If you're selling to Kenyan customers online, M-Pesa isn't a nice-to-have — for most shoppers, it's the only payment method they'll actually use.
How It Works From the Customer's Side
The customer enters their phone number at checkout, receives an STK Push prompt directly on their phone, enters their M-Pesa PIN, and the payment confirms — no card details, no redirect to a third-party site.
What This Requires From the Business Side
M-Pesa integration typically goes through Safaricom's Daraja API, either directly or via a payment aggregator. This requires a registered paybill or till number, and either in-house development or a pre-built integration through your hosting/e-commerce platform.
The Easier Path
Most businesses don't build this integration from scratch — it's connected through their WooCommerce store, custom platform, or hosting provider's existing setup. If you order hosting or a store build through us, M-Pesa checkout is included, not something you configure separately.
What About Card Payments?
Many Kenyan stores offer both — M-Pesa for local customers, and card/PesaPal for international ones. See our comparison of M-Pesa vs card payments.
Security Considerations
A properly built integration never exposes or stores customer M-Pesa PINs — the PIN entry happens entirely on the customer's phone through Safaricom's own prompt, not on your website.
Get M-Pesa-Ready Checkout Built
Our online shop design service and eCommerce hosting both come with M-Pesa checkout built in from day one.