4 Weeks of ‘No ID No Cashout’: Matters arising and FAQs

Earlier this month, on the 2nd of April, 2021, MTN Ghana began enforcing the No ID No Cashout directive as part of steps being taken toward combatting the Mobile Money fraud menace.
In the directive, MoMo customers were instructed to provide a valid national ID as a way of proving ownership of the account they intend to make a cash withdrawal from — every time they go to the MoMo agent.

The directive encountered some resistance in the first week of its implementation; most of which was a result of a misunderstanding by MoMo customers as well as some of the Mobile Money agents.

A month after the No ID No Cashout directive went into force, it seems to have caught on with customers as people are now a lot more accepting of the need to carry along a form of ID in order to complete cashout transactions.

This article would highlight some observations as well as answer some important questions that people may still need answers for.

Why ‘No ID No Cashout’ is important

Although a lot more customers are warming up to the idea of keeping a valid national ID on their person for this purpose, there’s still work to be done — to make a case for why the directive is necessary and good for all to comply with — and here’s why.

In times past, there have been several instances where agents were picked up by security personnel acting on the reports filed by customers who have forgotten that they made a transfer or withdrawal earlier. Sometimes agents get arrested wrongfully, simply because they assisted a customer in making a funds transfer, only for the customer to forget something of the sort ever happened.

Aside that, this directive is intended to protect the customer from having his or her account emptied by an unauthorized person. People have opined that if someone knows your MoMo PIN they can easily escape the No ID No Cashout directive by just transferring the funds to their own account. This is the point. In such cases, you can request a statement on your account and see where your money went.

It would be harder for you to track transactions when funds were withdrawn from the Mobile Money agent as it’d be a longer process.

The No ID No Cashout directive is aimed at keeping your money safe and depriving unauthorized persons of options and chances to take hold of your money.

Some FAQs and Answers

Do I need to present the ID I registered my account with at all cost?

No. If you registered your MoMo account 10 years ago, for example, it is likely that the ID you used has expired and is no longer valid today. So all you need is a form of national ID that is still valid.

Do agents have to write down the ID number in a ledger or records book?

No. Agents are only required to enter your ID number on their MoMo phone so it’s keyed into the system. Anything other than that is unauthorized and you have the right to stop the agent or in extreme cases, report them to MTN for action to be taken.

Some agents are not accepting the new (2020) Voter’s ID. Are they right?

Again, no. The new Voters ID is very valid and is sanctioned by MTN to be accepted by all Mobile Money agents.

In case I forget my ID, can I send money to the MoMo agent’s personal account so they give me cash?

No. That is not advisable. MoMo agents who accept that are doing so at their own risk, as well as yours.

To conclude…

One month after the No ID No Cashout directive was brought into force, a lot of people seem to be catching on to the idea. Mobile Money agents I’ve visited within this period have insisted on me presenting my ID before any cashout transaction can take place. That is good news as the agents will be important in the success or otherwise of this directive.

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This article about the ‘No ID No Cashout‘ directive is part of a series JBKlutse.com is developing to educate the public about MTN’s ID directive for MoMo withdrawals.