How It Works

Getting Started

Install YaYa Wallet application and get your private key

As YaYa is a cross-platform mobile wallet, you can use the links above to install either on Android or iOS phone. After installing YaYa Wallet in your phone, the first step to get started is to create a private key. The private key will be generated automatically and stored on your device and is crucial to access your accounts. The private key is also used to encrypt your data transfer with YaYa servers.

Important: Remember to backup your private key and store it in a safe place. It is the only way to recover your funds if you sign out of the wallet or lose your device! If someone else gets your unencrypted private key, they will have full control over your accounts.

Ok! I have installed, what are the next steps?

  • First, choose your language. 1
  • If you do not have a private key already created, choose I'm New Customer 2 . Otherwise login simply with your existing private key choosing the option Log in As Customer 3
  • If continue as a new customer, the application will remind you that a new private key is to be generated for you and you need to back up and keep it in a safe place. 4

  • On the next screen, you will see your private key generated automatically for you. This private key will be crucial to access your accounts. Store it in safe place and confirm that you did so. 5
  • YaYa wallet will again ask if you really have backed up the private key and asks you to confirm again. Yes, it is very important that you keep your private key inorder to access your accounts later. 6
  • Now, create a PIN code to access the wallet. This is useful to add another security check when accessing your wallet. 7 Enter your PIN again to verify you inserted the digits correctly and you are done. 8

    Congratulations! You have now created a new YaYa Wallet identity. The next step will be to create account using your phone number.

Create YaYa Wallet Account

Create your first YaYa Wallet account using your phone number and an invitation code sent via SMS. Invitation code can be sent from existing YaYa Wallet customers.

You can have multiple accounts associated to your identity, let's say one for private use and the other for your business. But with one phone number, it is allowed to create just one YaYa Wallet account.

  • One phone number for only one account
  • Invitation code can be sent from an existing customer

There are three classes of wallet accounts as stated under the Licensing and Authorization of Payment Instrument Issuers Directive No. ONPS/01l2020 issued by National Bank of Ethiopia. They are Private, Business, and Agent.

For simplicity, YaYa Wallet lets you signup for private account first and then request an upgrade to business and agent accounts later.

The form as indicated at 3 will ask you to fill in your full name, phone number, invitation code, date of birth and gender. Additionally, if your selected country is Ethiopia, you will be asked to share your residential address in the form of region and city. Make sure to provide all these information as they are required to issue your YaYa account number.

If all information asked on the form is filled, and the invitation code is correctly related with the phone number, you will be taken to a screen similar to the following with a success message 4

Almost done... one last step, upload documents 6

Tap on the account card 4 in order to open the form 6 that allows you to submit required documents.

On submission of photo and/or identity document, our staff members review it and approve your account. If only photograph is submitted, you will be approved for Level 1 account. If both photograph and ID document are submitted, you will be approved for Level 2. The approval process usually takes not more than an hour. Until approval, your account will show a Pending or In Reviewstatus.

Ding...! You will be notified when the activation is made.

Account levels 🤔... What does it mean?

YaYa Wallet accounts have different kinds of levels that have specific regulations set by NBE for data requirements, maximum account balance limits, monthly transaction limits and daily transaction limits. Depending on the types of documents submitted to us, you'll be entitled to have YaYa Wallet accounts one of the levels.

  • Level 1 accounts are subject to a maximum account balance of 5000 ETB, an aggregate daily transaction limit of 1000 ETB and an aggregate monthly transaction limit of 10000 ETB.
  • Level 2 accounts are subject to a maximum account balance of 20000 ETB, an aggregate daily transaction limit of 5000 ETB and an aggregate monthly transaction limit of 40000 ETB.
  • Level 3 accounts are subject to a maximum account balance of 30000 ETB, an aggregate daily transaction limit of 8000 ETB and an aggregate monthly transaction limit of 60000 ETB.
  • Business/Merchant accounts have no limit on account balance and transactions. Business account can make payments to large number of users at once.
  • Agent accounts are similar to business account, but agents are allowed to make cash related transactions.

Note that you can upgrade anytime to business account type. Upgrading to business account require submission of trade licence and other applicable legal documents. See its section below for details.

Top-up, Send and Receive Birr

Top-up your balance, make in-app transactions and request bank transfers

Top-up/cash-in

Adding to account balance: We provide different payment methods including the following to add balance to your account. The balance will always be denominated to ETB using the exchange rate available from NBE during the cash-in transaction and stored in your YaYa Wallet account as an electronic money balance transparently visible to you.

  • Payment cards
  • Paypal
  • Cash at any of our agents or branches
  • Bank transfer to any of the following dedicated bank accounts
    • Abay Bank: XXXXX
    • Addis International Bank: XXXXX
    • Awash International Bank: XXXXXX
    • Bank of Abyssinia: XXXXXX
    • Berhan International Bank: XXXXXX
    • Bunna International Bank: XXXXXX
    • Commercial Bank of Ethiopia: XXXXX
    • Cooperative Bank of Oromia: XXXXXX
    • Dashen Bank: XXXXX
    • Debub Global Bank: XXXXXX
    • Development Bank of Ethiopia: XXXXXX
    • Enat Bank: XXXXXX
    • Lion International Bank: XXXXXX
    • Nib International Bank: XXXXXX
    • Oromia International Bank: XXXXXX
    • United Bank: XXXXXX
    • Wegagen Bank: XXXXXX
    • Zemen Bank: XXXXXX
    Do not forget to add your YaYa Wallet Account number in the reason area when you top-up using bank transfer.

In-app Payment

Pay to anyone easily and securely!

You can make payments to other YaYa wallet users using the QR code that resolves to an account number or typing the account number manually.

1 Tap the Send button to make payments

2 Type the digits of the account number

3 This will paste the account number you copied from a chat, SMS, or any other location.

4 If you've loaded friends & family to contacts, tap and select a contact here.

5 Specify the amount to pay

6 Tapping here will fill the maximum Birr amount you can send

7 A payload will let you add extra information to the payment (e.g, ticket number, receipt number, etc)

8 If you have the QR code of the receiver, scan it and the application will insert it at 2. This is typically useful when you are are physically together with the receiver as in taxi, restaurants, shops, etc as the account number is available optionally in the form of QR code and can be scanned by using the app.

Receive Birr via QR or your wallet account number

Share account number, request payments

You show the account number in the form of QR code and text so that the payer can scan and make payments.

1 Tap the Receive button to see your account number and QR code.

2 Share your QR code to external application like telegram, whatsapp, etc.

3 This shows your QR code and let anyone scan and make payments to you.

4 A dynamic QR code will be created by requesting a specific amount.

5 Specify the amount to request

6 The dynamic QR code with amount and payload information

Bank Transfers

Submit bank transfer requests

You can transfer your electronic balance to any bank account of yours, your family or loved ones.

1 Tap the to see the list of operations.

2 Select Make Bank Transfer.

Fill out the form with the amount and the bank account number. You can optionally specify the bank transfer reason and any reference code. Then tap Request Bank Transfer and confirm your submission. We will review and complete the transfer often within short time. A notification will be sent when the transfer is completed.

Manage Contacts

Don’t wanna deal with account numbers? Just add people to your contacts, and reach them later on with a single tap when you make payments.

Manage contacts in an intuitive, easy-to-use address book.

Tap on the ⚙ icon and select ManageContacts to open the contacts list.

1 Import contacts from file

2 Export saved contacts to a file

3 List of contacts available

4 You can select from list of contacts when you make payments