Airtel and Telkom customers can now pay into Safaricom’s MPESA pay bill numbers after the successful launch of the second phase of mobile merchants’ interoperability. The service that was launched today will allow customers on any of the three networks to make mobile money payments to an M-PESA Pay Bill Number from any network.
The move provides customers with choice as outlined in Kenya’s National payments strategy that was launched early this year. The vision of the Strategy is to have a secure, fast, efficient, and collaborative payments system that supports financial inclusion and innovations that benefit Kenyans. Choice means that users have the ability to make payments from and to any payment instrument or channel, regardless of the provider, with no friction and at the minimum cost possible.
“Today’s launch of Pay Bill interoperability between Safaricom’s M-PESA, Airtel Money, and T-Kash, follows that of ‘Send Money’ and Till interoperability. This innovation extends even more convenience to customers and businesses, transforming M-PESA into a one-stop solution to send and receive money and payments from any financial service locally, and our global partners” Peter Ndegwa, CEO Safaricom PLC
The first phase which was launched in April, allowed customers to make mobile money payments to an M-PESA Buy Goods and Services Till from any network.
The next phase towards complete merchant interoperability will see Kenyans make mobile money payments from M-PESA to the Till and Pay Bill Numbers of the other networks: Airtel Money and T-kash, Thereby making the CBK objective of paying anyone anywhere a reality.
Also Read: Safaricom and Visa Inc., Launch M-PESA GlobalPay Visa Virtual card.
