How to Accept M-Pesa Payments with Paybill, Short Tills and STK Checkout on Paysasa

In Kenya, M-Pesa is how most customers prefer to pay. For businesses, the challenge is not accepting M-Pesa — it is making sure every payment lands in the right place, with a clear reference, without manual matching.

Paysasa lets Kenyan businesses take Paybill, till and checkout-link payments from one account. This guide shows you three ways to accept M-Pesa: Paybill with a short till, STK checkout and links or invoices.

Before you start

• Create a business on Paysasa and complete KYC and business verification.
• Make sure your business has a KES wallet — M-Pesa payments and withdrawals use KES.

Option 1: Paybill with a short till

A short till is a short account number assigned to a business wallet. Customers pay the platform Paybill and enter your till as the account number. The deposit lands directly in that business wallet.

Set it up

1. Open Businesses in your Paysasa dashboard and select your business.
2. Open the wallet you want to receive payments into. Each business wallet can carry a till number.
3. Note the Paybill and till shown for that wallet.
4. Print your counter sticker. Paysasa lets you print a sticker with the same Paybill, till and a paypoint QR code, so customers can pay quickly at the counter.

How customers pay

1. Open M-Pesa and choose Lipa na M-Pesa → Pay Bill.
2. Enter the Paybill number from your sticker.
3. Enter your till as the account number.
4. Enter the amount and their M-Pesa PIN.

Multiple branches

If you run more than one shop, give each branch its own wallet and till. Payments go straight to the right branch, which makes daily reconciliation simple.

What if the account number is wrong?

If a customer enters an account number that does not match, the deposit is not credited automatically. Unmatched Paybill deposits stay unmatched until a person reviews and matches them. This protects you from money landing in the wrong place.

Option 2: STK checkout

With STK checkout, the customer does not need to remember any numbers. They enter their phone number on a Paysasa checkout page — or a cashier enters it — and an M-Pesa prompt appears on their phone. They enter their PIN and the payment is done.

When to use STK checkout

• At the counter with POS Lite, when a cashier triggers the prompt.
• On your website or app, through a hosted checkout session.
• For payment links and invoices, where the hosted page can trigger the prompt.

Tips for STK payments

• Use the format the page asks for, such as 2547XXXXXXXX.
• Ask the customer to keep their phone unlocked and nearby.
• If the prompt times out, start a new attempt rather than assuming payment succeeded.
• Confirm payment in your dashboard, not from the customer's SMS.

Option 3: Payment links and invoices

For remote customers, send a payment link or invoice. The customer opens the hosted page and pays by M-Pesa. Invoices can be paid with M-Pesa without signing in, so customers do not need a Paysasa account.

Checking and reconciling payments

1. Open Transactions to see M-Pesa payments with their references.
2. For multi-wallet businesses, check each wallet's balance and activity.
3. Use reconciliation tools in the dashboard to match payments with your records.
4. Never release goods based on a forwarded SMS or screenshot.

Moving money out

From a KES wallet you can:

• Withdraw to M-Pesa, authorised with your PIN.
• Send to another wallet, phone number or till.
• Pay suppliers or staff using bulk payments.

Note that recent top-ups may be held before withdrawal or M-Pesa send. In-app transfers between Paysasa wallets are not held.

An illustrative example

Imagine a hardware shop in Ruiru. The owner prints a counter sticker with the platform Paybill, the shop's short till and a QR code. Walk-in customers pay by Paybill; contractors who order by phone receive an invoice they pay by M-Pesa from the link; and at busy times, the cashier uses POS Lite to send an STK prompt. All three channels land in the shop's business wallet with clear references.

Fees

M-Pesa, withdrawal and checkout fees are listed on the Paysasa pricing page.

Conclusion

Paybill with a short till, STK checkout and payment links give Kenyan businesses flexible ways to accept M-Pesa — all landing in one Paysasa account with clear references. Set up the options your customers use most and print your counter sticker today.

Ready to take M-Pesa the organised way? Learn about short tills or sign in to Paysasa to set up your business wallet.