Safaricom and Pesapal have announced the rollout of next-generation payment solutions aimed at making transactions faster, simpler and more convenient for businesses and customers across Kenya.
The partnership brings together Safaricom’s M-PESA payment capabilities and Pesapal’s merchant payment infrastructure to expand the use of Scan-to-Pay, Tap-to-Pay and AI-powered payments at physical points of sale.
The collaboration introduces Dynamic Scan-to-Pay, allowing customers to scan a QR code displayed on a Pesapal point-of-sale (POS) device using their phones.
Unlike conventional QR payments where customers may need to enter merchant details and the amount manually, the new system automatically populates the merchant information and payment amount.
Customers can then verify the transaction details before completing the payment, reducing the possibility of errors during checkout.
Safaricom Group Chief Technology Officer James Maitai said the partnership reflects the company’s efforts to evolve M-PESA alongside changing consumer shopping and payment habits.
“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. Our partnership with Pesapal is an important part of that journey, bringing together our respective capabilities to shape the next generation of everyday payments,” said Maitai
The companies have also introduced Tap-to-Pay, which allows customers with NFC-enabled smartphones to tap their devices on a Pesapal POS terminal, verify the transaction details and complete the payment.
Pesapal Founder Agosta Liko said the integration was designed to support faster transactions for businesses using the company’s payment platform.
“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 transactions their customers expect. Today, we activate the future of payments,” said Liko
The partnership comes as Safaricom continues to expand digital payment options beyond traditional M-PESA transactions, including artificial intelligence. The telco has introduced AI Pay on My OneApp, which has recorded more than seven million downloads.
AI Pay allows customers to scan payment receipts using their smartphones. Where the information can be identified, the artificial intelligence feature automatically extracts the relevant Till or PayBill details and payment amount.
The feature is designed to reduce the need for customers to manually enter payment information, particularly when making payments based on receipts.
Safaricom said Scan-to-Pay is already available at more than 60,000 merchant outlets, with a target of scaling to 500,000 within the next year. Alongside the expanding footprint of Pesapal POS devices, Safaricom will continue to accelerate the rollout of innovative payment solutions that enhance convenience, simplify transactions, and meet the evolving needs of customers and businesses.
The rollout comes as businesses increasingly adopt digital payment tools to serve customers who prefer mobile and contactless transactions.