5 best online top up services

Staying connected with family and friends overseas is important. But not everyone can maintain a cell phone with usable minutes and data all the time. Sometimes, you need to lend a helping hand, and online mobile top up is the easiest way. But what does mobile top up mean?

What is a mobile top up?

Mobile phone top-up is a simple way of adding credits to cell phones. It’s when someone adds money to their or another person’s mobile number, so they can make calls, send texts, or access the web. And thanks to the Internet, there’s no longer a need to visit the local cell phone store – you can top up online.

How to send top up (Airtime)?

The way top ups work is quite straightforward.

Every mobile phone connects to a telecom network, and users must purchase credits to use it. Those credits allow people to make voice calls, surf the Internet, send text messages, and more.

As for how you'd send a top up, all you need is the phone number of the recipient, their mobile carrier, and a great recharge service like BOSS Revolution – where you can send near-instant international mobile top ups.

The following steps apply for most people, though with varying degrees of differences.

• First, choose a top up or recharge service. Ideally, you should use brands that have a mobile app and web access. That way, you can top up whenever you want without the lack of those things becoming an obstacle.
• Select the kind of top up you want. Recharge services typically allow you to send credits for the Internet too, which is excellent.
• Specify the amount of credit you need or want to send (e.g., $5, $10, $20, etc.).
• Pay for your top up with the payment method you prefer. Top up service providers typically accept credit and debit cards. Some will accept bank transfers.
• The recipient will receive the credits on their phone, usually almost immediately. For example, BOSS Revolution makes sending near-instant international mobile top up easy. 
• You may receive a receipt and instructions for redeeming after purchase (depending on your recharge service).

Best online top up services & apps

There are many online mobile top up service providers on the market. But you probably don't want to use an unknown or unproven solution or end up with a bad experience. So here are the five best considerations to help you narrow your choices.

1. BOSS Revolution – best for international top up & fast delivery

If you want a simple, affordable, and free of charge service, look no further than BOSS Revolution. You can top up your phone or that of your family and friends online to stay connected. And the user experience of the mobile app and web platform is wonderfully intuitive.

BOSS Revolution supports more than 100+ countries for services, including Mexico, El Salvador, Nigeria, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Peru, and Ghana, to name a few. In addition, there are balance promotions that occur. These allow you to double, triple, or even quadruple your top-up balance when you send overseas.

And unlike some providers like TopUp or Ding, BOSS Revolution doesn’t have fees. That means you’ll know exactly the total amount your recipient will get before sending anything. The whole process is highly secure and transparent.

Here's how to send a top up with BOSS Revolution.

• First, create your account by downloading the Boss Revolution app and following the on-screen instructions. You can get the app on Google Play or App Store.
• Enter the mobile number of the person you want to send a top up. The BOSS Revolution system will automatically identify the country.
• Select your recipient’s mobile carrier.
• Enter the top up amount, hit send, and you’re all done.

2. Recharge.com – best for infrequent users

Recharge.com is a company that primarily offers branded payments – an alternate payment method (e.g., gift cards, prepaid payment cards, etc.). However, they also provide mobile top-ups and support carriers in various countries.

Recharge.com can be a good option if you need to send top ups. The only potential drawback is that they only support a few places. For example, the Philippines and Nigeria aren’t on their country support list.

3. Topup.com – best for fast top ups

TopUp.com is a mobile recharging service that supports over 140 countries. Like the other apps, you can send credits or add minutes to any prepaid cell phone number. Users of the service claim it's fast, and recipients instantly receive credits.

However, some customers report topup.com is on the expensive side. And according to the company, processing fees are established according to the agreements they have with providers worldwide.

The topup.com mobile app is available on Android and iOS.

4. Worldremit.com – best for fast top ups

WorldRemit is an online cross-border remittance brand providing remittance services in over 130 countries and 70 currencies.

It offers airtime top-up among its services, and users report the service is easy to use and highly efficient. However, their rates are hardly the cheapest. Some people also complain the company needs to be more transparent.

Nevertheless, WorldRemit is another good option to consider. Most user feedback is good, and the company has a decent track record.

5. Ding.com – great for mobile top up in general

Ding.com is one of the oldest recharge services for sending online mobile top up to friends and family. You can easily make transactions, and the mobile app is available on Android and iOS.

Overall, there are mixed user reviews, and many people complain about the mobile app experience. There were also some customer service concerns. However, Ding has good coverage, supporting more than 150 countries. So the service might be suitable for your needs.

Airtime auto-refill

You may have heard about airtime auto-refills and wondering what that means.

Simply put, airtime auto-refill is a way to ensure there's money on your account or that of loved ones. Many recharge service providers offer the feature, including BOSS Revolution.

You’ll generally need to activate the feature to use it. Then your top up service provider will automatically charge your credit card, debit card, or bank account on file – for the specified amount you chose.

Users usually have 100% control over how often refills occur. For example, with BOSS Revolution, you can edit your automatic recharge settings anytime in the account center.

What does my recipient need to receive a top up?

Well, the short answer is nothing.

Your family or friend doesn’t have to be an account holder of any recharge service. They don’t even need an Internet connection.

Typically, the funds or top up will appear as a credit on their prepaid cell phone service account. But for some recharge service providers, you may have to give the recipient instructions for redeeming the top up.

Sending a mobile top up to your family and friends allows them to use their phones and whatever features are available (determined by the service carrier). That way, you can enjoy talking to them more.

Sources: all third party information obtained from applicable website as of January 20, 2022

1. topup.com/help_center 

2. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.topup.ui 

3. www.recharge.com/en/ca/mobile-top-up 

4. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.recharge.app.prod&hl=en_CA&gl=US  

5. www.worldremit.com/ 

6. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.worldremit.android&hl=en_CA&gl=US 

7. www.ding.com/topup  

8. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ezetop.world&hl=en_CA&gl=US 

This article is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to address every aspect of the matters discussed herein. The information in this article is not intended as specific personal advice. The information in this article does not constitute legal, tax, regulatory or other professional advice from IDT Payment Services, Inc. and its affiliates (collectively, “IDT”), and should not be taken or used as such by any individual. IDT makes no representation, warranty or guaranty, whether express or implied, that the content in this article is current, accurate, or complete. You should obtain professional or other substantive advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the information in this article.