How to Accept M-Pesa Payments on Your Website in Kenya

If you sell products or services online in Kenya, customers expect to pay with M-Pesa. There are several ways to add it to your website, and the right one depends on your business.

Option 1: A payment gateway

Payment gateways such as Pesapal, DPO Group and Flutterwave let customers pay by mobile money or card through one checkout. They handle much of the security and reconciliation for you, and they charge a fee per transaction. You will need to register your business and be approved by the provider.

Option 2: Direct M-Pesa integration

Safaricom offers the Daraja API, which allows a website to request payment through an STK Push prompt on the customer phone. This needs a Paybill or Till number, developer setup and testing, so it suits businesses with specific needs and a developer to maintain it.

Option 3: Manual Paybill or Till instructions

The simplest approach is to show your Paybill or Till number at checkout and confirm payment manually. It costs little to set up but takes staff time and is easy to get wrong as orders grow.

What to think about before choosing

• Transaction fees and how quickly you receive your money.
• Whether customers can also pay by card.
• How orders are confirmed automatically on your website.
• Refunds, receipts and record keeping for your accounts.
• Support if a payment fails.

Whichever route you choose, test real payments before you launch. We set this up as part of our e-commerce website development in Kenya. If you want a store that accepts M-Pesa, request a quote and tell us what you sell.