Sending money from M-PESA into a Bank of Africa account is not a Send Money to a phone number. It is a Pay Bill to Bank of Africa's paybill, with the destination bank account number in the account field. It is the same pattern as sending to KCB, Co-op, or Equity, just with Bank of Africa's number.
The verified paybill
Bank of Africa Kenya uses paybill 972900 for M-PESA deposits. The account is the Bank of Africa account number you are depositing to, not your phone number and not your own account. If you are topping up your own account, use your own number. If you are paying someone else, use theirs.
Send to Bank of Africa step by step
- Open the M-PESA app, or dial *334#.
- Select Lipa na M-PESA, then Pay Bill.
- Business number: 972900.
- Account: the Bank of Africa account number you are funding. No spaces, hyphens, or slashes.
- Enter the amount.
- Enter your M-PESA PIN and confirm.
Bank of Africa credits same-day during banking hours and next-day off-hours. Keep the M-PESA SMS as proof.
The account-number trap
Limits
A single M-PESA Pay Bill is capped at KES 250,000, and the daily M-PESA ceiling is KES 500,000. To move more than KES 250,000 in a day, split it across two transactions and keep each SMS.
It did not reflect
If the M-PESA SMS confirmed but the Bank of Africa account has not updated, first check the account number you typed against the account you meant to fund. A wrong or mistyped account number is the usual cause: the money reached Bank of Africa but sits against the wrong or an invalid account. Contact Bank of Africa with your 10-character M-PESA transaction code and the correct account number to have it traced. Do not send again until it is resolved.
What it costs
Standard M-PESA paybill fees apply. Bank of Africa does not add a fee on top for M-PESA deposits.
| If you send | M-PESA fee | Total off your wallet |
|---|---|---|
| KES 1,000 | KES 10 | KES 1,010 |
| KES 5,000 | KES 34 | KES 5,034 |
| KES 20,000 | KES 62 | KES 20,062 |
| KES 100,000 | KES 108 | KES 100,108 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Bank of Africa paybill for M-PESA?
Bank of Africa uses paybill 972900. The account is the Bank of Africa account number you are depositing to, not your phone number.
How much can I send from M-PESA to Bank of Africa at once?
Up to KES 250,000 per transaction, with a daily M-PESA ceiling of KES 500,000. Split larger amounts across two transactions.
My M-PESA to Bank of Africa transfer did not reflect. What do I do?
Check the account number you used, a stray hyphen or space is the usual cause. If it was wrong, contact Bank of Africa with your M-PESA transaction code and the correct account. Do not resend until traced.
Does Bank of Africa charge a fee to receive M-PESA?
No. Bank of Africa does not add a fee on top of the standard M-PESA paybill tariff. What the M-PESA screen shows is what you pay.
Resources
- The verified Bank of Africa paybill entry is at paybillke.com/paybill/bank-of-africa.
- To send M-PESA to other banks, see send M-PESA to KCB, Co-op, Equity, or Absa, and the full send-to-any-bank directory.