How Kenyan businesses actually operate
In Kenya, M-Pesa is part of almost every transaction, and WhatsApp is where most customer conversations happen. A small business might advertise on social media, take enquiries on WhatsApp, collect payment to a Paybill or Till number and then confirm the order by hand once the M-Pesa message comes through.
The friction is in the middle. Staff have to check the M-Pesa statement, find the matching customer in a chat, confirm the order and update a spreadsheet. When the account reference is missing or typed differently, payments sit unmatched and customers wait.
We build systems that close that loop: WhatsApp conversations, M-Pesa payments and customer records connected, so a confirmed payment updates the order and notifies the customer without a person in the middle for routine cases.
M-Pesa: Daraja, Paybill and Till
Payment workflows are built around how Kenyan customers actually pay:
- Daraja API
- Safaricom's developer API is used, where your business account allows, to receive payment confirmations automatically and to trigger payment prompts (STK Push) to a customer's phone.
- Paybill
- Account references are used to match payments to the right invoice, booking or customer, with unmatched payments sent to an exception list.
- Till (Buy Goods)
- Till payments are recorded by phone number and amount and matched to open orders, with a person reviewing anything ambiguous.
- Card and bank
- Other payment methods are recorded alongside M-Pesa so the dashboard shows total takings in one place.
What we automate in Kenya
WhatsApp enquiries
Instant replies with prices, availability and FAQs, then handover to a person.
Bookings and reminders
Bookings captured from chat, confirmed and followed by reminders.
M-Pesa payment confirmations
Customers receive a WhatsApp confirmation when their M-Pesa payment is received and matched.
Order updates
Ready, dispatched and delivered messages sent automatically.
Staff handoff
Conversations assigned with the full payment and order history visible.
Daily reconciliation
A view of matched and unmatched payments so the day closes cleanly.
Mobile-first and light on data
Most customers and many staff use smartphones on mobile data. Staff screens are designed to load quickly and work well on a phone, and customer-facing steps happen inside WhatsApp so nobody needs to install anything.
Where teams work in the field with weak signal, we use offline-first patterns that save work locally and sync later.
Data Protection Act 2019
Kenya's Data Protection Act 2019, overseen by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, sets rules on how personal data is collected, processed and stored. In plain terms, businesses are expected to collect data for a clear purpose, limit it to what is needed, keep it secure and respect people's rights to access and correct their information. Some businesses also need to register with the regulator.
We build those principles in: consent capture in WhatsApp flows, role-based access, minimal data fields and the ability to find and remove a customer's records. Payment data stays with M-Pesa and is referenced, not copied in full. This is a design approach, not legal advice; please confirm registration and other obligations with a qualified adviser.
Which services fit best in Kenya
WhatsApp and booking automation
Connects WhatsApp conversations to M-Pesa payments so routine orders confirm themselves.
PulseCare Reception demoCreative Hauz SchedulerWhatsApp automation guide
Workflow and tool integrations
Daraja API, spreadsheets, accounting and calendars connected into one flow.
Dashboards and reporting
Daily takings, matched and unmatched payments and order status in one view.
AI assistants
Drafted replies and triage for busy WhatsApp inboxes, with a person approving the output.
Demos use fictional data; case studies are portfolio builds, not client results. See all services.
Industry pages
Questions from businesses in Kenya
Can you connect WhatsApp to M-Pesa payment confirmations?
Yes. Using Safaricom's Daraja API where your account allows, we can receive M-Pesa payment confirmations, match them to the right order and send the customer a WhatsApp confirmation automatically.
Do you work with Paybill and Till numbers?
Yes. Paybill payments are matched using the account reference, and Till payments by phone number and amount, with anything ambiguous sent to a person to review.
Can customers pay through an M-Pesa prompt on their phone?
Where your Daraja setup supports it, we can trigger an STK Push payment prompt so the customer approves the payment on their phone without typing details.
Do you build in-person or remote?
Remote. Projects are founder-led by Linda Kisimisi, with calls over WhatsApp or video and documented handover and training.
Do you store customers' M-Pesa details?
We store only what the workflow needs, such as the transaction reference, amount and date, and apply role-based access, in line with data minimisation principles.