How to Transfer Airtime and Share Data on MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile (2026 Codes)

Why This Guide Exists

Somebody just called you. "Please send me ₦200 airtime, I'll pay you back." Or your younger sibling in school needs data and their account is empty. Or your mum's phone is out of credit and she does not know how to buy airtime online.

You know you can transfer airtime and share data. You have done it before. But the USSD codes are different on every network, the default PINs are different, the limits are different, and the last time you tried, you got an error message that said "Transaction not allowed" with no explanation.

This is the complete reference. Every network. Every code. Every limit. Tested and working as of 2026.

Airtime Transfer Codes (All Networks)

MTN Airtime Transfer

First-time setup (set your transfer PIN):
Dial 321default PINnew PINnew PIN# (or *321#)

The default PIN is 0000. Change it to something you will remember. You only do this once.

Transfer airtime:
Dial 321recipient numberamountPIN#

Example: 321080312345675001234# sends ₦500 to that number.

Limits:

Minimum transfer: ₦50

Maximum per transaction: ₦5,000

Daily limit: ₦10,000

You must keep at least ₦50 airtime after the transfer

Both sender and receiver must be MTN numbers

The recipient's line must have been active for at least 3 months

Airtel Airtime Transfer

Set your PIN:
Dial *321# and follow the menu to set a transfer PIN. Default PIN is 1234.

Transfer airtime:
Dial 321recipient number*amount# and enter your PIN when prompted.

Example: 32108021234567*300# then enter your PIN. Sends ₦300.

Limits:

Minimum transfer: ₦50

Maximum per transaction: ₦5,000

Daily limit: ₦15,000

Both numbers must be Airtel

Glo Airtime Transfer

Set your PIN:
Dial *321# and choose the option to create/change your transfer PIN. Default PIN is 00000 (five zeros).

Transfer airtime:
Dial 321recipient numberamountPIN#

Example: 3210805123456720012345# sends ₦200.

Limits:

Minimum transfer: ₦50

Maximum per transaction: ₦5,000

Daily limit: ₦10,000

Both numbers must be Glo

9mobile Airtime Transfer

Set your PIN:
Dial 223PIN# to check/set your PIN. Default PIN is 0000.

Transfer airtime:
Dial *321# and follow prompts

Example: *321# and follow the prompts to send ₦1,000.

Limits:

Minimum transfer: ₦50

Maximum per transaction: ₦5,000

Both numbers must be 9mobile

Quick Reference Table

Notice that 9mobile puts the PIN first, then the amount, then the number. Every other network puts the number first. This trips people up constantly. If your 9mobile transfer keeps failing, check the order.

Data Sharing and Gifting (All Networks)

Data sharing works differently from airtime transfer. On some networks you can transfer data from your existing balance. On others, you can only "gift" a new bundle (buy data for someone else using your airtime).

MTN Data Sharing

Transfer data from your balance:
Dial 312recipient number*amount in MB#

Example: 31208031234567*500# transfers 500MB from your balance.

Or send via SMS:
Text: Transfer 08031234567 500 and send to 312

Limits:

You must keep at least 100MB after the transfer

Daily transfer limit: 5GB

Only works for MTN-to-MTN

Gift a new data bundle to someone:
Dial *312# and select "Buy for others" or "Gift Data," then choose the bundle and enter the recipient's number. The cost comes from your airtime, not your existing data balance.

Airtel Data Sharing

Airtel does not allow direct transfer from your data balance. You can only gift (buy a new bundle for someone else).

Gift data:
Dial *312# and select "Gifting and Sharing," then "Gift Data." Choose a bundle, enter the recipient's Airtel number, and confirm. The cost comes from your airtime balance.

Using the MyAirtel app: Open the app, go to Data, select "Buy for Others," pick the bundle, enter the number.

Glo Data Sharing

Transfer from your data balance:
Text: Share recipient number to 127

Example: Dial *321# and navigate to "Data"

Gift a new bundle:
Dial *321# and navigate to "Data" then "Gift Data" to buy a bundle for another Glo number.

9mobile Data Sharing

Transfer from your data balance:
Dial 3124# to access the data sharing menu and follow the prompts.

Gift a new bundle:
Dial *312# and select "Buy for Others" to purchase a data plan for another 9mobile number.

When Airtime Transfer Is Not the Best Option

Airtime transfer has limits. It only works within the same network. The amounts are capped. And if you are transferring airtime just so the other person can buy data with it, you are losing money, because retail data prices are higher than SME data prices.

Here is a smarter approach: instead of transferring ₦1,000 airtime so your sibling can buy data, buy 2GB of SME data directly for their number on vtyield.com/guest/data for about ₦830. You spend less money, they get more data, and it works across any network.

Same thing with airtime. Instead of doing a ₦500 airtime transfer (which only works same-network), you can buy ₦500 airtime for any number on any network through vtyield.com/guest/airtime. MTN to Airtel, Glo to 9mobile, any combination works.

Common Errors and Fixes

"Transaction not allowed"
Your transfer PIN is wrong, or you have not set one yet. Dial the PIN setup code for your network (see table above).

"Insufficient balance"
You do not have enough airtime after accounting for the minimum balance requirement (₦50-100 depending on network).

"Recipient not eligible"
The recipient's line is too new (under 3 months on some networks) or is a corporate/postpaid line.

"Service temporarily unavailable"
The network's USSD gateway is overloaded. Wait 5 minutes and try again. This happens most often between 8-10 PM.

Transfer went through but recipient did not receive it
Wait 5 minutes. If nothing, dial the network's balance check code (*310# for all networks). If the airtime was deducted from your end but not credited on theirs, call customer service with the transaction reference.

Save This Page

Bookmark this article. You will need it again. Because six months from now, someone is going to call you and say "please help me transfer airtime" and you will have forgotten whether 9mobile puts the PIN first or the amount first. (It is the PIN first. Always the PIN first on 9mobile. They just had to be different.)