Buy airtime
Bearer ds_live_ / ds_test_POST
/api/v1/merchant/airtime/purchaseTops up a Nigerian number with airtime (VTU, Share and Sell or Awuf4U). Your airtime discount is applied automatically and shown in the response.
Language
curl -X POST "https://finaldatasub.com/api/v1/merchant/airtime/purchase" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ds_live_YOUR_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Accept: application/json" \
-d '{
"reference": "ORDER-10022",
"network": "MTN",
"phone": "08031234567",
"amount": 500
}'Authentication
Send your secret API key in the header. Authorization: Token … and X-API-Key: … are also accepted.
| Header | Value | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Authorization | Bearer ds_live_YOUR_KEY | Yes |
| Content-Type | application/json | Yes |
| Accept | application/json | Recommended |
Authentication failures (401 UNAUTHORIZED, 403 IP_NOT_ALLOWED / ACCOUNT_SUSPENDED / API_ACCESS_NOT_APPROVED, 429 RATE_LIMITED) are listed in Authentication.
Parameters
Body parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| reference | string | Yes | Your unique order reference and idempotency key (max 128 chars). Re-sending it returns the original transaction and never charges twice. |
| network | string | Yes | MTN, GLO, AIRTEL or 9MOBILE, or an airtime biller slug / id. |
| phone | string | Yes | Nigerian number, e.g. 08031234567, 2348031234567 or +2348031234567 (must match /^(\+?234|0)?[789][01]\d{8}$/). Stored as 0XXXXXXXXXX. |
| amount | number | Yes | Airtime value in Naira (min 1; the biller's min / max apply). |
| airtime_type | string | No | VTU (default), Share and Sell or awuf4U. Each type is priced separately; check airtime_type on the airtime billers in List billers. |
| narration | string | No | Note stored on the transaction (max 255 chars). |
| save_beneficiary | boolean | No | Save the customer to your beneficiaries after a successful purchase (default true). |
| beneficiary_label | string | No | Label for the saved beneficiary (max 60 chars). |
Responses
201 Created — Successful · 202 Accepted — Pending · 422 Unprocessable Entity — Failed (refunded)
{
"status": "successful",
"reference": "ORDER-10022",
"channel": "api",
"transaction_id": "DS261005101830M2N8QW1T",
"category": "airtime",
"message": "Transaction successful.",
"network": "MTN",
"biller": "MTN Airtime",
"biller_slug": "mtn-airtime",
"phone": "08031234567",
"customer_ref": "08031234567",
"quantity": 1,
"unit_amount": "485.00",
"amount": "485.00",
"face_amount": "500.00",
"fee": "0.00",
"discount": "15.00",
"total_deducted": "485.00",
"balance_before": "24520.00",
"balance_after": "24035.00",
"provider_reference": "PRV-88213511",
"purchased_at": "2026-10-05T10:18:30+01:00"
}Errors
Errors specific to this endpoint, in addition to the authentication and validation errors common to every request.
| Code | HTTP | When |
|---|---|---|
| INVALID_PHONE | 400 | phone is not a valid Nigerian number. |
| BILLER_NOT_FOUND | 404 | Unknown or inactive biller / network. |
| SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE | 503 | The service or biller is disabled or temporarily unavailable. |
| INVALID_AMOUNT | 400 | Amount is zero or outside the biller's minimum / maximum. |
| DAILY_LIMIT_EXCEEDED | 429 | Your daily spend limit for this service is reached. |
| TIER_MAX_BALANCE / TIER_DAILY_LIMIT / TIER_MONTHLY_LIMIT | 429 | An account tier limit is reached. Upgrade KYC to raise it. |
| INSUFFICIENT_BALANCE | 402 | Wallet balance is too low for this purchase. |
| WALLET_INACTIVE | 403 | Your wallet is frozen or not active. |
| WALLET_BUSY | 409 | Another request is updating your wallet. Retry with the same reference. |
| TRANSACTION_FAILED | 422 | The provider could not deliver. Your wallet was refunded. |
| DUPLICATE | 200 / 202 / 409 | The reference was already used. The original transaction is returned. |