Verified 12 September 2026
M-PESA Till for a Restaurant
By Dennis Kiptoo · M-PESA Till hub
A restaurant typically pairs a till for walk-ins with a paybill for delivery orders. Walk-ins pay Buy Goods (free for the customer) at the counter. Delivery orders pay the paybill with an order or phone number as the account, so you can match the payment to the order.
Setup
Apply for the till first (fastest to activate, biggest customer benefit). Apply for the paybill later for delivery or booking channels. Keep both under the same nominated number for consolidated statements.
Day-to-day flow
Table service: bring the bill, customer taps Buy Goods, types the till, pays; you see it in the app. Delivery: send the paybill number and order reference in the confirmation SMS; rider confirms once paid. Refunds go via M-PESA to the customer's number from your operator, keep the receipt.
Cost
Customer pays nothing on the till, standard paybill tariff on the paybill. Merchant collection fee (till) applies from 0.55% capped at KES 200; paybill has its own settlement fee. Reconcile daily in the Business app.
Frequently asked
Till or paybill for a restaurant?
Both, usually.
Which for walk-ins?
Till.
Which for delivery?
Paybill with an order reference.
Related
Verified 12 September 2026. Independent guide, not Safaricom. Confirm current merchant band table, reversal shortcode and any till-name-change process on safaricom.co.ke.