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Verified 13 September 2026

Your SIM is PUK-locked. Get the right code before you guess.

By David Wachira · Safaricom services hub · paybillke is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Safaricom services.

Call 100 free from the Safaricom line, or 0722 002100 from any other phone, and verify your identity. You can also retrieve it in the mySafaricom app. Enter the PUK when prompted, then set a new PIN.

Do not guess. Ten wrong entries is permanent.

This is the whole reason this page exists. A PIN-locked SIM asks for a PUK, and people try numbers. Ten wrong PUK entries blocks the SIM permanently, and permanently means the SIM is finished: you replace it, and anything tied to that SIM has to be re-established.

You get roughly ten attempts and there is no partial recovery. Get the correct code first. It takes one phone call.

Getting the code

  1. From the affected line, if it still makes calls: dial 100, which is free.
  2. From another phone: call 0722 002100.
  3. Or open the mySafaricom app and retrieve it there.
  4. You will be asked to verify your identity. Have your ID details ready.
  5. Enter the PUK at the prompt, then set a new PIN you will remember.

PUK, PIN and M-PESA PIN are three different things

Worth separating, because the confusion causes wrong attempts. The SIM PIN unlocks the SIM at startup. The PUK unlocks the SIM after too many wrong PINs. The M-PESA PIN is unrelated to both and is reset through a completely different route. A blocked SIM does not mean a blocked M-PESA account.

About this page

paybillke is an independent payments directory and is not Safaricom or M-PESA. Checked 13 September 2026 against Safaricom’s published service pages. Safaricom will never ask for your M-PESA PIN or a one-time password: report anyone who does to 100, and forward suspicious messages to 333.

Frequently asked

How do I get my Safaricom PUK?

Call 100 free from the line, or 0722 002100 from another phone, and verify your identity. It is also in the mySafaricom app.

What happens if I enter the wrong PUK?

Ten wrong entries blocks the SIM permanently. Get the correct code rather than guessing.

Is the PUK the same as my M-PESA PIN?

No. The PUK unlocks a SIM after too many wrong SIM PINs. The M-PESA PIN is separate and reset separately.

My SIM is permanently blocked. What now?

You need a replacement SIM. Visit a Safaricom shop with your original ID.

Does a blocked SIM block my M-PESA?

Not in itself. The M-PESA account is tied to the number rather than to the physical SIM.