Which M-PESA Payment Option Is Best for Small Businesses: Personal Number, Pochi, Till, or PayBill?

Are you running a business in Kenya?

If you are, then you already know one thing for sure: M‑PESA isn’t just convenient… it’s survival.

From selling handmade earrings at a craft fair, to running a bakery, online boutique, or even a full-on school, how you collect money matters.

•How customers perceive you

•How clean your accounting stays

•And - let’s be honest, whether your hustle grows or stays stuck at “side hustle” forever.

So today, let us answer the burning question:

“What’s the BEST way to collect payments on M‑PESA?”

•Keep using your personal number?

•Try Pochi la Biashara?

•Register for a Till Number?

•Or go big with a PayBill?

No jargon. No bank-speak. Just real talk for real Kenyan businesses.

Hii ndio njia ile rahisi sana, lakini… it is the messiest option

Hapa, you give your customer phone number yako, then wanakutumia kwa M-PESA yako. Ukipata confirmation, you are good to go. Done.

Why is this so tempting?

•Zero setup, inakuja na simcard

•No paperwork

•Customers already know how to do it

But here’s the catch:

•Business na personal cash zinamix, hakuna separation

•Endless SMS scrolling ukijaribu kureconcile sales

•Looks unprofessional, especially kama una deal na corporates or new clients

•No customer statements, no transaction reports

•Customers can reverse a payment, so unaweza enda loss at the end of the day 😭😱

Absolute beginners, one-time sellers, and first-time side-hustlers.

When to upgrade:

Ukifikisha 3–5 business transactions per day, sasa unaweza level up.

Hii sasa ni the next step for side hustlers na small traders.

Hii ni Safaricom’s light-business solution. Hii husaidia sana ku separate business money from personal money. Lakini bado unatumia your personal number.

Dial *334# → Select Pochi la Biashara → Follow the prompts.

•No shop visits. No paperwork.

•Business funds zinakaa separate (goodbye chama confusion)

•Hakuna kumemorize new numbers, you still use your normal number

•Payment notifications huappear clearly tagged as Pochi payments

•No fees kuset-up

•Unachagua when to transfer funds into your personal M‑PESA

•Customers wanaona your personal name, sio biashara

•Hakuna business statements ama analytics

•Reporting sio fancy

•Pesa bado iko tied to your SIM card, ukipoteza phone yako unaingia panic mode

Food vendors, market traders, boda riders, small online sellers, Instagram boutiques.

Ukiwa nah ii, unajua umeanza kufika kibiashara 😊

Hii ni a unique business payment ID from Safaricom. Customers wakilipa, your business name appears on their M‑PESA screen.

For example: Customer pays → Sees: “Payment to: (Your business name)”

•Online via Safaricom Business Portal

•Or visit a Safaricom shop with your business registration certificate and ID

•Inakaa professional sana and this builds customer trust

•Uko na access to M‑PESA Business App

•Track real-time sales

•Unapata daily, weekly, and monthly reports

•Manage multiple outlets or staff users

•Siku izi unaweza withdraw up to Ksh 50,000 per day for free

•Zero customer charges when they pay you (small business-friendly)

•Some free merchant-to-M‑PESA withdrawals

•Safaricom inacharge the business a transaction fee (approx 0.5% to 1%), hii inadepend on volume

•Withdrawals above the free Ksh 50k/day cap will attract agent withdrawal fees

•Moving money to a bank account may also attract fees

Shops, salons, bakeries, online boutiques, restaurants, event planners, etc. Basically kama uko serious about growing and formalizing your business, hii ni yako.

Now this is for the big boys and big girls. This is for big payments.

A business payment solution with a reference field.

Your customer enters your PayBill Number AND an Account/Reference Number when making payment.

Hii ni perfect for schools, landlords, NGOs, SACCOs, and utility companies.

Customer paying school fees → They enter the child’s Admission Number as reference.

•Business registration certificate

•KRA PIN

•Bank details

•Longer approval timeline

•Extremely professional

•Track individual customer payments

•Get detailed business statements

•Handle large payments with ease

•Supports recurring or structured payments

•Setup and monthly fees apply

•Higher transaction charges than Tills

•Setup takes time and documents

•Small businesses may find it overkill

Withdrawal Fees (from Till/PayBill above daily free limit):

•From Ksh 101–500: Ksh 11

•From Ksh 501–1,000: Ksh 28

•Large withdrawals: Up to Ksh 309 for highest brackets

Here’s the thing:

•Business accounts (Till/PayBill) make KRA tracking easier – Wacha tulipe tax tujitegemee.

•They help build business transaction history… hii history inaweza kusaidia kupata business loans.

•Kenyan lenders kadhaa wana partner with Safaricom to offer microloans and SME funding based on M‑PESA Till turnover.

•Personal Number & Pochi: Pesa zako zinabaki on your SIM. Lose your SIM = chaos (until you replace it).

•Till & PayBill: Funds zako zinabaki in a business wallet. You access them via Safaricom Business App, Web Portal, or by contacting Safaricom.

•Umeanza biz juzi? → Stick with your Personal Number or Pochi la Biashara.

•Biz yaki inagrow and you want to look professional? → Go for a Till Number.

•Handling structured or high-volume payments? → Level up to PayBill.

“The goal is not just to make sales… it’s to get paid well, track your money, and grow your business bila headaches za biashara.”

So… what are you using now?

Na kama umemake the switch, what changed for you?