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SASSA Grant Balance Check: Bank USSD Codes, Postbank SMS and Card Tips

How to check your SASSA grant balance depends on where the money lands. Verified USSD codes for Capitec, FNB, Standard Bank, Absa and Nedbank, the official Postbank SMS balance service, and the difference between a balance and an SRD status.

Person holding a mobile phone and a bank card
ZA
Lucky Cungwa

SASSA Help Hub — Independent Unofficial Resource

Updated: 9/18/2026
5 minutes
Written by Lucky Cungwa
Fact-checked & last verified: 2026-09-18

Guide Contents

Your Payment Channel Decides How to CheckBank Account Payments: Verified USSD CodesPostbank Cards: Use the Official SMS Balance Service*120*355# Is a Site Locator, Not a Balance CodeBalance vs Status - They Are Two Different ThingsCheck Safely, Especially on Pay Day

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Your Payment Channel Decides How to Check

There is no single 'SASSA balance check'. The right method depends on where your grant is paid: into your own bank account, or onto a Postbank card (Black Card, or the old Gold Card). If SASSA pays into your bank, you check with that bank. If it pays onto a Postbank card, you check with Postbank. Meanwhile the SRD portal shows your application status - whether the grant was approved for a month - not the rand balance sitting on your card or in your account.

Pro Tip

  • Check the pay-day notification first; the balance follows the payment.
  • Which method applies to you? Look at how your money arrived last month.
2

Bank Account Payments: Verified USSD Codes

If your SRD grant is paid into a normal bank account, dial your bank's cellphone banking code to check the balance - no data needed. These codes were verified against official bank pages: | Bank | Balance check (dial) | |---|---| | Capitec | *120*3279# | | FNB | *120*321# | | Standard Bank | *120*2345# | | Absa | *120*2272# | | Nedbank | *120*001# | | African Bank | *120*225# | You may need your cellphone banking PIN the first time. Each bank still lists its code on its own website and on the back of its card - confirm there before relying on it.

Pro Tip

  • Register your cellphone number with the bank first - USSD banking is tied to it.
  • These codes use airtime in some cases, not data, and most balance checks are free or a few cents.
3

Postbank Cards: Use the Official SMS Balance Service

Postbank's official balance check is by SMS, published on the Postbank website. From the cellphone number registered on your account, send: 'BAL', a space, then the last four digits of your Postbank account number (not the card number) to 32302. You get your balance back by SMS; it costs about R1. Send it from a different phone and you get an 'invalid cell number' error. You can also use a Postbank ATM balance enquiry for free, or call 0800 53 54 55.

Pro Tip

  • Account number and card number are different - use the account number.
  • Save the number 32302 in your phone so the SMS is quick to send on pay day.
4

*120*355# Is a Site Locator, Not a Balance Code

The code *120*355# helps you find your nearest Postbank site - it is not a balance enquiry. Notably, Postbank does not publish a USSD balance code at all. The *120*69# balance menu you will see on some websites is not from Postbank and is unverified. Stick to the confirmed methods: the SMS service above, a Postbank ATM, or the call centre.

Pro Tip

  • A website telling you to 'dial this code for your SASSA balance' is usually seeking clicks, not helping.
  • Never enter your PIN into a USSD session sent to you by SMS - dial only the codes you trust.
5

Balance vs Status - They Are Two Different Things

The USSD code *120*69277# and the SRD portal tell you your grant status - Approved, Pending or Declined, and the Pay Day date when approved. They do not show what is left on your card or in your bank account. To see the actual money, use your bank's USSD/app/ATM (bank payments) or Postbank's SMS service (card payments). Two queries, two answers: status says you were approved, balance says the money is there.

Pro Tip

  • Approved with no payment arrived yet? The Pay Day date on the portal tells you what day to expect it.
  • Declined for the month? That is a status problem, not a balance problem - you may need to appeal.
6

Check Safely, Especially on Pay Day

On pay day the networks are congested - if a USSD or SMS request times out, wait a few minutes and retry. Never share your banking PIN, card PIN or OTP with anyone who contacts you about a 'balance check'. If your Postbank card locks after three wrong PIN attempts, you must visit a branch or service point. And if your balance looks short, check recent deposits against the R624 income line, because one stranger's deposit can trigger a declined month.

Pro Tip

  • SASSA will never call and ask you to 'verify' by reading out an OTP or PIN.
  • Blocked card? Visit any Postbank service point - you will not sort it over SMS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need internet data to check my SASSA balance?

No. USSD and SMS balance checks work without data on any phone. They may use a small amount of airtime, but no data bundle is required.

Is the Postbank SMS balance service free?

No - it costs about R1 per enquiry. The balance reply arrives by SMS from the registered cellphone number only.

Can I check my Postbank card balance by USSD?

Postbank does not publish a USSD balance code. The official methods are the SMS service (send BAL plus the last four digits of your account number to 32302), Postbank ATM, or the call centre on 0800 53 54 55. USSD codes circulating online, like *120*69#, are unverified.

What is the *120*69277# USSD code for?

It is the SASSA SRD status check - it shows whether your SRD grant is Approved, Pending or Declined for a month, not how much money is on your card.

My SRD is paid into a bank account. How do I check the balance?

Use that bank's own channel - Capitec *120*3279#, FNB *120*321#, Standard Bank *120*2345#, Absa *120*2272#, Nedbank *120*001#, or each bank's app and ATM.

Why does my balance look lower than expected?

Check recent deposits first. If a deposit pushed your total over the R624 income threshold in a month, that month may be declined. Check your SRD status on the portal, and appeal within 90 days if the decline is wrong.

Sources & References

This guide was researched and verified against the following official sources:

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