Same-day settlements
Merchant settlements are sent on the same day (T+0). This covers sending your settlement, not the moment your bank credits the funds.
M-Pesa payments for merchants
Move every M-Pesa order from request to confirmed status
Use this payment gateway Kenya setup to accept M-Pesa payments from customers, through an H2H API integration or a hosted payment page. Talk to our team about your project.
M-Pesa only for customer pay-ins in KenyaH2H API or hosted page with backend postbacksT+0 settlement sending
Merchant operations
What a payment gateway does for businesses in Kenya
A payment gateway connects your online checkout to the local payment rail your customers already use. It sends the payment request, receives the result and passes a transaction status back to your platform, so you know whether an order is paid. In Kenya, mobile money is a major retail payment channel, which is why our service is built around M-Pesa.
Payment systems in the country sit under a defined framework. The Central Bank of Kenya oversees payment, clearing and settlement systems policy, and payment service providers operate under the National Payment System Act 2011 and the NPS Regulations 2014. CBK also publishes a directory of authorised payment service providers, which you can consult as part of your own checks.
Choose a commercial path
Start with the part of payment acceptance your team needs to decide
Both paths use the same product facts and lead to a project-specific integration discussion.
Online payment gateway
Compare hosted and H2H checkout for websites, platforms and ecommerce orders, including status, reporting and settlement responsibilities.
Explore online payments →M-Pesa payment layer
Understand customer pay-ins, postbacks, gateway-versus-direct ownership and Android browser-hosted checkout.
Explore M-Pesa payments →Merchant operations
M-Pesa checkout for customers paying in Kenya
This gateway focuses on one local payment method rather than a long list. The supported method for customer payments is M-Pesa, and the local currency is the Kenyan shilling (KES).
M-Pesa
M-Pesa is the payment method supported for accepting pay-ins from customers in Kenya. Your customer chooses it at checkout and completes the payment, and the transaction status is sent to your backend by postback so your platform can update the order. Customer payouts are an optional platform operation; their availability is confirmed separately for each project.
This is the only payment method currently supported on this service. If your checkout plan depends on a different method, raise it with our team before you start the integration.
Merchant operations
What merchants get from this payment setup
These points show what the service provides once you are connected. Processing fees and transaction limits are not published; they are agreed per project after you share expected volume.
Measured success rate
Our overall transaction success rate is 85%: successful transactions divided by all transactions. It is an aggregate figure, not a per-method guarantee.
Postbacks to your backend
Transaction status reaches your backend through postbacks. Your platform updates its records and shows the customer the outcome of each payment.
Statistics and CSV reports
View statistics in your merchant account and use CSV transaction reports to support payment checks against your own records.
Add methods later
Existing merchants can add supported payment methods at no additional connection cost, so extending your checkout does not mean a new connection charge.
One connection price
The number of payment methods you enable does not affect the connection price. Processing fees are agreed separately for each project.
Merchant operations
How to get ready to accept payments in Kenya
Going live on a payment gateway Kenya customers can pay through takes three stages, each with a clear output, so your team knows what to prepare and when to launch.
1
Share your project details
Tell us about your website or app, business location, expected volume and typical payment amounts. International businesses can also apply to accept M-Pesa payments. Eligibility and required documents are confirmed during onboarding, and connection is not guaranteed for every business.
2
Connect and test statuses
Build the integration and test each outcome: successful, failed and unfinished payments. Your backend should rely on postbacks for the final status and must never mark an order as paid until a successful status is confirmed. Show customers the matching result on screen.
3
Coordinate your launch
Once tests pass, agree a launch date with our team. We confirm the go-live setup with you, and you then start accepting customer payments while tracking results in your merchant account.
Merchant operations
Two ways to connect your checkout
Merchants connect to the gateway in one of two ways: an H2H API integration, with your platform connecting host to host, or a hosted payment page. Both options need backend work and status handling.
H2H API
The checkout interface stays on your side, so you control how the payment step looks. Your backend sends requests to our API, receives postbacks with the transaction status and updates the order. This suits teams that want full control of the customer journey.
Hosted payment page
We host the payment page, and your platform hands the customer off to it from your checkout. On Android projects, customers complete payment on a browser-hosted page, not a fully native in-app checkout. Your backend receives the postback, and your platform shows the customer the result.
Neither option is plug-and-play. Both require backend integration to start payments, process postbacks and keep order statuses accurate.
Postback control loop
A payment is only complete when your backend knows the final state
The visual route below shows the operational hand-off. It is an explanation, not a live product dashboard.
Starts the M-Pesa pay-in
Your checkout creates a payment request through the selected integration path.
Reports the transaction status
A postback delivers the result to your backend. Pending or failed requests must not be treated as paid.
Updates the order and records settlement
Your platform shows the outcome; finance teams use statistics and CSV reports for payment checks.
Merchant operations
How we protect account access
Security on this service centres on who can reach your integration and account, and on how we respond when something goes wrong. These are the practices in place today.
We protect the API credentials used for your integration with our platform.
Account access control includes multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access for your team.
We maintain business-continuity planning and incident-response procedures as part of our operations.
Which payment methods can my customers use?
M-Pesa is the only payment method currently supported. You can accept customer pay-ins through it using either the H2H API or the hosted payment page. If your project needs a different method, raise it with our team early, because no other method is offered on this service today.
How do merchant settlements work and when are they sent?
Merchant settlements are sent on the same day (T+0). This refers to when we send your settlement, not a promise about when your bank credits the funds. Settlements are separate from customer payouts, and CSV transaction reports in your merchant account help you check them against your records.
Can a business registered outside Kenya apply to connect?
Yes, international businesses can apply to accept payments from customers there. Eligibility and the documents you need are confirmed during onboarding, so not every application results in a connection. To start, share your company details, website and expected volume, and our team will explain the next steps.
How are processing fees and transaction limits set?
Processing fees and transaction limits are agreed per project. There is no published fee table; terms are set after you share your expected volume and typical payment amounts. Separately, the connection price does not change with the number of enabled payment methods, and existing merchants can add supported methods at no additional connection cost.
Do you support customer payouts on M-Pesa?
Customer payouts are an optional platform operation, and whether they are available for your project is confirmed individually. Please do not build payouts into your product plan until our team confirms them for your setup. Customer pay-ins, merchant settlements and CSV reports are the other operations available on the platform.
Plan your payment gateway in Kenya with our team
Share your website, expected volume, typical payment amounts and Kenya payment needs. Our team will use these details to discuss onboarding, integration options, fees and limits for your project.
Share project details