M-Pesa is how Nairobi pays. Rent, electricity, school fees, the mama mboga, a matatu fare and splitting a bill all go through it. You will use it more than your bank card.

Getting it

M-Pesa comes with a Safaricom line. Register at a Safaricom shop or agent with your ID, or your passport if you are a foreigner, and set a four-digit PIN. You can then use:

  • The M-Pesa app, or the M-Pesa section of the MySafaricom app.
  • The SIM menu on any phone, or *334#.

Airtel Money, on Airtel lines, works the same way. Fewer businesses accept it.

Ways to pay

  • Send Money - to any phone number.
  • Lipa na M-Pesa, Paybill - for bills. You enter the business number and an account number: your meter number, invoice number or house number.
  • Lipa na M-Pesa, Buy Goods (till number) - for shops, restaurants and taxis. Just the till number and the amount.
  • Pochi la Biashara - some small traders take payments to a business wallet on their personal number.
  • Withdraw cash at an M-Pesa agent, the green-signed shops found on almost every street.

Always check the name the confirmation screen shows before you enter your PIN.

Limits

For a standard personal account:

  • KES 250,000 per transaction
  • KES 500,000 per day, and the same as your maximum balance

Anything bigger goes through a bank.

Fees

Sending to another M-Pesa user and withdrawing cash are charged on a sliding scale. Small amounts are free or nearly so, and the fee grows in bands. Paying a till is free for the customer, and paybill charges depend on the business. Safaricom publishes the current tariff on its website.

Built on M-Pesa

  • Fuliza - an overdraft that lets a payment go through when your balance is short. It charges a daily fee until repaid. Handy in an emergency, expensive if you rely on it.
  • M-Shwari (with NCBA) and KCB M-Pesa - savings accounts and small loans inside M-Pesa.
  • M-Pesa Global - send to and receive from some other countries.

Scams

  • “I sent you money by mistake.” A text that looks like an M-Pesa confirmation, then a call asking you to send it back. Check your real balance. A genuine mistaken payment can be reversed by Safaricom, and you never need to send anything back yourself.
  • Fake Safaricom calls asking for your PIN or a code sent to your phone. Safaricom never asks for your PIN.
  • SIM swaps - a criminal takes over your number to empty your M-Pesa and bank accounts. If your line suddenly loses signal for no reason, call Safaricom from another phone straight away.

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