Before you buy Equitel airtime through M-Pesa, run through this quick checklist to make sure the transaction goes smoothly the first time.

1. Confirm the number. Double check the Equitel number you are about to enter as the account number.

2. Confirm the paybill. Make sure you are dialling 4142145, not a different or unfamiliar paybill number.

3. Confirm the amount. Enter the exact amount you intend to spend before confirming with your PIN.

4. Wait for confirmation. Do not repeat the payment until you have received your M-Pesa confirmation SMS.

Step 1: Open your M-Pesa menu and select Lipa na M-Pesa, then Pay Bill.

Step 2: Key in 4142145, TeelPay's official paybill for buying airtime for all networks including Equitel.

Step 3: Enter the Equitel number you want to top up as the account number.

Step 4: Type the amount you want to buy, then enter your M-Pesa PIN to confirm.

Step 5: You will get an M-Pesa confirmation SMS almost immediately, followed by a top-up alert from Equitel itself.

Because the payment runs through Safaricom's official Lipa na M-Pesa Paybill system, it carries the same security as every other M-Pesa transaction you make, complete with a confirmation SMS you can refer back to at any time.

TeelPay exists so that buying airtime for all networks in Kenya, Equitel included, does not require separate apps, agents or shortcodes. One paybill number, 4142145, covers Safaricom, Airtel, Faiba and Equitel, so you only ever need to remember one number no matter whose line you are topping up.

Kenya's airtime habits have shifted fast: Equitel lines today are used for far more than calls, they power mobile money, data bundles, USSD banking and countless small daily transactions. Keeping a line active is rarely optional, which is why having more than one reliable way to top up matters, especially one that does not depend on an agent's opening hours or available float.

Save Paybill 4142145 in your M-Pesa favourites, and the next time your Equitel line runs low on airtime, you will be back online in under a minute, no matter where you are or what time it is.