Forget Typing Till Numbers: Safaricom Rolls Out New M-PESA Payment Tools

Agosta Liko (left), Pesapal Founder and CEO, and James Maitai, Safaricom PLC Group Chief Technology Officer, demonstrate Tap-to-Pay during the launch of their new Scan-to-Pay and Tap-to-Pay solutions.

Safaricom and digital payments provider Pesapal have rolled out next-generation payment capabilities for M-PESA users, allowing consumers to complete transactions by scanning QR codes, tapping smartphones on point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or using artificial intelligence (AI) to auto-fill payment details.

The initiative eliminates manual entry at checkouts, reduces transaction errors, and enhances speed and convenience for shoppers and businesses as digital commerce accelerates across Kenya.

Streamlined Checkout Solutions: Tap, Scan, and AI Pay

Under the strategic partnership, Pesapal POS terminals will host Dynamic Scan-to-Pay, enabling buyers to scan a QR code generated directly on a merchant’s card machine. The system instantly populates the merchant’s payment details and the exact purchase amount, requiring customers only to confirm information before authorizing the transfer.

For contactless payments, the Tap-to-Pay feature enables users with Near-Field Communication (NFC)-enabled smartphones to touch their devices against Pesapal POS terminals. Customers can review the auto-populated checkout prompt and complete the payment without manually typing Till or PayBill numbers.

Safaricom is also integrating AI Pay into its My OneApp, which has crossed seven million downloads. The AI-driven tool allows users to take a photo of handwritten or printed receipts. The feature automatically extracts payment information, populating the relevant M-PESA PayBill or Till details and the transaction balance.

Executive Insights and Strategic Vision

Safaricom Group Chief Technology Officer James Maitai highlighted that the technological upgrade aligns with shifting consumer preferences.

“As the way Kenyans shop and transact continues to evolve, we are focused on ensuring that M-PESA evolves with them. This means moving beyond simply enabling payments to reimagining the payment experience itself,” said James Maitai, Group Chief Technology Officer, Safaricom PLC.

“Our partnership with Pesapal is an important part of that journey, bringing together our respective capabilities to shape the next generation of everyday payments.”

Pesapal Founder Agosta Liko described the integration as a pivotal step forward for retail infrastructure in Kenya.

“Tap-to-Pay and Scan-to-Pay on the Pesapal POS represent the biggest leap in Kenya’s checkout experience in years. Thousands of businesses trust our platform, and by teaming up with Safaricom, we are delivering the faster, error-free tran**sactions their customers expect. Today, we activate the future of payments,” said Agosta Liko, Founder, Pesapal.

Expanding the Digital Payments Ecosystem

Scan-to-Pay capabilities are already active across more than 60,000 merchant outlets nationwide. Safaricom aims to scale the service to 500,000 merchant locations within the next year.

Combined with Pesapal’s growing terminal footprint across retail networks, the joint expansion transforms M-PESA from a traditional mobile money transfer service into a comprehensive, modern payment ecosystem for retail commerce.

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