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Safaricom and Pesapal announced two new M-PESA checkout options in Kenya on 1 October 2026: customers can scan a QR code displayed on a compatible Pesapal point-of-sale (POS) terminal, or tap an NFC-enabled phone against one. The merchant continues to receive payment through its existing M-PESA Till Number. Pesapal founder Agosta Liko said the initial rollout covers 30,000 terminals; that is a reported rollout scale, not a count of customers using the new features.
How M-PESA Tap-to-Pay and Scan-to-Pay work
Both options use a Pesapal terminal at the merchant’s checkout. They are terminal-mediated M-PESA payments—not phone-to-phone NFC wallet transfers. The customer checks the payment details and authorizes the transaction.
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| Payment path | What the customer needs | How it starts | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Scan-to-Pay | A phone that can scan the terminal’s QR code and a participating Pesapal POS | Scan the QR code shown on the POS; merchant details and amount are filled in automatically, according to Safaricom’s launch report. | Check the displayed merchant and amount, then complete the payment. |
| Tap-to-Pay | An NFC-enabled smartphone and a compatible Pesapal POS | Tap the phone on the terminal, then review the transaction. | Confirm the details and authorize. TechCabal’s account says authorization can be in My OneApp using an M-PESA PIN or biometrics. |
Safaricom’s launch account describes the QR and NFC flows but does not give a complete device, operating-system, or app-version compatibility list. A phone’s support for NFC alone therefore does not establish that it will work with this service.
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Do you need a new M-PESA Till Number?
No new Till Number is described as necessary. TechCabal’s report says the merchant’s existing M-PESA Till Number remains the receiving account; Pesapal provides the terminal and Safaricom handles the M-PESA transaction. The reports do not publish a full fee schedule or detailed merchant setup instructions.
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Where the rollout is available—and what the numbers mean
The announcement concerns Kenya. TechCabal, in reporting republished by Veltrix, attributed the figure of 30,000 terminals in the initial rollout to Pesapal founder Agosta Liko. The report says the terminals are concentrated in restaurants, hotels, and selected supermarkets, and that the feature is available to merchants with compatible terminals. The figure is an attributed company statement, not independently audited inventory, and does not mean every Pesapal merchant or checkout has the feature.
Safaricom separately said Scan-to-Pay was already available at more than 60,000 merchant outlets and set a target of 500,000 outlets within the following year. Those figures concern Scan-to-Pay’s stated reach and target; they are not Tap-to-Pay adoption numbers or evidence that the target was achieved.
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What the launch does not establish
- Phone compatibility: The launch reports do not list supported models, operating systems, or minimum app versions. Check with the merchant or Safaricom if your phone’s compatibility is uncertain.
- Measured performance: Pesapal was reported to have spent six months testing the service, but the account gives no methodology, sample size, or independent results. The reports do not establish transaction volumes, measured speed gains, or error-rate reductions.
- Performance claims: Pesapal’s founder described the transactions as “faster” and “error-free.” Those are company claims, not independently measured findings in the launch coverage.
AI Pay is a separate My OneApp feature
The same announcement also described AI Pay, which can scan printed or handwritten receipts and identify Till or PayBill details and an amount when those details are readable and available. It is an app feature, not a function of the Pesapal POS, and is separate from the terminal’s QR and NFC checkout paths.
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- Accepts all payment types: NFC/CTLS, mobile wallets, EMV and magstripe
- Supports a variety of third-party apps through Verifone’s Merchant Marketplace
- Optional features, such as dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 BLE
- Supports Verifone’s estate management solution for remote device management, value-added services, updates and diagnostics
Sources
- The Star Kenya: “Safaricom, Pesapal unveil faster M-PESA scan and tap payments” (1 October 2026), covering the launch flows, Safaricom’s Scan-to-Pay figures, AI Pay, and company statements.
- TechCabal: “Safaricom taps Pesapal’s 30,000 POS terminals to take M-PESA contactless” (1 October 2026), accessed through a Veltrix republication; reporting on the terminal figure, participating merchant types, Till Number, and authorization.
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