Nepal’s leading private telecom operator Ncell Axiata has revised its minimum top-up amount rule for mobile wallets. That means users will now be required to recharge their Ncell number with at least Rs 40 on digital wallets. With the rule coming into effect, users can only recharge their balance with Rs 40 or above on eSewa, Khalti, IME Pay, etc.
The new term came into place following the revision by Ncell. Wallets such as eSewa and Khalti have notified their customers about the new condition on their social media handles. The wallets pointed out that the minimum top-up amount was raised as per the new rule by the telco.
Previously, users could top-up an Ncell number starting from Rs 10. Now, the minimum amount has gone up by 4 times. As per the digital wallets’ notice, the minimum Rs 40 top-up rule has come into effect on Thursday, Ashoj 18 (October 5) starting 11:00 PM.
Also read: Ncell Brings Online Recharge Service to Top-up Your Mobile
Minimum Top-Up Amount Raised from Rs 10 to Rs 40 for Digital Wallets
Despite the mobile wallets sharing that the new ruling came live from 11:00 PM, users noticed its implementation some hours earlier. Unsurprisingly, the news has divided users. Those who were in the habit of recharging with a minimum amount have not welcomed this. However, many will see a Rs 10 recharge as almost non-essential. Anyway, to see how this minimum Rs 40 top-up worked out, we tried to top-up the Ncell number with below Rs 40 on eSewa and Khalti and realized that the ruling was well in place.
Minimum top-up amount for Ncell numbers raised from Rs 10 to Rs 40.
On eSewa, when I tried to recharge with Rs 10, I was met with the (Amount (NPR) must be greater or equal to 40.00) alert below the “Amount field”. On Khalti, right when entering the lower than Rs 40 amount, it didn’t allow the input and said, “Amount should be between Rs. 40 and Rs. 3000.” Check the images below for confirmation.
Opinion
As I mentioned, the new top-up amount revision has met with differing opinions. Some users argue that it had been more convenient to recharge Rs 10 especially when the balance was low on mobile wallets. In urgent situations that required just a phone call or an SMS, the prior condition was still ideal. I personally feel that while I certainly found it slightly debatable, I believe it eventually works for the convenience of the end users. A Rs 10 still is too low to contribute much to the communication while it definitely contributes to an urgent scenario.
Do read: How to recharge Ntc, Ncell mobile online?
Many resort to low-balance top-ups for the lack of enough of it. However, loading balance to digital wallets is not an uphill task either. Mobile banking and digital wallet service penetration are well within the reach of people with a smartphone and the majority of them use banking and mobile payment apps. So, the Rs 10 top-up was more of a convenience than an obligation and the raised amount could bring higher benefits. But I am particularly skeptical of wallets putting a charge on mobile balance top-ups. If that happens, I won’t find it home by using the service for just Rs 10 but again that’s just a premature guess.
While the opinion will remain divisive, the condition has come live and you need to recharge your phone with at least Rs 40 on digital wallets. Don’t forget to share how you feel about this in our comments below.
