How do I pay a paybill on M-PESA?

Dial *334# on your Safaricom line, choose Lipa na M-PESA, then Pay Bill. Enter the paybill business number, your account number, the amount in KES, and your M-PESA PIN. You get an SMS confirmation.

How much does it cost to pay a paybill on M-PESA?

The customer pays the M-PESA send tariff, which ranges from KES 0 (for 1 to 100) up to KES 108 (for 20,001 to 250,000). The tariff is the same for paybill as for sending to another M-PESA user.

What is the difference between a paybill number and an account number?

The paybill (business) number identifies the company you are paying, for example 888880 for KPLC prepaid. The account number identifies you inside that company, for example your meter or customer number. You must enter both.

Can I pay a paybill from the M-PESA app or My OneApp?

Yes. Open My OneApp (the rebranded Safaricom + M-PESA app), tap Pay, then Pay Bill. Enter the paybill number, account, amount, and PIN. STK push from the merchant website works too, no dialling required.

What is the maximum I can pay per transaction?

KES 250,000 per single transaction, KES 500,000 per day, and a KES 500,000 M-PESA balance ceiling. These are the standard 2026 M-PESA limits set by CBK and Safaricom.

How to Pay a Paybill on M-PESA 2026: *334# Steps

To pay any Kenyan M-PESA paybill, dial *334#, choose “Lipa na M-PESA”, then “Pay Bill”. Enter the paybill number, your account number, the amount, and your M-PESA PIN. The charge is KES 0 to KES 108 depending on the amount you send. You will get an SMS confirmation with a reference code inside a few seconds.

The four ways to pay a paybill

Every M-PESA paybill can be paid four ways. Pick whichever works with the phone and connection you have.

Route	Where it lives	Best for	Speed
USSD `*334#`	Any phone, feature or smart	The universal fallback, no data required	30 to 60 seconds
STK push	Merchant site or app initiates it	Checkout on a website or app you already trust	10 to 20 seconds
SIM Toolkit	Phone menu → SIM Toolkit → M-PESA	Feature phones and older smartphones	30 to 60 seconds
My OneApp	Android 7+ or iOS 13+ smartphone	Frequent payers, biometric login, saved paybills	10 to 20 seconds

Route 1, USSD `*334#` (works on any phone)

Dial *334# from your registered Safaricom line.
Select 4. Lipa na M-PESA.
Select 4. Pay Bill.
Enter the Business Number (the paybill, for example 888880 for KPLC prepaid).
Enter your Account Number (meter, customer, or reference).
Enter the Amount in KES.
Enter your M-PESA PIN.
Confirm the merchant name shown on screen. If it is wrong, cancel.

You will receive an SMS from MPESA with a transaction code (10 characters, letters and numbers) and the merchant name. Keep that SMS. It is your receipt.

Route 2, STK push (from a website or app)

Many merchant websites and apps trigger an STK push. You enter your phone number on the merchant checkout, they push a prompt to your handset, and you approve with your PIN. No USSD dialling, no typing the paybill.

On the merchant checkout, choose “M-PESA” and enter your Safaricom number.
Within 10 to 20 seconds, an M-PESA prompt appears on your phone.
Confirm the merchant name and amount.
Enter your M-PESA PIN.
You and the merchant both get an SMS confirmation.

Route 3, SIM Toolkit (menu on the phone)

Open your phone menu and look for SIM Toolkit (or STK, or Safaricom).
Choose M-PESA.
Choose Lipa na M-PESA → Pay Bill.
Continue with paybill, account, amount, and PIN as in the USSD route.

SIM Toolkit is the same M-PESA menu as *334#, just accessed through the phone menu instead of a dial code. Useful on feature phones where SIM Toolkit is easier to navigate than USSD.

Route 4, My OneApp (rebranded 2026)

Safaricom rebranded the M-PESA app to My OneApp in 2026, consolidating M-PESA, airtime, data, and account services. Requires Android 7+ or iOS 13+, supports biometric login, and updates for free (no data charges).

Open My OneApp and log in (biometric or PIN).
Tap Pay or the M-PESA menu.
Tap Pay Bill.
Enter the paybill number (or pick from saved paybills).
Enter account, amount, and M-PESA PIN.
Confirm the merchant name and approve.

For a full walkthrough of the app, see our My OneApp guide.

What it costs to pay a paybill

The customer pays the standard M-PESA send-money tariff on top of the amount. The merchant does not deduct anything from what you send.

Amount (KES)	Customer charge (KES)
1 to 100	0
101 to 500	7
501 to 1,000	13
1,001 to 1,500	23
1,501 to 2,500	33
2,501 to 3,500	53
3,501 to 5,000	57
5,001 to 7,500	78
7,501 to 10,000	90
10,001 to 15,000	100
15,001 to 20,000	105
20,001 to 250,000	108

Full fee schedule in our M-PESA charges 2026 guide. To calculate a specific amount, use the paybill fee calculator.

M-PESA limits (2026)

Maximum per single transaction: KES 250,000
Maximum per day: KES 500,000
Maximum M-PESA balance: KES 500,000

If you need to pay more than KES 250,000, split into two transactions. If you need to pay more than KES 500,000 in a day, use a bank transfer instead.

Common mistakes that cost people money

Wrong account number. The paybill routes to the right company but the money credits the wrong customer inside that company. Recovery is manual and can take days. Always double-check the account (meter number, customer number, ID).
Confusing paybill with till. A paybill needs an account number. A till (Buy Goods) does not. If you get “invalid account”, you may be on the wrong menu. See our Buy Goods guide.
Fake paybill from a scam SMS. Never pay a paybill someone texts you. Always look it up on the paybill directory or dial *334*6# to verify.
Approving a random STK push. If a prompt appears you did not start, cancel and call Safaricom on 100. Scammers rely on tired people tapping through.
Paying the wrong paybill for a bill with two. KPLC has separate paybills for prepaid (888880) and postpaid (888888). Same company, wrong paybill, and the money will not credit correctly.

What if the payment does not reflect?

Wait 5 to 15 minutes. Most delays clear in that window.
Confirm the SMS shows the correct merchant name.
Send the M-PESA transaction code to the merchant's customer care.
If the money went to the wrong paybill, forward the confirmation SMS to 456 to start an M-PESA reversal. See our reversal guide.

Popular paybills, verified in the directory

The exact number and account format for the 20 most-used Kenyan paybills. Every entry below is verified by paybillke and updated when it changes.

Full list at paybillke.com/paybills (verified entries). Search any Kenyan merchant to see their exact paybill and account format. Paying electricity? Go straight to buying KPLC tokens on paybill 888880 or the full Kenya Power guide.

Frequently asked

How much does M-PESA charge to pay a paybill?

The M-PESA send-money tariff. KES 0 for payments of 100 or less, rising to KES 108 for amounts between 20,001 and 250,000. The merchant does not deduct anything.

What is the maximum I can pay?

KES 250,000 per single transaction and KES 500,000 per day.

Can I pay a paybill from Airtel Money?

Yes, most M-PESA paybills accept Airtel Money via cross-network. Dial *334#on Airtel, choose Pay Bill, enter the business number. See our Airtel Money paybill guide.

What if I pay the wrong paybill?

Forward the confirmation SMS to 456 to start a reversal. Success rate is high when the request is filed within 25 days. See our reversal guide.

Where do I get a receipt?

The M-PESA confirmation SMS is your receipt. For a signed one, log into the merchant portal and download the receipt against the M-PESA reference code.

Source: Safaricom Lipa na M-PESA tariff page and M-PESA product documentation, verified 30 August 2026 by paybillke.