For telecom operators
Interactive USSD services — menus, banking and self-care without internet
USSD reaches every handset on your network — smartphone or feature phone, with or without data. Our gateway turns dial codes into interactive, real-time session menus your subscribers and enterprise partners can build on.
Operator & carrier engagements · Works on every handset
What is USSD?
USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) is the session-based protocol behind dial codes like *123#. Unlike SMS, it opens a live, real-time session between the handset and the network — a question-and-answer menu that responds instantly, works on every GSM handset ever made, and needs no internet connection or app.
That reach is why USSD still powers the highest-stakes mobile services: balance inquiries, prepaid recharges, and mobile banking for hundreds of millions of users whose phones — or data plans — can't run apps.
Our gateway sits in your network and turns those sessions into a platform: you (and the banks, utilities and enterprises you partner with) define menu applications, and the gateway handles session state, timeouts, and the messaging that flows beneath.
Session flow
How a USSD session works
One dial code, one live session — every step round-trips in real time.
- 01
Subscriber dials the code
*123# opens a session — the network routes it to the gateway, which serves the menu application.
- 02
Menu renders instantly
The subscriber sees numbered options; unlike SMS, nothing is stored — it's a live dialogue.
- 03
Selections round-trip
Each keypress goes back to the application, which returns the next screen — balance, confirmation, PIN prompt.
- 04
Session completes
The transaction confirms and the session closes; the gateway logs it for billing and analytics.
Use cases
What operators and their partners build on USSD
Session menus that work for every subscriber, not just the ones with data plans.
Balance & validity checks
The single highest-volume self-service query on any network, answered in one screen.
Mobile banking
PIN-protected transfers, deposits and payments — the backbone of financial inclusion beyond smartphones.
Recharges & packs
Prepaid top-ups and data-pack purchases without a store visit or an app.
Subscriber self-care
Plan changes, offers, complaints and KYC status from any handset.
Surveys & engagement
Interactive polls and campaigns with instant, structured responses.
Enterprise menus
Host menu applications for banks, utilities and government partners on your network.
The platform
The gateway behind the menus
USSD looks simple on a handset; running it well at network scale is the hard part we've built for.
Menu application builder
Define flows as configuration — screens, branches, validations and language variants — and update services without code deployments.
Session management
Concurrent-session capacity, timeout handling and state tracking tuned for the burst patterns of promotions and month-end banking.
Integration APIs
Clean HTTP interfaces let banks, utilities and your own systems power menu logic from their backends in real time.
Analytics & audit
Per-service session logs, completion funnels and drop-off analysis — plus the audit trail regulators expect for financial flows.
Comparison
USSD vs SMS — when to use which
They complement each other: USSD for live dialogues, SMS for messages that should persist.
| USSD | SMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Interaction | Live session — instant menu round-trips | Store-and-forward, one message at a time |
| Persistence | Nothing saved on the handset | Stays in the inbox (receipts, OTPs) |
| Reach | Every GSM handset, no internet | Every handset, no internet |
| Best for | Balance checks, banking, self-care menus | Notifications, OTPs, campaigns |
| Security posture | Session PIN entry, nothing persisted | Message persists — avoid sensitive detail |
FAQ
USSD questions, answered
What is USSD?
Unstructured Supplementary Service Data — the protocol behind dial codes like *123#. It opens a live, menu-based session between a handset and the network, works on every GSM phone, and needs no internet or app. It's how balance checks and mobile banking reach every subscriber.
Does USSD work without internet or smartphones?
Yes — that's its defining strength. USSD runs on the GSM signaling layer, so it works on feature phones and smartphones alike, with zero data connectivity. If a phone can make a call, it can use USSD.
What can operators build on a USSD gateway?
Subscriber self-care (balance, recharge, plan management), mobile-banking menus for bank partners, government and utility services, surveys and engagement campaigns — any interactive flow that must reach every handset on the network.
How do USSD sessions work?
Dialing a code opens a real-time session routed to the gateway, which serves a menu application. Each keypress round-trips instantly to the application and back. Sessions are live dialogues — nothing is stored on the handset — and close on completion or timeout.
USSD vs SMS — when should each be used?
Use USSD for interactive, real-time flows (checking a balance, completing a banking transaction). Use SMS when the message should persist — OTPs, confirmations, alerts. The strongest services pair them: transact over USSD, confirm by SMS.
How quickly can a new USSD service go live?
Once the gateway is integrated in your network, new menu applications are configuration, not projects — a straightforward self-care or survey menu can be defined, tested and launched in days. Services backed by partner systems (like banking) add the partner's integration time.
Bring interactive services to every handset on your network
Tell us the services you want to launch — our telecom team will map the menu applications, integration and commercials.
Talk to our telecom teamOperator engagements under NDA · Integration workshop included