Sending money from M-PESA into a Gulf African Bank account is not a Send Money to a phone number. It is a Pay Bill to Gulf African'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 Gulf African's number.
The verified paybill
Gulf African Bank, Kenya's first fully Sharia-compliant bank uses paybill 985050 for M-PESA deposits. The account is the Gulf African Bank 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 Gulf African step by step
- Open the M-PESA app, or dial *334#.
- Select Lipa na M-PESA, then Pay Bill.
- Business number: 985050.
- Account: the Gulf African Bank account number you are funding. No spaces, hyphens, or slashes.
- Enter the amount.
- Enter your M-PESA PIN and confirm.
Gulf African Bank 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 Gulf African Bank 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 Gulf African but sits against the wrong or an invalid account. Contact Gulf African Bank 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. Gulf African 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 Gulf African Bank paybill for M-PESA?
Gulf African Bank uses paybill 985050. The account is the Gulf African Bank account number you are depositing to, not your phone number.
How much can I send from M-PESA to Gulf African 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 Gulf African 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 Gulf African Bank with your M-PESA transaction code and the correct account. Do not resend until traced.
Does Gulf African charge a fee to receive M-PESA?
No. Gulf African 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 Gulf African paybill entry is at paybillke.com/paybill/gulf-african-bank.
- 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.