Small businesses have until Oct. 31 to take advantage of lower M-Pesa costs under Safaricom Plc’s “Pata More” campaign, which has cut what merchants pay to receive and send money since it launched on Aug. 1.
For merchants on Lipa na M-Pesa Till, customer payments of Ksh500 and below are now free. Previously, merchants paid 0.55% on payments between Ksh201 and Ksh500. Larger payments still carry that rate, capped at Ksh200 per transaction, a ceiling reached at Ksh36,363. Fuel merchants are unchanged, with customers continuing to pay the transaction charge.
Cheaper Payouts
The cost of making payments from a Business Till has fallen by up to 50%. Sending Ksh10,000–15,000 to a mobile number now costs Ksh50, down from Ksh100. At the top of the scale, transfers between Ksh45,000 and Ksh250,000 cost Ksh54, down from Ksh108.
Pay to Paybill charges fall by a similar margin for Paybills on the Business Bouquet and One Account Business Bouquet tariffs. Charges for Paybills on the Mgao and Customer Bouquet tariffs are unchanged.
Pochi la Biashara
On Pochi la Biashara, Safaricom’s wallet for informal traders, customer payments of Ksh200 and below are now free, and customer-to-Pochi charges above that are capped at Ksh50. Merchants paying out of their own Pochi wallet face the same Ksh50 ceiling, down from a previous maximum of Ksh108. Pochi merchants don’t need to change anything: they can keep accepting payments as usual and let customers know about the lower charges.
More Than Fees
Safaricom has paired the price cuts with tools for merchants. These include credit through Taasi Pochi and Fuliza Biashara, savings through Ziidi Pochi and Ziidi Biashara, insurance through Tuunza Mapato, and data bundles tailored to merchants. Pata More also extends to mobile data, home and business fibre, and a bundle for taxi drivers.
The company said the changes are meant to make payments more affordable, encourage more customers to pay through M-Pesa and help small businesses receive more cashless payments.
The campaign ends Oct. 31.
Explainer: Pata More for Merchants: What You Pay Now, and Until When
Safaricom’s fee cuts run Aug. 1 to Oct. 31. Here’s what changed for Pochi and Till users.
What is Pata More?
A Safaricom campaign that launched on Aug. 1 and runs through Oct. 31. It covers mobile data, home and business fibre, a taxi-driver bundle, and cheaper M-Pesa charges for small businesses. This explainer covers the M-Pesa side.
If you use Pochi la Biashara
| Before | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer payments | Up to Ksh100 free | Ksh200 and below free |
| Customer-to-Pochi charges above Ksh200 | Up to Ksh108 | Capped at Ksh50 |
| Merchant payments out of Pochi | Up to Ksh108 | Capped at Ksh50 |
You don’t need to do anything. Keep accepting payments, and tell customers that payments of Ksh200 and below are free and that charges above that won’t exceed Ksh50.
If you use a Lipa na M-Pesa Till
| Payment received (Ksh) | Old charge to merchant | New charge to merchant |
|---|---|---|
| 0–200 | Free | Free |
| 201–500 | 0.55% | Free |
| 501–36,363 | 0.55% | 0.55% |
| Above 36,363 | Ksh200 | Ksh200 |
The Buy Goods “Kadogo” threshold also rose to Ksh500 from Ksh200. Fuel merchants see no change, as customers continue to pay the charge.
If you pay out from a Business Till
Sending money to a mobile number or Paybill now costs up to half as much. All figures are in Ksh, shown as old → new.
| Amount | Pay to Mobile | Pay to Paybill* |
|---|---|---|
| 0–100 | 0 → 0 | 0 → 0 |
| 101–500 | 7 → 4 | 5 → 3 |
| 501–1,000 | 13 → 7 | 10 → 5 |
| 1,001–1,500 | 23 → 12 | 15 → 8 |
| 1,501–2,500 | 33 → 17 | 20 → 10 |
| 2,501–3,500 | 53 → 27 | 25 → 13 |
| 3,501–5,000 | 57 → 29 | 34 → 17 |
| 5,001–7,500 | 78 → 39 | 42 → 21 |
| 7,501–10,000 | 90 → 45 | 48 → 24 |
| 10,001–15,000 | 100 → 50 | 57 → 29 |
| 15,001–20,000 | 105 → 53 | 62 → 31 |
| 20,001–25,000 | 108 → 54 | 67 → 34 |
| 25,001–30,000 | 108 → 54 | 72 → 36 |
| 30,001–35,000 | 108 → 54 | 83 → 42 |
| 35,001–40,000 | 108 → 54 | 99 → 50 |
| 40,001–45,000 | 108 → 54 | 103 → 52 |
| 45,001–250,000 | 108 → 54 | 108 → 54 |
*Applies only to Paybills on the Business Bouquet and One Account Business Bouquet tariffs. Mgao and Customer Bouquet Paybills are unchanged.
What else is on offer?
- Pochi merchants: Taasi Pochi (credit), Ziidi Pochi (savings), Ofa ya Pochi (data bundles) and Tuunza Mapato insurance.
- Till merchants: Fuliza Biashara (credit when cash is tight), Ziidi Biashara (savings), Zidisha Bundles (data) and QR code payments.
How long do I have?
The campaign ends Oct. 31, less than two weeks away.