Mobile money agents: how the float works and how to stay liquid
An agent is the bank in a place that has none. This guide explains float, prefunding, daily reconciliation and the habits that keep an agent liquid on market day.
Every digital payment system that works for ordinary people has agents at its edge: the person who turns cash into balance in the morning and balance into cash in the evening. Being that person is a business, and like any business it runs on liquidity.
What float is
Your float is the balance you hold with BitriPay to serve customers. When a customer deposits cash, your float goes down and their balance goes up. When a customer withdraws, your float goes up and you hand out cash. You need both cash and float, and on a busy day one of them runs out first.
Prefunding
You prefund your float by paying into the platform through a bank transfer, a mobile-money payment or a master agent. The platform reconciles the float with safeguarded funds daily, so the balance you hold is always backed.
Every transaction is approved by the customer
- Cash-in: the customer shows you their @tag or QR code; you enter the amount; they approve on their phone. Their balance is credited and your float is debited.
- Cash-out: the customer creates a cash-out code in their app for the amount; you enter or scan it; you hand over cash only once your app shows it as settled.
You never handle the customer's phone and you never learn their PIN. Your commission is shown to both of you before confirmation.
Staying liquid on market day
- Look at last week's pattern in your history and prefund the night before the busiest day.
- Keep a cash buffer for the evening cash-out rush; early-day deposits usually cover it.
- Agree a rebalancing routine with a master agent or the nearest bank branch.
- Use limits: your daily and per-transaction limits protect you from one customer draining your float.
Executing payouts for remittances
Approved agents can also execute mobile-money payouts for transfers coming from abroad. The instruction appears in your queue with a loud alert; you send from the merchant SIM, and the operator's confirmation SMS is forwarded and verified automatically by the payout device app, or entered by you and checked by a second person. You are paid a fee per settled payout.
Rules that protect you
- Charge only the commission shown in the app.
- Do not hand over cash before "settled".
- Keep your SIM and payout device to yourself.
- Report a suspicious customer through the app; you are never expected to argue with anyone.
Becoming an agent
Register with an agent account, upload your ID and business documents, and a BitriPay onboarding officer will visit or call. Training takes about an hour, and you keep a printed guide with the steps above.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a shop?
No. Many agents work from a kiosk, a pharmacy counter or a phone-charging stand. You need an ID, a business registration where the law requires one, a phone and a starting float.
Who confirms a cash-out?
The customer approves it on their own phone with their fingerprint or PIN. You never touch their phone or their PIN, and you hand over cash only when your app shows the payout as settled.
What happens to the money I pay out?
Your float is a prefunded balance reconciled against the platform every day. Each payout reduces it and each cash-in increases it, and you can see every movement in your history.
Sources and further reading
Send with a QR code, add money by card or mobile money, issue a virtual card. Sandbox balances let you explore before any real money moves.
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