Can I pay a Lipa na M-PESA Buy Goods till from Airtel Money?

Yes, via *334# → Buy Goods → till number → amount → PIN. The M-PESA till accepts cross-network payment under Kenya Mobile Money Interoperability. The business receives it as a normal Buy Goods payment.

How much does it cost to pay a Buy Goods till from Airtel Money?

Cross-network sending charges apply: KES 7 for KES 101 to 500, up to KES 108 for KES 20,001 and above. The receiving merchant pays no additional fee on the Airtel side (the M-PESA merchant fee applies to them on the M-PESA leg).

What is the difference between Buy Goods and Pay Bill?

Buy Goods (Lipa na M-PESA till) is for shops, supermarkets, restaurants and merchants that take a single flat amount, no account reference needed. Pay Bill is for utilities, schools, government and banks where the payment must be tagged to a specific account (KPLC account, KRA PRN, student number, bank account).

Do I need the merchant name before paying?

Airtel Money shows the merchant name on the confirmation screen before the final PIN prompt. Always read it. If it does not match the shop, cancel and check the till number.

Can I withdraw cash from a Buy Goods till?

No. Withdraw at Airtel Money agents only. Buy Goods tills are merchant payments; they do not dispense cash.

What if the till says the transaction failed but my wallet was debited?

Wait 5 minutes; sometimes the SMS arrives late. Check your balance via *334# → My Account → Balance. If the debit stands with no merchant confirmation, dial *334# → My Account → Reverse Transaction with the transaction ID, or call 100.

Pay Buy Goods with Airtel Money (2026): Steps

To pay a Lipa na M-PESA Buy Goods Till from Airtel Money, dial *334#, choose Buy Goods, enter the till number, amount, and your PIN. Cross-network sending charges apply (KES 7 to KES 108).

How Buy Goods works cross-network

Under Kenya Mobile Money Interoperability [Source 1], an Airtel Money customer can pay any M-PESA Buy Goods till from the Airtel wallet. The merchant does not need an Airtel-specific till. The payment lands as a normal Buy Goods credit on the merchant M-PESA side, and Airtel and Safaricom settle the interoperability leg behind the scenes.

Fees

You (the customer) pay the cross-network sending band on the Airtel side. The merchant pays the standard M-PESA Buy Goods merchant fee on their side.

You pay (KES)	Cross-network Buy Goods fee (KES)
101 to 500	7
501 to 1,000	13
1,001 to 2,500	23 to 33
2,501 to 5,000	53 to 57
5,001 to 10,000	78 to 90
10,001 to 20,000	100 to 105
20,001 to 250,000	108

How this differs from paying with M-PESA

On M-PESA, paying a Buy Goods till is free (customer side) up to KES 200, then M-PESA charges the customer nothing on Buy Goods, only the merchant. On Airtel, the customer pays the cross-network band. This is the honest cost difference, and it matters most on small buys where a KES 7 fee doubles a KES 100 purchase feel.

Buy Goods vs Pay Bill: which to use

Buy Goods (till number): shops, supermarkets, restaurants, fuel stations, small merchants. No account reference. Any amount.
Pay Bill (paybill number + account): utilities (KPLC), government (KRA, HELB), banks, schools, TV subscriptions. Account reference required.

See how to pay a paybill from Airtel Money for the Pay Bill route.

If the till payment fails

Wait 5 minutes for the SMS.
Check your wallet balance via *334# → My Account → Balance.
If debited without a merchant SMS confirmation, dial *334# → My Account → Reverse Transaction with the transaction ID.
Or call 100 with the transaction ID.

Sources

[Source 1] Central Bank of Kenya, mobile money interoperability framework 2018. centralbank.go.ke.
[Source 2] Airtel Africa Kenya, Airtel Money Buy Goods. airtel.africa/ke/money. Verified 30 August 2026.