The short answer
You can accept Mobile Money online in four ways, from least to most work: ask on chat and check the message yourself, show a till or merchant number on your page, send a payment page or link that confirms payments for you, or build payment into your own website or app. The customer pays from the wallet on their phone, such as M-Pesa, MTN Mobile Money or Airtel Money. They do not need a Visa card. Most small businesses should start with the first or second way and move down the list only when checking payments by hand starts to cost them time or sales.
A stall can live on a till number. A shop that takes online orders does better with a payment link that confirms by itself. A growing online store needs payment built into the checkout (the page where the customer pays), which is what our Mobile Money integration service does: it connects your site to the networks. For the technical detail read the Mobile Money integration guide, and for the till at your counter see Mobile Money POS in Uganda.
Four ways to get paid, from easiest to most work
Under each way you will see who it suits, what can go wrong, and how to reconcile. To reconcile simply means to check that every sale in your book has a matching payment in your Mobile Money statement, and the other way round.
Way 1: Ask on chat and confirm the message yourself
Who it suits: a seller on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or Jiji with a few orders a day. The customer asks, you send your number and the amount, they pay, and you check the network's confirmation message on your own phone.
What can go wrong: the wrong amount, the wrong number, a payment still pending, or an edited screenshot that looks real. When you are busy you also miss messages.
How to reconcile: never release goods on a screenshot alone. Look for the network's own message or open your wallet statement. Write the transaction ID next to the order in your notebook or sheet, and check the statement against your orders every evening.
Way 2: A till or merchant number shown on the page
Who it suits: a shop with a steady flow of customers, a counter, and a website or catalogue that shows how to pay. In Kenya this is usually a Lipa na M-Pesa till. In Uganda and Rwanda, MTN and Airtel offer merchant accounts or codes for businesses. Each network decides who can open one and what papers it asks for, so ask the network.
What can go wrong: the customer pays the wrong till, forgets the reference so you cannot tell whose money it is, or pays and never tells you. It is still manual work.
How to reconcile: give every order a short number and ask the customer to quote it as the reference where the network allows. Where it does not, ask for the name and phone number used. Check the till statement at the end of each day. For the till at the counter, see Mobile Money POS in Uganda.
Way 3: A payment page or link from a provider that confirms payments for you
Who it suits: shops, restaurants, clinics and schools that take many orders or fees, or sell to people they never meet. A provider, or an aggregator (a company that connects you to several networks so you do not deal with each one alone), such as Pesapal, gives you a page or link. You set the amount, the customer picks their network, a prompt pops up on their phone, and they enter their PIN. You are told automatically that it worked. Pesapal lists Mobile Money for Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. For Rwanda, and for any other provider, ask which networks they cover today.
What can go wrong: the provider must approve your business first. Money may reach you after a delay, and the provider keeps its own charge. The prompt can time out if the customer is slow. You can still key in the wrong amount when you make the link. Refund rules differ by provider, so ask before you start.
How to reconcile: the provider's online account page lists each payment with a reference. Match it to your orders daily, then match the provider's payouts to what lands in your bank or wallet.
Way 4: Payment built into your own website or app
Who it suits: an online store with many orders every day, a delivery business that sends boda boda riders to customers, or a booking site. A developer connects your checkout to the networks, directly or through a provider (this is called an integration). The customer chooses Mobile Money, gets the prompt, and the order marks itself paid.
What can go wrong: setup takes longer, and the provider tests and approves it first. If the confirmation never reaches your site, the order stays unpaid even though the customer paid. A good build includes a "check again" step and a daily list of payments that do not match any order. Refunds also need to be planned.
How to reconcile: the system keeps a payment record for every order, so you compare one daily report to your provider statement. See ecommerce websites in Uganda and ecommerce websites in Kenya.
What each way asks of you, and what we charge to set it up
Network and provider charges are paid to them, not to us, and they change. Ask each one in writing before you choose. Our own work is a fixed quote before work starts, paid 50/25/25, and you own the code and your data.
| Way | What we charge to set it up | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ask on chat, confirm the message yourself | Nothing. You do it yourself. | A stall or a seller with a few orders a day |
| 2. Till or merchant number on the page | Nothing from us. You get the number from the network. | A shop with a counter and steady customers |
| 3. Payment page or link that confirms automatically | Setup from | A shop or school with many orders, fees or distant customers |
| 4. Built into your own site or app | Online store from , with the Mobile Money part named in the fixed quote | An online store with orders every day |
If you do not yet have a site, read what a website costs in Uganda before you decide.
Which networks work in which country
Network names, brands and merchant rules change. Treat this as a starting point and confirm with the network before you commit.
- Uganda: MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money. Your customers will be split between the two, so a payment page or checkout that takes both is best.
- Kenya: M-Pesa from Safaricom is the wallet most customers use. Airtel Money also exists. For shops, a Lipa na M-Pesa till or a paybill number is the usual way to receive money.
- Tanzania: M-Pesa from Vodacom and Airtel Money. Tigo Pesa is now called Mixx by Yas, after Tigo became Yas. Other wallets exist too, so ask which ones your own customers use. See web design in Tanzania.
- Rwanda: MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money. See web design in Rwanda.
A wallet from one country does not always pay straight into a wallet in another. If you sell to customers abroad, ask your provider how they can pay, or offer a bank transfer or card as well.
Questions shop owners ask us
How can customers pay me online if they do not have a Visa card?
With Mobile Money. They pay from the wallet on their phone, using the same PIN they use to send money. No bank card is needed. They do need money in the wallet, and they do not need a smartphone. As our Mobile Money integration guide explains, the payment is approved by a prompt sent to the phone number, and it works on any phone that holds the wallet, including basic handsets.
How do I take payments on WhatsApp with Mobile Money?
Use Way 1 or Way 2: send your number or till, the amount and an order number, then ask for the confirmation message. Or use Way 3 and send a payment link in the chat, so the money is confirmed for you. For setting up your shop on WhatsApp first, read WhatsApp Business for small business.
Can I accept M-Pesa or Airtel Money on my website without a developer?
For Ways 1 to 3, yes. You can write your till number on the page, or paste a payment button or link from a provider. For Way 4, where the order marks itself paid, you need a developer.
What is the difference between a till number and a payment integration?
A till number is a place where money lands. You look at your phone or statement to see it. A payment integration means your website asks the network for the payment and is told the result, so the order is marked paid without you doing anything.
How do I know a customer really paid me?
Check the network's own message or your wallet or provider statement. Match the amount, the time and the transaction ID to the order. Do not hand goods to a boda boda rider on the strength of a screenshot. Wait until the money shows in your own record.
Do I need a registered business to accept Mobile Money online?
For Way 1 you can start with your own wallet, but networks may limit personal wallets or ask questions if they see heavy business use. Ways 2 to 4 usually ask for business registration papers and an ID, and sometimes a tax number. The rules differ by network, country and provider, so ask them. If you are not registered yet, see business registration in Uganda.
Which option fits a stall, a shop or an online store
A stall: use Way 1 or Way 2. Put the till number on a sign and check your phone. You do not need a website to do this, and you do not need us.
A shop: start with Way 2. When online orders grow, add Way 3 so payments confirm themselves and you stop chasing messages.
An online store: start with Way 3 if you have a few orders a day, and move to Way 4 when orders are daily and you want each one to mark itself paid. See ecommerce websites in Uganda and ecommerce websites in Kenya.
When not to hire us: if you take a handful of orders a week, do Way 1 or Way 2 yourself. It costs us nothing and works. Talk to us when checking messages takes hours, when you have missed payments, or when you want your site to handle it. Growth Informer Software Services is a US-based company with remote teams, including a team in Kampala, and 37 live website and app builds on the portfolio page. Write to us on WhatsApp +256 702 946 946 or use the quote form.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to accept Mobile Money on my online store?
The network or provider charge is set by them and changes, so ask in writing. Our side is a fixed quote before work starts: an online store from , and a payment page setup from , paid 50/25/25.
Do customers need a smartphone to pay by Mobile Money?
No. The payment is approved by a prompt sent to the customer's phone number, and they enter their PIN. It works on any phone that holds the wallet, including basic handsets.
What if a customer pays the wrong amount?
Check the statement first. If they paid too little, ask for the rest and keep the order until it arrives. If they paid too much, refund the difference from your wallet and write it down. A payment link with the amount already set makes this mistake much rarer.
Which way should a new online shop start with?
Start with a till or merchant number and a clear order number as the reference. When you have orders every day, move to a payment page that confirms by itself.
Can I use my personal number for business payments?
For a few sales, many people do. But networks can limit personal wallets or ask questions about heavy business use, and your own money gets mixed with the shop's. Move to a business account as sales grow.