In short: You can send money on many South African bank accounts by dialling the bank’s official USSD / cellphone banking code, without opening the banking app. Official main codes include Capitec *120*3279#, Absa *120*2272#, FNB *120*321#, Standard Bank *120*2345# and Nedbank *120*001#. Register the handset first, follow the live menu for Pay, Transfer or Send Money, and confirm fees and limits on screen. Not financial advice.
Sources: Capitec Help centre FAQs (*120*3279# mobile banking / Send Cash themes); Absa Cellphone Banking (*120*2272#); FNB Cellphone Banking (*120*321#); FNB Cellphone Banking FAQs PDF; Standard Bank Cellphone Banking (*120*2345#, Instant Money and PayShap themes); Nedbank Cellphone Banking (*120*001#). Full code hub: USSD codes for all SA banks. Capitec without app: How to transfer money using Capitec without the app.
When USSD helps
USSD works on basic phones and smartphones when you have network signal and (for most *120* sessions) airtime. You do not need app data. It is useful for a balance check, a small transfer, prepaid top-up or cash-send style products your bank still offers on the menu. Network USSD charges can apply even when the bank does not add a subscription fee.
Official dial codes (confirm live)
- Capitec: *120*3279#
- Absa: *120*2272#
- FNB: *120*321# (FNB also documents *130*321# for airtime/data top-up themes when you lack airtime)
- Standard Bank: *120*2345# (top-up theme *130*2345#; Instant Money and PayShap paths sit under Payments and Transfers on Standard Bank’s page)
- Nedbank: *120*001#
Save codes only from the bank site or card sleeve, not from a forwarded SMS. Menus change; ignore third-party “press 3 then 2” trees and follow the live bank menu.
General send-money flow
- Register cellphone banking on the number you will dial, using the bank’s published app, ATM, branch or USSD registration steps.
- Dial the official code and wait for the bank menu.
- Choose Pay, Transfer, Send Money, Instant Money, CashSend, eWallet or the label your bank shows that day.
- Enter the beneficiary account or cellphone number exactly as required.
- Enter the amount, check the fee line if shown, then approve with your cellphone banking PIN.
- Save the SMS or on-screen reference.
For Capitec clients who need Send Cash or transfers without the app, use the dedicated guide Capitec transfer without the app after dialling *120*3279#.
Limits and fees
USSD often has lower daily ceilings than the full app. Banks publish different caps by product and profile. Read the limit on screen or in the bank’s current pricing guide. Do not use third-party limit tables as gospel. Standard Bank and Absa cellphone banking pages state that standard network charges apply; Absa notes you do not need airtime to bank on Absa Cellphone Banking on its product page. Confirm your own network bill.
Safety
- Never tell anyone your cellphone banking PIN or an OTP.
- Banks will not ask you to dial USSD and send money to “reverse a fraud”.
- If your phone loses signal suddenly, treat SIM-swap risk seriously and contact the network and bank on numbers you look up yourself.
- Double-check the cellphone or account number before you confirm. Wrong-number cash sends are hard to unwind.
Last checked: September 2026 against Capitec FAQ *120*3279# themes, Absa Cellphone Banking *120*2272#, FNB *120*321# / *130*321#, Standard Bank *120*2345# / *130*2345# Instant Money and PayShap notes, and Nedbank *120*001#. Confirm codes and menus on each bank site before you transact. Not financial advice.