Job Description
We are looking for a Payment Escalations Agent to join our Customer Care group; as we scale up and drive digital and financial inclusion across our markets.
Job Purpose
The Payment Escalations Agent is responsible for investigating, verifying, and resolving escalated payment and refund-related cases within agreed service levels. The role serves as a key control point between Customer Care, payment systems, and external payment partners, ensuring all refund requests are accurately validated, compliant with company policies, and processed correctly.
The position plays a critical role in safeguarding financial controls, maintaining customer trust, and ensuring a seamless resolution experience for customers while supporting operational efficiency and risk management.
Key Responsibilities
1. Payment Escalation & Case Management
Receive, review, and manage escalated payment-related cases referred by frontline teams and Team Leaders.
Prioritise cases based on urgency, complexity, and service-level requirements.
Ensure all cases are tracked from receipt through to final resolution within agreed turnaround times.
Maintain clear communication and updates on case progress where required.
2. Customer Verification & Transaction Validation
Verify customer identity, account ownership, and transaction history before initiating any refund or payment correction.
Review payment records across internal systems to confirm transaction validity and eligibility.
Ensure all verification procedures are completed accurately and in accordance with company policies.
Escalate cases where verification requirements cannot be fully met.
3. Refund Processing & Compliance
Review refund requests against company refund policies, approval thresholds, and compliance requirements.
Confirm that all supporting documentation and approvals are in place before processing refunds.
Process approved refunds accurately through the relevant payment channels and systems.
Ensure refund transactions are completed with a high level of accuracy and minimal operational risk.
4. Payment Operations & Partner Coordination
Coordinate refund execution through internal payment systems and external payment partners.
Liaise with mobile money providers and payment partners to resolve transaction failures, delays, or reconciliation issues.
Follow up on pending transactions and ensure timely completion of customer refunds.
Support resolution of payment-related operational issues affecting customer experience.
5. Fraud Detection & Risk Management
Identify suspicious activity, duplicate claims, unusual transaction patterns, or potential fraud indicators.
Conduct detailed investigations and gather supporting evidence for high-risk cases.
Escalate suspicious or potentially fraudulent cases to the Team Leader in line with established procedures.
Support adherence to financial controls, compliance requirements, and risk management standards.
6. Documentation & Record Management
Maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready records for all escalated cases.
Document verification activities, decisions, approvals, transaction details, and case outcomes.
Ensure compliance with data privacy, record retention, and financial governance requirements.
Support internal audits and investigations by providing accurate case documentation when required.
7. Reporting & Continuous Improvement
Monitor personal performance metrics including resolution times, accuracy, and case volumes.
Identify recurring payment issues, process gaps, and operational trends.
Escalate systemic challenges and improvement opportunities to management and relevant stakeholders.
Contribute to operational reporting and initiatives aimed at improving customer experience and payment operations efficiency.
Reporting Structure
Reports To: Team Leader – Payments & Collections
Qualifications & Experience
Education
Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
Experience
1–2 years of experience in customer operations, payments operations, back-office support, financial services, or a related environment.
Experience working with CRM, payment, or case management systems.
Familiarity with Freshdesk or similar customer support platforms is an advantage.
Experience with mobile money ecosystems and payment reconciliation processes is preferred.
Skills & Competencies
Strong attention to detail and accuracy, particularly when handling financial transactions.
Analytical and investigative skills with the ability to identify discrepancies and anomalies.
Sound judgement and decision-making capabilities when assessing customer claims and payment disputes.
High levels of integrity and confidentiality when handling customer and financial information.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and operational systems.
Strong written communication and documentation skills.
Ability to manage multiple cases while meeting strict service-level targets.
Strong organisational and time-management skills.
Problem-solving mindset with a focus on customer resolution and operational excellence.
Knowledge & Expertise
Understanding of payment operations, refunds, and transaction processing.
Familiarity with mobile money platforms such as MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money.
Knowledge of fraud prevention controls and financial compliance principles.
Understanding of customer service and case management best practices.
Experience working within SLA-driven operational environments.
Why M-KOPA?
At M-KOPA, we empower our people to own their careers through diverse development programs, coaching partnerships, and on-the-job training. We support individual journeys with family-friendly policies, prioritize well-being, and embrace flexibility.
Join us in shaping the future of M-KOPA as we grow together. Explore more at m-kopa.com.
Recognized four times by the Financial Times as one Africa's fastest growing companies (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026) and by TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we've served over 7 million customers, unlocking $1.5 billion in cumulative credit for the unbanked across Africa.
Important Notice
M-KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
M-KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of Forced or Child Labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and conditions of employment voluntarily, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall ensure that its Employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as internships or apprenticeships.
M-KOPA does not collect/charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. This means that we never ask for ‘recruitment fees’, ‘processing fees’, ‘interview fees’, or any other kind of money in exchange for offer letters or interviews at any time during the hiring process.
Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the advertised closing date.
If your application is successful M-KOPA undertakes pre-employment background checks as part of its recruitment process, these include; criminal records, identification verification, academic qualifications, employment dates and employer references.