As a Kenyan business owner running a business online, plugging a payment gateway to receive payments for orders is one of the important steps to take.
While there are both local and international African payment platforms to explore, choosing the right one is beyond finding a platform that accepts M-Pesa, especially if you’re targeting customers across the border.
You will have to consider the onboarding process, cost per transaction, minimum transaction volume, M-Pesa and card acceptance, payment settlement, etc.
Best Payment Platforms for Kenyan Small Businesses
Pesapal
Pesapal is not just one of the most established payment platforms in Kenya, it’s the best option for both small, medium, and large businesses.
It’s robust and flexible. It supports almost all kinds of payment options such as local and international cards Visa and Mastercard, M-Pesa, invoicing, POS, online payment, and payment links.
As a small business owner running a business on your website, you don’t have to be a developer to use Pesapal.
You can use payment links and other tools without writing any code. It also has a WooCommerce plugin, a WP plugin and APIs so you can integrate it with your e-commerce website easily.
Pesapal’s onboarding process is straightforward, signup, get your business verified, submit your KYC details, and banking details.
Its M-Pesa fees are between 3-3.5% and local card charges are around 3.5-4.5%, and payment gets settled in 1 to 3 days for M-Pesa, and with a card, it may take a few weeks.
Pesapal is a very good option for SMEs and small business websites that want to seamlessly accept payment online.
Paystack
Paystack, a Nigerian Fintech acquired, and now controlled by Stripe, is also a good option for small businesses, e-commerce, freelancers, etc.
Paystack’s onboarding process is also simple. You don’t need a business registration certificate as a small business owner, just your KYC details, government-issued ID, and bank details.
For other businesses, you may need other documents including business registration, KRA PIN details, incorporation documents, CR-12, and a business bank account.
Paystack has one of the cheapest rates, no hidden or monthly fees, and you can also get lower rates for high-volume transactions.
It accepts M-Pesa, local, and international cards such as Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
It’s M-Pesa, local cards and international card charges are currently 1.5%, 2.9%, and 3.8% respectively.
Your funds also get settled automatically into your bank account or M-Pesa wallet within 2 business days after successful payment.
IntaSend
IntaSend is another popular option for small business websites, Kenyan startups, and freelancers.
It supports different business types, including sole proprietors, partnerships, limited companies, unregistered businesses and non-profits.
It accepts different payment options just like the first two platforms mentioned above.
IntaSend also has competitive service charges, and there are no setup or monthly charges.
M-Pesa, local cards, and international cards are charged at the following fees, 1%, 3.5%, and 4.5% per transaction.
Settlement can take between 1 business day and a few days depending on the payment method used.
Mobile-money and bank withdrawals typically take 1 to 2 business days.
iPay Africa
iPay is one of the established Kenyan payment processors, and it accepts both online payments via mobile app and website, and physical payments as well.
It requires KYC documentation before the payment system can be activated for your business website.
It accepts major cards like other processors, but transaction fees are not constant, you’re charged based on their pricing schedule.
About fund settlement, you can set funds to get settled automatically or manually initiate it.
iPay is best for e-commerce stores, websites, organisations, service businesses and merchants.
Kopo Kopo
Kopo Kopo is most suitable for small and medium-sized businesses that rely heavily on Lipa na M-Pesa.
It is an official Safaricom partner and provides merchant tools alongside payment collection.
Application process and documentation depend on the type of business you’re running, however, applying for and obtaining its Lipa na M-Pesa is free.
Kopo Kopo Lipa na M-Pesa service charges currently stand at 0.55% per transaction, capped at KSh200 per payment for merchants
Similarly, its WooCommerce plugin also carries a 0.55% transaction fee.
Also, there’s no transaction fee on payments of KSh200 or less, but there may be a minimum transaction volume requirement which is not stated.
The downside for some businesses is that Kopo Kopo is not a card gateway, so it does not accept international cards.
If you want a fast fund settlement, then Kopo Kopo wins in this, settlement and payment are pretty fast, with M-Pesa payments generally crediting recipients within seconds.
Flutterwave
Flutterwave is a fast-growing payment processor in the African continent, and it ranks in the top ten of payment gateways for small business websites in Kenya.
It enables local small business owners to accept both local and international payments.
You don’t need to have business name registration before you can sign up, and it also supports sole proprietors and limited companies.
Transaction charges are as follows
- Local cards: 3.2%
- Local wallets/mobile money: 2.9%
- International cards: 4.8%
Flutterwave’s settlement for local payments is typically 1 business day while international payments take 5 business days, excluding holidays.
DPO Pay by Network
DPO Pay by Network is a major African payment service provider with operations in Kenya and other markets.
It is particularly useful for businesses that need mobile-money acceptance, and accept card payments.
Before DPO’s Network POS can be deployed, it requires you must fill in your business details which will be verified, including your business address.
It’s not the best option for small business websites, but rather a physical business such as restaurants, hotels, retailers, schools, petrol stations and businesses that need POS payments.
DPO’s pricing varies by product. For example, DPO’s Easy Scan product, which is popular, charges 2% for card payments, 0.5% for Safaricom M-Pesa, and 0.5% for Airtel Money.
It takes one business day for mobile-money payment to get settled into your bank account while it typically takes 2 business days for card payments.
Tingg by Cellulant
Tingg, operated by Cellulant, is a major African payments platform supporting businesses across multiple markets.
It offers payment collection and other payment infrastructure rather than a simple M-Pesa checkout.
It does not have a universal fee schedule covering all merchants and payment methods, its pricing depends on the merchant and service.
It supports M-Pesa, cards, and other payment methods, and is best suited for growing SMEs, larger organisations and businesses requiring more extensive payment infrastructure.
Fund settlement generally takes between 1 and 5 business days.
Kora Kora
Kora Kora is a good alternative to African payment infrastructure providers like Paystack, Flutterwave and Pesapal.
It supports M-Pesa and cards like other major payment gateway providers.
You will have to get your KYC, and business details verified before your account can be approved.
Its local transaction charge is around 1.5% with a cap for certain local transactions, but merchants should confirm the current Kenya-specific rate before onboarding.
Settlement also takes 1 to 2 business days.
SasaPay
SasaPay is best for businesses that are heavily dependent on mobile-money payments.
While it accepts M-Pesa, card payment is not accepted, making it the least preferred option for small business websites.
The onboarding process is straightforward, you just need to complete the merchant registration and the KYC process.
SasaPay typically charges around 0.5% per transaction, but it’s dependent on the product and merchant, in the same way as fund settlement.
Conclusion
For businesses selling internationally via their websites, Paystack, Flutterwave, Pesapal, IntaSend, DPO Pay and Kora offer broader card and cross-border capabilities.
For a business offering services to locals, but wants seamless payment systems such as online, card or POS payment, Pesapal, Kopo Kopo and DPO Pay are more suited because they extend beyond simple website checkout.
The best payment gateway options for small business websites therefore are not necessarily the ones with the lowest headline percentage.
The better choice is the provider whose total cost, onboarding requirements,
settlement period, payment methods and support model fit the size and type of your business.
An entrepreneur, business administrator, investor, and publisher who has spent nearly two decades exploring how emerging tech, the internet, and innovation continue to redefine the way people live, work, and build success.
With a unique blend of insight and experience, BusinessPally won the Corporate Vision Magazine – Global Business Award.
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