Buying prepaid inside PowerApp is a straight line when the account is already set up: pick the prepaid meter, Buy Credit, amount in cedis, wallet or card, confirm. ECG then shows a receipt in Transactions and typically texts the token. You still walk to the meter. An in-app “success” that you never type on the keypad leaves the house dark.
If the app asks for OTP every session, or MoMo wallets are stuck to an old handset, that is an app-account problem, not a dead meter. Switch to *226# or Ewale *714*22# rather than repeating a broken login.
Inside the app, in order
Use the prepaid tile, not postpaid. Enter an amount you can afford and that the vending system will accept — very tiny amounts can be rejected; huge amounts are a theft risk on a shared meter. Choose MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AT Money, or a card if offered. The MoMo PIN belongs on the telco prompt, not in a chat with “ECG support” from Facebook.
Watch Transactions. Pending is not failure. Pending plus a second Buy Credit is how you own two tokens and still have no lights because you typed neither.
Save the meter on a calm afternoon. Night-time first-time setup is when people paste a neighbour’s number. If the registered name is not your house, delete the tile and start again. Amounts that look like “whatever is in MoMo” on a shared meter are how one person funds a floor. Agree a cap.
If Buy Credit is greyed out, you may be on a postpaid account, a meter awaiting verification, or an app that lost its session. Grey is not a prompt to sideload a helper APK. Grey is a prompt to USSD.
The token is not “app credit”
STS prepaid meters eat a numeric token, usually twenty digits. PowerApp may display it and SMS it. Copy from the original message. No spaces. Enter on the keypad or CIU, then the confirm key (often blue / enter). The display should add units. “Successful” on a NURI meter with CRC errors is a known ugly case — the app is not lying about payment, the meter protocol needs ECG’s upgrade path.
Card-based meters that want NFC or Bluetooth transfer are a different beast. If the app says it cannot write the card, do not keep paying. Use a token-vending path or ECG’s vendor instructions for that meter type.
When PowerApp is the wrong tool tonight
No data, Play Services crashing, dual-SIM OTP on the idle SIM, or a tenant who must not get your PowerApp login: use USSD. *226# is ECG. *714*22# is the shortcode this site recommends for everyday use because it works on keypad phones, confirms the name, and you can keep it next to DSTV and Ghana Water. Payments still settle through MoMo. This article cannot debit you.
Amounts, names, and who should press Buy
Buy before zero if you can. Panic amounts on a shared meter are how one tenant funds the whole floor. Confirm the saved meter name matches the plate you are walking toward. If you manage two shops, do not trust muscle memory on the first tile in the list.
Family protocol: one adult is the buyer for the night. Announce it. Two PowerApp sessions plus one USSD is three tokens or three pendings. Check Transactions and the wallet SMS before anyone else taps.
After the token SMS, the app’s job is over. The keypad still needs twenty digits and a confirm key. If the CIU is in a locked electrical room, buying online does not unlock the door. Send the SMS to whoever can stand in front of the meter.
Receipts versus the LCD
PowerApp receipts prove you paid. The meter LCD proves units arrived. If they disagree, do not buy again. Photograph the receipt, the SMS, and the meter number. ECG 0302 611 611 owns protocol and upgrade issues. The checkout you used owns a debit with no token.
NURI CRC and CLOU STS upgrades are ECG field work, not a second MoMo. Used tokens should not be retyped. Old tokens after a newer successful vend can confuse the sequence. Invalid usually means typos or the wrong meter.
FAQ
Do I need internet after paying?
You need it for the app session. You do not need it to type a token you already received by SMS. If SMS is delayed, wait on the first debit.
Can I buy for a meter not saved in the app?
Add and confirm the name first. Typing a neighbour’s number in haste is a gift. USSD (*714*22# or *226#) also shows a name — read it.
If it still fails
- Paid, no token in app: Check SMS and Transactions. Then ECG 0302 611 611 or the checkout’s support with the reference. Do not buy again on a different app “to be safe”.
- Token rejected: Retype once. Confirm meter number vs receipt. Used/Old/Invalid/CRC are different stories — see a dedicated error article, do not spray tokens.
PowerApp is a good shop window. The meter is the till. *714*22# is the backup till that does not need an app store.