DEPOSITS · PROBLEMS

My Mobile Money deposit isn't showing up - what should I do?

Reading time: 3 min Updated May 1, 2026 15,432 people found this article helpful
TL;DR

In 95% of cases, a Mobile Money deposit that seems stuck arrives within 5 minutes - it's just temporary congestion at Orange, MTN, or Wave. If your deposit still isn't there after 15 minutes, we can track it down manually with your transaction number.

“Transaction history” screen with a deposit in “PENDING” status highlighted in yellow, followed by a “Check status” button in KTK green.
Screenshot to be added during production

First, don't panic

Mobile Money deposits go through Orange, MTN, or Wave servers before reaching us. When those servers are congested (typically in the evening between 7pm and 10pm, or at the start of the month), the delay can go from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

Check these 3 things before worrying:

  1. Did you receive a debit confirmation SMS from your Mobile Money operator? If yes, the deposit is on its way - it's just a delay. If not, the transaction probably didn't go through on the operator's side.
  2. Open the Ktkarena app and pull down on the Wallet screen to force a balance refresh.
  3. Check your transaction history: if the deposit shows a “PENDING” status, it's coming. If the status is “FAILED”, the transaction wasn't accepted.

If nothing after 15 minutes

It's unusual, but it happens. Recovery procedure:

  1. Get your Mobile Money transaction number from your operator's SMS (format: 10-12 digits for Orange, different format for MTN/Wave).
  2. In the app, go to: Wallet → History → Report a missing deposit.
  3. Enter the transaction number and the amount.
  4. Our team checks within 4 hours on business days.

Important. NEVER make a second deposit while you wait. If your first deposit eventually arrives, you'll have two. And even though we can refund you, it takes time.

Special cases

The SMS confirms the debit, but nothing on Ktkarena

This is our most frequent case. Contact support with your transaction number - we'll find your payment in the operator's API.

The operator failed but still charged me

This can happen with Orange Money during a network outage. The operator refunds automatically within 24-48 hours. If nothing after 48 hours, contact your operator first, then us.

My Mobile Money number is different from the number linked to my Ktkarena account

The deposit will still reach us if you use our payment form. But for withdrawals, we only pay out to the verified number. Learn more about the same-method rule.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

30 seconds during off-peak hours, up to 5 minutes during peak hours (evenings 7pm-10pm, end of month).

Not really on Ktkarena's side - it's the Mobile Money infrastructure itself that varies. If speed is critical for you, use a bank card (always instant).

In the SMS you receive from your operator after each debit. Orange format: “Transaction OM250503XXXXX”. MTN format: “MoMo transaction ref. XXXXXXXXX”.

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