SME Data vs Gifting vs CG: Glo 10.5GB ₦2,865 or MTN 10GB ₦4,433?

SME, gifting and corporate gifting (CG) data are the same data once they reach your phone. The label only tells you how the bundle travelled to your line, so SME data vs gifting really comes down to what you pay for each GB.

Glo wins. Its AWUF plan works out at about ₦273 per GB. Airtel comes second, with its big monthly plan at ₦395 per GB, and MTN costs the most, because even its 10GB monthly plan lands at ₦443 per GB while the smaller MTN plans climb well past that. All prices are as at 5 November 2026.

If you already have MTN data and just want to send some to your mum, you don't need a new plan at all. MTN data transfer moves part of your bundle to her line. That data keeps your expiry date and never rolls over.

SME data vs gifting vs CG: price per GB, validity and rollover

AidaPay prices as at 5 November 2026. Cashback sits in brackets.

What SME data means now, and why Glo is cheapest per GB

SME data began as bulk plans that networks sold to businesses for their staff lines. Resellers later broke those plans up and sold them on per GB. MTN now runs that route as Data Transfer, and of the plans in the table, only Glo still carries the SME name. Gifting is simpler. Someone buys a whole plan straight to your number, which is exactly how the MTN and Airtel plans in the table reach you.

Glo has one quirk. Its standard SME plans charge a flat ₦440 per GB at every size in the table, so the bigger bundle earns you no discount. AWUF costs far less than the 10GB SME plan and still gives you more data, which makes it the obvious pick for anyone buying about 5GB or more.

Does gifted data roll over on MTN?

That depends on how the data reached you. A whole plan bought for your number gets its full validity. Renew in the same category before the grace period ends and your unused main data rolls over; a 30-day plan gets a week of grace. Bonus data never rolls over.

Transferred data is stricter. It won't roll over or auto-renew, MTN caps transfers at 5GB a day, and every transfer has to leave at least 100MB on the sender's line. Some bundles can't be shared at all.

Some Airtel monthly plans add bonus data that only works in certain apps or at night, so compare the main data alone.

Is corporate gifting (CG) data any different?

Not really. CG is a seller's word for data sent in bulk through a network's corporate channel. No network sells a product called "CG data", and there's no special CG validity or official CG rate, so your bundle keeps the validity of the plan it came from. Because it lands as a normal bundle, it works in a MiFi on the same network. Unlimited router plans are a different product.

Be careful with WhatsApp "CG" sellers who give no receipt, no plan name and no expiry date, because you'll have nothing to show anyone if the data never lands.

Best data type for students, streamers, MiFi users and small businesses

Your network and your habits decide this. The label on the plan doesn't.

Students on a tight budget

With a Glo SIM, the 1GB monthly plan is the safest small buy. Skip social-only plans if your lectures run on a website or a video call.

Heavy streamers and laptop users

On Glo, take the 10.5GB AWUF plan. Anywhere else, start with Airtel's big monthly plan, since it beats MTN's on price per GB.

MiFi and router owners

Any normal plan works, as long as the MiFi takes that network's SIM. Type the number of the SIM inside the MiFi, not your phone's number.

Small businesses sending data to staff

Buy each staff member a monthly plan on their own number. Everyone gets the full validity, and you can see who received what without chasing anyone for screenshots.

Parents topping up a child's line

Got spare MTN data? Dial *321*2# and send some to your child's MTN number. If you have none to spare, buy a plan straight to their number so they get the full validity and normal rollover.

How to buy data for another number

1. Open the AidaPay app and tap Home, then Data.
2. Choose the network: MTN, Airtel or Glo.
3. Pick the plan by its size and validity, and check the name for "Social" or "Night".
4. Type the phone number that should receive the data, for example 0803XXXXXXX.
5. Confirm with your PIN.
6. Dial the balance code on the receiving phone a few minutes later.

MTN users can check their balance with *323*4#. For Airtel, Glo and T2, use the data balance codes for every network.

Data not showing? Check the number you typed first, since one wrong digit is the usual culprit. Then open Transactions and requery the order. A failed purchase refunds to your wallet automatically, with no support ticket needed.

Before your next top-up, find your network in the table and pick the lowest ₦ per GB that will last you the month.

Frequently asked questions

Published 5 November 2026. Prices and codes change - if you spot one that has moved, tell us and we will fix it.