M-Pesa is the undisputed king of payments in Kenya. If you own an ecommerce website or digital system, adding M-Pesa as a payment gateway is critical. It simplifies the checkout process and increases conversion rates. Let's look at how M-Pesa integration works via Safaricom's Daraja API.

What is Safaricom Daraja API?

Daraja is Safaricom's portal that allows developers to link their applications to M-Pesa. It enables businesses to receive payments from clients automatically, check transaction statuses, and automate payouts.

Popular M-Pesa API Services for Websites

1. LIPA NA M-PESA ONLINE (STK Push)

This is the most popular integration for websites. When a user clicks "Pay with M-Pesa" on your site, they enter their phone number. A secure PIN prompt automatically pops up on their phone screen. Once they enter their PIN, the payment completes, and your site receives a callback notification to update the order status. It is extremely fast and secure.

2. C2B (Customer to Business)

C2B is used when customers manually pay via Paybill or Buy Goods Till numbers. Once the customer completes the transaction, Safaricom validates it and sends a callback to your website to confirm and record the transaction details in your database.

3. B2C (Business to Customer)

This is used for payout automation — allowing your business website to send funds directly to M-Pesa users (e.g., salaries, refunds, betting payouts, loan disbursements).

Requirements for Live Integration

To move your integration from Safaricom's sandbox (test environment) to live production, you need:

  • An active M-Pesa Till Number (Buy Goods) or Paybill Number.
  • M-Pesa Web Portal Operator credentials.
  • A hosting server with an SSL certificate (HTTPS) for secure callback URLs.
  • A custom application built by certified developers to manage tokens and callback responses.

Let BamTech Handle Your M-Pesa Integration

Connecting payment APIs can be technically challenging. At BamTech, we are experts in Safaricom Daraja API integrations. We set up secure STK Push and Till payment callbacks for online stores, systems, and mobile apps. Reach out to our development team to get started.