How to pay an M-Shwari loan, step by step
- Open the M-PESA menu (the M-PESA app, the SIM toolkit, or *334#) and choose Loans and Savings.
- Choose M-Shwari, then LOAN.
- Choose Pay Loan.
- Enter the amount you want to pay.
- Enter your M-PESA PIN.
- Confirm the message on screen, for example "pay loan Kshs 2000", and press OK. An SMS confirms the payment.
You can pay part of the loan or all of it. Safaricom's M-Shwari page says repayment can come from your M-PESA balance or from your M-Shwari account.
Why there is no M-Shwari paybill
M-Shwari is the NCBA savings and loan account built into M-PESA. The money never leaves M-PESA, so there is no business number to pay into. Any website or SMS giving you an "M-Shwari paybill" is wrong, and paying a number like that sends your money to someone else.
Paying an M-Shwari loan for another number
You cannot pay another person's M-Shwari loan from your phone. Safaricom's answer is to send the money to their M-PESA, and they pay the loan from their own M-Shwari menu.
What happens if you pay late
The loan term is 30 days. If it is not paid by then, Safaricom says the term is extended by another 30 days and a further 7.5% facilitation fee is charged on what you still owe. To see what any M-Shwari loan costs in shillings, use the M-Shwari loan calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I pay my M-Shwari loan?
Open the M-PESA menu, choose Loans and Savings, M-Shwari, LOAN, then Pay Loan. Enter the amount and your M-PESA PIN, then confirm. Safaricom sends an SMS when the payment goes through.
What is the M-Shwari paybill number?
There is not one. M-Shwari sits inside M-PESA, so you pay the loan from the M-Shwari menu, not through a Pay Bill number.
Can I pay someone else's M-Shwari loan?
Not directly. Safaricom says you can send money to their M-PESA account and they then pay the loan from their own M-Shwari menu.
What happens if I do not pay M-Shwari within 30 days?
Safaricom says the loan is extended for another 30 days and a further 7.5% facilitation fee is charged on the outstanding balance.
What if I pay more than I owe?
The loan is cleared and the extra amount moves to your M-Shwari savings account.
Sources and related guides
- Safaricom, M-Shwari FAQs (checked 18 October 2026): paying a loan, paying for another person, late payment, overpayment.
- M-Shwari loan review 2026 and M-Shwari vs KCB M-PESA.
- Paying a KCB M-PESA loan instead? See how to pay a KCB M-PESA loan. Every lender is in the loans hub.