Does M-PESA have a Split Bill feature?

Not for customers yet. Safaricom listed bill splitting as a coming feature in December 2025, but as of 30 October 2026 we found no launch. Until then, one person pays and the others send or are asked for their share.

How do I ask friends to pay me back on M-PESA?

Use Request Money in the M-PESA App: open Send and request, choose Request Money, pick the contact and enter the amount. They accept or decline, and the request expires after 12 days.

Can several people pay one restaurant till?

Yes. A till accepts as many separate payments as you make, so each person can pay their own share to the same till number. Ask the restaurant to confirm every payment before you leave.

What is M-PESA Split Payments?

A business feature, not a consumer one. A paybill or till can automatically share each incoming payment by percentage with up to 3 other business accounts. The customer only sees one payment.

How to Split a Bill on M-PESA in Kenya (2026)

Your options today

Method	Best for	Cost
Everyone pays the till separately	Restaurants and shops	Usually free for the customer on Buy Goods
One pays, then Request Money	Friends and family	The normal send money charge when each friend pays you back
Each person sends their share	Quick and informal	The normal send money charge
M-Changa collection	Big group costs, events, contributions	4.25% platform fee, plus withdrawal charges

Paying one till in parts

Ask for the total and agree each person's share.
Each person pays their own share to the restaurant's till on Lipa na M-PESA, Buy Goods.
Show the cashier each confirmation SMS until the total is covered.

Customers normally pay nothing extra to pay a till; see how to pay Buy Goods.

Using Request Money

From Safaricom's Request Money page:

In the M-PESA App, open Send and request and choose Request Money.
Pick the contact or type the number, enter their share, and confirm.
Your friend gets a notification and chooses Accept or Decline. Once accepted, the money reaches you and the request is marked as paid.

When a friend pays you back, it is a normal send money transaction with the usual charge; see M-PESA charges.

Collecting from a bigger group

For a wedding, funeral or group trip, a collection platform keeps a record of who paid. M-Changa charges a 4.25% platform fee on contributions (3.5% for collections above KES 3 million in 30 days), and standard mobile money charges when you withdraw. On KES 50,000 collected, the platform fee is KES 2,125. Regular groups may prefer a chama; see chama and table banking.

Shiriki Pay is a different tool: it lets people you choose spend from your M-PESA wallet. See Shiriki Pay explained.

For businesses: Split Payments

Safaricom's Split Payments lets a paybill or till share every incoming payment automatically with up to 3 other business accounts, by percentage. It suits shared premises, landlords and partners. There is no setup or subscription fee; the normal business-to-business rate applies to the amounts passed on. You set it up on *234#, the M-PESA Business Hub or the Business App. Customers see only the total they paid.

Sources

Safaricom newsroom: what's next on M-PESA, December 2025
Safaricom: Request Money, read 30 October 2026
Safaricom: Split Payments FAQs, updated 6 July 2026
M-Changa: fees, read 30 October 2026