Safaricom and Pesapal have announced new payment experiences designed to make checkout faster and simpler for businesses and customers across Kenya.
The partnership expands Safaricom’s M-PESA payment capabilities through Pesapal’s merchant payment infrastructure, introducing Dynamic Scan-to-Pay and Tap-to-Pay on Pesapal point-of-sale (POS) devices.
Dynamic Scan-to-Pay allows customers to scan a QR code displayed on a Pesapal POS using M-PESA. Merchant details and the payment amount are automatically populated, allowing customers to verify the information before completing the transaction.
The Tap-to-Pay feature enables customers with NFC-enabled smartphones to tap their devices on a Pesapal POS, verify the transaction details and complete payment.
Safaricom Group Chief Technology Officer James Maitai said the partnership brings together the capabilities of both companies to support the development of digital payment experiences.
Pesapal founder and CEO Agosta Liko said the integration is intended to improve the checkout experience for businesses using the platform.
Safaricom is also introducing AI Pay through its M-PESA experience on My OneApp, which has recorded more than 7 million downloads. The feature allows customers to scan a receipt and identify the relevant M-PESA Till or PayBill number and payment amount, reducing the need for manual entry.
Safaricom said Scan-to-Pay is already available at more than 60,000 merchant outlets, with a target of reaching 500,000 outlets within the next year.
Pesapal said its Scan-to-Pay service uses the Kenya Quick Response (KE-QR) standard defined by the Central Bank of Kenya. While Tap-to-Pay currently requires an NFC-enabled smartphone, Scan-to-Pay can be used across a wider range of smartphones.
The companies also see potential applications beyond traditional checkout points, including petrol stations and other service-based businesses where customers could complete payments directly at the point of service.
The developments highlight the continued expansion of mobile and contactless payment options in Kenya, combining QR technology, NFC and AI-assisted payment processes.
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