Online mobile balance recharge trend all-time high in Nepal

With digital means all upon us, more mobile users are taking to digital ways to recharge their mobile balance. It’s emerged that in Nepal, online mobile balance recharge accounted for 60% with the remaining representing the traditional forms. This practice has been achieved due to the prevalence of digital wallets, ConnectIPS, mobile banking apps, etc.

Currently, there are two major telecom operators in Nepal- Nepal Telecom and Ncell. To recharge the companies’ SIM cards, users (aka subscribers) traditionally use recharge cards. However, with the emergence of digital wallets, mobile banking apps, and other third-party platforms, more users these days resort to digital means. With the ease of access, internet connectivity, and not having to bother with physical cards, and serial numbers, topping up balance directly into the SIM card also sounds attractive. According to Naya Patrika, up to 60% of mobile balance recharges were performed online in Ntc. Similarly, it’s found that 38% of mobile recharges were done online by Ncell users.

According to the data for 2024, the total online mobile balance recharge has stood at 49%. The figure represents the data in terms of the amount. Let’s recollect that there was a time when even the majority of the grocery stores had boards saying that they sold Ntc and Ncell recharge cards. That has been largely electrified.

Check out our all-in-one post: How to Recharge Ntc, Ncell mobile balance Online?

Online mobile balance recharge reached 60% in Ntc and 38% in Ncell in 2024

And with the digital SIM card recharge taking precedence, the quantity of printing recharge cards has decreased. Nepal’s telecom companies print their mobile recharge cards domestically and abroad, in India and other countries. But the number of such cards they print is decreasing as demands continue to fall. Till Falgun, of the current fiscal year FY 2080/81, 24,543 kg of recharge cards worth 1 crore, 41 lakh, and 64 thousand were imported, as per the Customs Department. To compare, Nepali telcos brought in 90,917 kg of mobile recharge cards spending Rs 4 crore, 66 lakh, 87 thousand during the same period in FY 2079/80. By that account, the recharge card import fell by 73% year-to-year while the spending on them slumped by 70%.

We need to date only a few years back to understand when and why consumer behavior shifted in recharging their mobile balance. While online facilities were available for a few good years, the pattern had markedly grown since COVID-19 struck in 2019 AD. Ntc spokesman Hari Dhakal says that after the Coronavirus scare, the company saw the online recharge trend grow by 20%. He adds that the practice is more prominent among the youth in cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Biratnagar.

Check out: NRB increases the limit of digital payment in Nepal [Latest update 2024]

Both Ntc and Ncell have seen growth in online mobile recharge over the years

Dhakal adds that in 2024 so far, about 60% mobile recharge has been carried over online. In 2023, the same practice reached 50% from 40% in 2022. Likewise, for Ncell, online recharge accounted for 38% in 2024, rising to 36% in 2023 from 28% in 2022.

So, with 73% of households having at least one smartphone, it is safe to assume that online mobile recharge will further grow in the coming years. Besides, let’s not ignore the contribution of the 4G LTE. This should also be significant for the government’s digital Nepal vision and financial inclusion. And since Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has also openly encouraged the public to use electronic means for transactions, the trend of using online services for mobile recharge will go upward.

Check out: 4G LTE users in Nepal: Ntc and Ncell share

By the way, how do you recharge your mobile balance? Is online top-up your default method? Or do you also like to keep a print copy just in case? Don’t forget to share with us in our comments below.