MTN Share and Sell Code for Transferring Airtime in Nigeria

To transfer airtime on MTN, dial *321*recipient’s number*amount*PIN#. Sending ₦1,500 to 08031234567 with the PIN 1234 looks like this: *321*08031234567*1500*1234#. A message tells you when the transfer has gone through.

That is the MTN Share and Sell code. The service is called MTN Share now, and it will not work on a line still using the default PIN, 0000, so change that first.

Setting or changing the transfer PIN

Dial *321*0000*new PIN*new PIN#. With 1234 as the new PIN, that is *321*0000*1234*1234#. By SMS, send 0000 1234 1234 to 321. An SMS confirms the change either way. Dialling *321# also opens the menu where MTN says you can create the PIN.

To change it again later, use the same pattern with your current PIN where 0000 is. MTN’s Share page only shows the example from 0000, so go through the *321# menu if the code is refused.

MTN’s pages give no code for a forgotten PIN, whatever the “reset codes” on other sites claim. Ask customer care on 300, or Zigi on WhatsApp at 09033000001.

Other ways to send airtime

• Menu: dial *321#, choose Airtime share, then Transfer Airtime, and enter the number, the amount and your PIN.
• SMS: send Transfer 08031234567 1500 1234 to 321, then reply YES to the message that comes back.
• myMTN NG app: tap Share, then Airtime Share, enter the number and amount, and tap Proceed.

Recharging ₦500 or more also brings up a menu with a Gift Airtime option. To ask someone for airtime, dial *321*1#, which sends them an SMS request for ₦50 or more.

Older guides give *600# and 777, but MTN’s Share page now uses 321. Watch the digits as well: *312 is MTN’s data code, and *312*08031234567*100# sends 100MB of your data, not airtime.

Limits and fees

MTN charges nothing for a transfer. Only the amount you send leaves your balance. Each transfer must be between ₦50 and ₦10,000 in whole naira, typed without the naira sign. You can send up to ₦100,000 a day, to one line or several, in as many transfers as you like.

A prepaid line without enough airtime gets an error message and nothing moves. A postpaid line can only send while the account is in credit, and only up to that balance. MTN’s FAQ rules out customers on Yafun-Yafun and BetaTalk, its bonus-based plans.

Transfers go to other MTN lines. MTN’s page offers nothing for Airtel, Glo, T2, a bank account or a MoMo wallet. A friend who is unsure of their number can check their MTN number first.

Scams aimed at your airtime

MTN’s website warns about one-ring Wangiri calls but has no page on airtime transfer scams. Its nearest statement came on its X account and was reported by Legit.ng: a “1 Month Free Data” offer for old subscribers was fake, and MTN said it never requires customers to enter their details on outside sites to claim data or rewards. It told people to steer clear of any online offer of free airtime or data in exchange for personal details.

The code itself is the thing to watch. Anything starting *321* with a phone number in it sends airtime to that number, so read any code a stranger gives you before you dial it, and keep your PIN to yourself.

Sharing data instead of airtime

Data has its own codes, and USSD transfers need no PIN. Dial *312*recipient’s number*amount#: MTN’s example is *312*08031235678*100# for 100MB, and the SMS version is Transfer 08031235678 100 to 312. MTN’s examples stop at 100MB, so for bigger amounts dial *321*2#, choose 1, enter the number and pick from the list. In the myMTN NG app it is Share, then Data Share.

You can send 100MB, 200MB, 500MB, 1GB, 2GB, 3GB or 5GB at a time, up to 5GB a day, and at least 100MB must stay in your balance afterwards. The first ten transfers each calendar month are free. After that MTN asks you to accept a fee that depends on the amount, and its pages do not list the fees.

Data comes from the bundle with the latest validity, and balances cannot be combined. Only 20% of a plan of 70GB or more can be sent, which is 15GB on a 75GB plan. Some plans cannot be shared at all, including the 7GB 2-day plan. MTN’s pages also disagree on how long the data lasts: its plan terms say 7 days for up to 2GB and 14 days for 3GB and 5GB, while its FAQ says the sender’s expiry date carries over. Tell the other person to use it soon.

To buy someone a fresh plan from your airtime instead, dial *312*plan code*their number#, or dial *321*2# and choose 2. The plan codes are on MTN data plans and prices. To ask for data, dial *321*2#, choose 3 and enter the person’s number.