diff --git a/flows/actions/testdata/transfer_airtime.json b/flows/actions/testdata/transfer_airtime.json
index 1a065712e..6f7d1b16d 100644
--- a/flows/actions/testdata/transfer_airtime.json
+++ b/flows/actions/testdata/transfer_airtime.json
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
                 "type": "error",
                 "created_on": "2018-10-18T14:20:30.000123456Z",
                 "step_uuid": "59d74b86-3e2f-4a93-aece-b05d2fdcde0c",
-                "text": "can't transfer airtime to contact without a tel URN"
+                "text": "can't transfer airtime to contact without a phone number"
             },
             {
                 "type": "run_result_changed",
diff --git a/flows/actions/transfer_airtime.go b/flows/actions/transfer_airtime.go
index d6e21ce6f..79df5a195 100644
--- a/flows/actions/transfer_airtime.go
+++ b/flows/actions/transfer_airtime.go
@@ -66,16 +66,18 @@ func (a *TransferAirtimeAction) transfer(run flows.Run, logEvent flows.EventCall
 	contact := run.Contact()
 
 	// fail if the contact doesn't have a tel URN
-	telURNs := contact.URNs().WithScheme(urns.Phone.Prefix)
+	telURNs := contact.URNs().WithScheme(urns.Phone.Prefix, urns.WhatsApp.Prefix)
 	if len(telURNs) == 0 {
-		return nil, errors.New("can't transfer airtime to contact without a tel URN")
+		return nil, errors.New("can't transfer airtime to contact without a phone number")
 	}
 
+	recipient := telURNs[0].URN()
+
 	// if contact's preferred channel is a phone number, use that as the sender
 	var sender urns.URN
 	channel := contact.PreferredChannel()
-	if channel != nil && channel.SupportsScheme(urns.Phone.Prefix) {
-		sender, _ = urns.Parse("tel:" + channel.Address())
+	if channel != nil && channel.SupportsScheme(recipient.Scheme()) {
+		sender, _ = urns.Parse(recipient.Scheme() + ":" + channel.Address())
 	}
 
 	svc, err := run.Session().Engine().Services().Airtime(run.Session().Assets())
@@ -85,7 +87,7 @@ func (a *TransferAirtimeAction) transfer(run flows.Run, logEvent flows.EventCall
 
 	httpLogger := &flows.HTTPLogger{}
 
-	transfer, err := svc.Transfer(sender, telURNs[0].URN(), a.Amounts, httpLogger.Log)
+	transfer, err := svc.Transfer(sender, recipient, a.Amounts, httpLogger.Log)
 	if transfer != nil {
 		logEvent(events.NewAirtimeTransferred(transfer, httpLogger.Logs))
 	}
diff --git a/flows/urn.go b/flows/urn.go
index 7fc815ca2..5253394ba 100644
--- a/flows/urn.go
+++ b/flows/urn.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package flows
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
+	"slices"
 
 	"github.com/go-playground/validator/v10"
 	"github.com/nyaruka/gocommon/urns"
@@ -173,11 +174,11 @@ func (l URNList) clone() URNList {
 	return urns
 }
 
-// WithScheme returns a new URN list containing of only URNs of the given scheme
-func (l URNList) WithScheme(scheme string) URNList {
+// WithScheme returns a new URN list containing of only URNs of the given schemes
+func (l URNList) WithScheme(schemes ...string) URNList {
 	var matching URNList
 	for _, u := range l {
-		if u.urn.Scheme() == scheme {
+		if slices.Contains(schemes, u.urn.Scheme()) {
 			matching = append(matching, u)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/services/airtime/dtone/service.go b/services/airtime/dtone/service.go
index cfc3ea5e9..da0932c6d 100644
--- a/services/airtime/dtone/service.go
+++ b/services/airtime/dtone/service.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package dtone
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/nyaruka/gocommon/httpx"
 	"github.com/nyaruka/gocommon/stringsx"
@@ -34,8 +35,12 @@ func (s *service) Transfer(sender urns.URN, recipient urns.URN, amounts map[stri
 		DesiredAmount: decimal.Zero,
 		ActualAmount:  decimal.Zero,
 	}
+	recipientPhoneNumber := recipient.Path()
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(recipientPhoneNumber, "+") {
+		recipientPhoneNumber = "+" + recipientPhoneNumber
+	}
 
-	operators, trace, err := s.client.LookupMobileNumber(recipient.Path())
+	operators, trace, err := s.client.LookupMobileNumber(recipientPhoneNumber)
 	if trace != nil {
 		logHTTP(flows.NewHTTPLog(trace, flows.HTTPStatusFromCode, s.redactor))
 	}
@@ -52,7 +57,7 @@ func (s *service) Transfer(sender urns.URN, recipient urns.URN, amounts map[stri
 		}
 	}
 	if operator == nil {
-		return transfer, fmt.Errorf("unable to find operator for number %s", recipient.Path())
+		return transfer, fmt.Errorf("unable to find operator for number %s", recipientPhoneNumber)
 	}
 
 	// fetch available products for this operator
@@ -94,7 +99,7 @@ func (s *service) Transfer(sender urns.URN, recipient urns.URN, amounts map[stri
 	transfer.DesiredAmount = amounts[transfer.Currency]
 
 	// request synchronous confirmed transaction for this product
-	tx, trace, err := s.client.TransactionAsync(string(transfer.UUID), product.ID, recipient.Path())
+	tx, trace, err := s.client.TransactionAsync(string(transfer.UUID), product.ID, recipientPhoneNumber)
 	if trace != nil {
 		logHTTP(flows.NewHTTPLog(trace, flows.HTTPStatusFromCode, s.redactor))
 	}