Safaricom and Pesapal are joining forces to enhance digital payments in Kenya. Their partnership aims to make everyday payments faster and simpler for consumers and businesses. The collaboration introduces Scan to Pay, which is already available at over 60,000 merchant outlets, with a goal of reaching 500,000 merchants within the next year. This service allows customers to scan QR codes displayed by merchants using their phones and complete payments through supported platforms.
The partnership also brings an improved Tap to Pay experience, leveraging Pesapal's existing contactless payment capabilities. This service uses NFC technology, enabling customers with compatible smartphones to make payments by tapping their devices on supported terminals. The Tap to Pay feature is an evolution of Pesapal's earlier contactless payment work, including its M-Pesa 1Tap wristband proposition. The new experience focuses on using NFC-enabled smartphones, such as compatible Android phones and iPhones, to tap and pay.
The services will be available through the Safaricom My OneApp, allowing customers to access payment options from the same app used for other Safaricom services. This integration provides customers with a seamless payment experience. Scan to Pay uses QR codes displayed by merchants, which customers scan using their phones to complete payments. The QR payment model has grown significantly, with over 60,000 merchants already enabled for Scan to Pay.
According to James Maitai, Group Chief Technology and Information Officer at Safaricom, the objective is to make the payment process easier for businesses, particularly smaller merchants. The focus is on streamlining the payment process to serve more customers efficiently. Maitai highlights the current payment process, where customers often have to wait for bills, wait for the payment process, and then wait again for transactions to go through.
Agosta Liko, co-founder and CEO of Pesapal, emphasizes that the partnership aims to eliminate unnecessary steps in the payment process. For merchants, this reduces the risk of errors, such as entering the wrong PIN or dealing with failed payments. The partnership brings together existing pieces of the payments ecosystem, rather than introducing new payment methods to Kenya.
The partnership offers consumers more ways to complete payments at the point of sale. Customers can scan a merchant's QR code where Scan to Pay is available or use an NFC-enabled phone at a compatible terminal where Tap to Pay is supported. For businesses, the objective is to speed up checkout while providing more options for accepting digital payments.
The collaboration comes as Kenya's payment market continues to evolve, with QR codes, NFC, and digital wallets giving consumers additional ways to pay at physical points of sale. The partnership between Safaricom and Pesapal aims to improve innovation in payments and other areas, ultimately serving customers better.
Key points
- The partnership aims to reach 500,000 merchants with Scan to Pay within the next year.
- The Tap to Pay feature uses NFC technology, enabling customers to make payments by tapping their devices on supported terminals.
- The services will be available through the Safaricom My OneApp, providing customers with a seamless payment experience.
