In short: If the Absa CashSend SMS has not arrived, do not follow a random WhatsApp or SMS that asks for your PIN. Collection needs a 10-digit reference (from the SMS) and a 6-digit PIN (from the sender). Absa lists collection at an Absa ATM, Pick n Pay or Boxer. The send is available for 30 days only. Ask the sender to check the number, resend the withdrawal code in the Absa app / online banking, or call Absa. Confirm on Absa’s CashSend page. Not financial advice.
Source: Absa CashSend.
What the SMS is for
Absa says the beneficiary receives an SMS with a 10-digit reference or withdrawal number. Separately, the sender creates a 6-digit access PIN / code and must share that safely with the recipient (Absa’s app flow notes you may share the ATM access PIN with the recipient for security reasons — share it yourself, not via a stranger).
What you need to collect
- 10-digit reference number
- 6-digit PIN from the sender
- A collection point Absa currently lists: Absa ATM, Pick n Pay or Boxer
Collect at an Absa ATM
- Select CashSend Withdrawal
- Enter the 10-digit reference from the SMS
- Enter the 6-digit PIN from the sender
- Withdraw the money
Collect at Pick n Pay or Boxer
- Go to any till point
- Give the till operator the 10-digit withdrawal number and 6-digit PIN
- Collect the full CashSend amount
Older posts that name Shoprite, Checkers or Spar as CashSend collection points may be outdated — stick to what Absa lists today.
SMS still not here — what to try
- Confirm the cellphone number the sender typed (one wrong digit blocks the SMS)
- Check signal, phone power, SMS storage and spam / blocked messages
- Ask the sender to open Absa Banking App or Absa Online Banking, find the CashSend / beneficiary history, and resend the withdrawal code if that option is available
- Remember Absa’s page: the transaction is available for 30 days only — unredeemed CashSends can also be managed in Absa Online Banking
- If it still fails, the sender should contact Absa (CashSend page lists 0860 111 123 and branch / head-office contacts)
Limits (from Absa’s CashSend page — confirm live)
- App / online / ATM sends: Absa notes R5 000 per day and R25 000 per month for existing and once-off beneficiaries on those channels
- Cellphone banking (*120*2272#): Absa notes lower limits — R500 per day and R3 000 per month
- Amounts are often sent in R50 increments or rounded to the nearest R100
Scam warning
Nobody from Absa needs you to read your PIN aloud on a cold call, or to “verify” by sending the reference and PIN to a WhatsApp number. If someone who is not the sender asks for both codes, stop.
Related
Last checked: September 2026 against Absa CashSend. Limits and collection points can change — confirm on Absa. Not financial advice.