Safaricom has clarified that customers who activate call forwarding on their mobile lines are charged for calls redirected to another phone number, warning that the service requires sufficient airtime to remain operational.
The explanation followed a query by an X user who wanted to know whether forwarding all incoming calls to a different number would attract charges.
“Hey @SafaricomPLC, does call forwarding charge me for forwarding all calls to my different number?” the customer, using the handle @ExtraSocialgain, asked.
Responding to the inquiry, Safaricom confirmed that the service attracts charges because the network redirects an incoming call from the originally dialled number to the alternative number provided by the subscriber.
“Call forwarding attracts charges because the call is redirected from the originally dialed number to another number. As a result, you need to have sufficient airtime on the line where call forwarding is activated to facilitate the forwarded calls,” the company said.
The clarification means that customers who divert their calls to another number should expect airtime deductions on the line where the forwarding service has been activated.
Call forwarding is a telecommunications feature that allows subscribers to redirect incoming calls to another phone number instead of receiving them on their original line.
The service can be useful for people who have multiple SIM cards, use separate personal and work numbers, or want to remain reachable when their primary phone is unavailable.
However, forwarding a call involves an additional connection from the original number to the destination number.
In effect, the subscriber activating the forwarding service pays for the redirected leg of the call, while the person who originally placed the call is charged according to the normal rate for calling the number they dialled.
The cost of the forwarded call may depend on the destination network and applicable calling tariff.
For example, a Safaricom customer forwarding calls to another Safaricom number may incur a different charge from someone redirecting calls to a number on another network.
Mobile networks generally support different call-forwarding options depending on when subscribers want incoming calls redirected.
These include:
The options allow customers to decide when and under what circumstances their calls should be transferred to another number.
Safaricom’s response indicates that customers need sufficient airtime on the line where call forwarding is activated to facilitate the redirected calls.
This means subscribers who rely on the service should monitor their airtime balance to avoid interruptions when incoming calls are forwarded.
The company did not specify the exact charge per minute in its response to the customer, nor did it publish a specific tariff for the different forwarding options in the exchange.
Customers seeking clarification on the applicable rates can contact Safaricom through its customer care channels before activating the service.
The clarification is particularly important for subscribers who forward all incoming calls, since each redirected call can attract a charge on the line doing the forwarding.
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