90 days it is 400%, split as 100% for calls and 300% for data. For the next 90 days it is 300%, for data only. After 180 days it stops. Airtel says existing SmartTALK customers are not eligible.
The percentages are bigger than what they buy. Bonus calls are charged at ₦50 a minute and bonus data at ₦20 per MB. So a ₦1,000 recharge in the first 90 days comes with ₦1,000 of call bonus, which is 20 minutes, and ₦3,000 of data bonus, which is 150MB. The ₦1,000 you paid for is still charged at the normal rate.
Dial *310# for your airtime balance and *310*1# for a breakdown of your bonuses. Bonus airtime cannot be shared with another line.
Is SmartTALK the cheapest way to call?
It has the lower rate of Airtel’s two tariff plans. It is not the cheapest minute Airtel sells.
- TalkMore bundles work out at ₦10 a minute. ₦100 buys 10 minutes for a day, ₦500 buys 50 minutes for a week and ₦1,500 buys 150 minutes for 30 days. Dial *234*1# to buy one. Bundle minutes expire, so a bundle only wins if you use more than two-thirds of it in time.
- SmartLife charges 33 kobo a second and gives back 3 free minutes for every 6 you pay for. Whether that beats SmartTALK depends on how many of the free minutes you use, and we work through the sums on our page about the old Smart Premier plan.
All of Airtel’s current call plans and bundles are compared in our guide to the best Airtel tariff plan for calls.
Quick answers
What is the Airtel Smart Value migration code?
It was *314#. Airtel’s website no longer lists Smart Value or that code. The code for SmartTALK, its current flat-rate plan, is *414#.
How do I migrate to Airtel Smart Value?
Airtel’s website no longer offers it. For the same kind of plan, dial *414# and choose SmartTALK.
What were the benefits of Airtel Smart Value?
One rate of 15 kobo a second to all networks, no daily fee and cheaper calls to five countries, as this page listed them in 2018. SmartTALK keeps the single rate and the absence of fees, at 25 kobo a second.
What is the call rate on Airtel SmartTALK?
25 kobo a second to all networks, which is ₦15 a minute, with no access fee.
How do I check my tariff plan on Airtel?
Dial *121#, choose “Manage my account”, then “My tariff plan”.
