How M-PESA STK Push works for online shops
STK Push is the payment prompt that appears on a customer's phone asking for their M-PESA PIN. It is the single biggest checkout upgrade a Kenyan online shop can make — here's how it works and how to get it.
Quick Answer
Your shop sends the payment request; the customer just enters their PIN. No till numbers to type, no wrong amounts, no "confirm the message" follow-ups. On Shops in Kenya, STK Push checkout is built in from the Starter plan (KSh 299/month) — no Daraja integration needed.
What happens at checkout — step by step
Customer checks out
They pick M-PESA at checkout and enter the phone number they want to pay with — Safaricom or an M-PESA-registered line.
Your shop sends the prompt
The shop sends an STK Push request to that number with the exact order total. Within seconds a prompt pops up: 'Pay KSh 2,450 to [business]?'
Customer enters their PIN
One PIN approves everything — amount and recipient are already locked in, so nothing can be typed wrong.
Order confirms itself
The moment Safaricom confirms, the order flips to paid and the customer sees their confirmation. You see it in your dashboard — no reconciliation work.
Why it beats 'pay to Till 123456'
- ✓No manual verification — payment confirmation is automatic, not a forwarded SMS you have to eyeball.
- ✓No wrong amounts or wrong tills — the request carries the exact order total and your business number.
- ✓No abandoned payments — the prompt sits on the customer's lock screen; most approve within a minute.
- ✓Works at 2am — orders confirm themselves while you sleep, which is exactly when impulse buyers shop.
Two ways to get it — and what we handle for you
The DIY route: Safaricom Daraja
You register a developer app, get API credentials, run a callback server that Safaricom can reach over HTTPS, handle timeouts, retries and reversals, and keep it alive forever. It works — it's how every serious Kenyan payment system is built underneath — but it is real engineering.
The Shops in Kenya route: switch it on
From the Starter plan (KSh 299/month), STK Push is a checkout option you toggle on — through the Shops till so you don't even need your own PayBill yet, or connected to your own M-PESA credentials when you have them. The Daraja work is already done, monitored and maintained.
What it costs, honestly
Safaricom's business tariff applies per transaction — a small percentage with a cap; see Safaricom's current M-PESA tariffs for exact bands. Shops in Kenya adds 0% — your plan fee covers the checkout; we don't skim your sales. Compare that to marketplaces taking 5–15% of every order: on KSh 100,000 of monthly sales, commission costs more than every Shops plan combined. Full cost breakdown →
Turn on the prompt
STK Push + card checkout from KSh 299/month. 30-product free plan to start, no card required.
Frequently asked questions
What is M-PESA STK Push?
STK Push (SIM Toolkit push) is the payment prompt that pops up on a customer's phone asking for their M-PESA PIN. Instead of the customer typing a Till number and amount themselves, your online shop sends the request — phone number and exact amount — and the customer only approves. Fewer typos, faster payment, automatic confirmation.
Do I need a Daraja developer account to use STK Push?
Not on Shops in Kenya. The integration is built in — from the Starter plan (KSh 299/month) your checkout can send STK prompts through the Shops till, or you can connect your own M-PESA credentials. No API keys, no callback servers, no code.
How fast is the money and the confirmation?
The customer approves in seconds and money lands in the till immediately. Your order is marked paid automatically — no screenshots to verify, no 'I have sent, please confirm' messages.
What does STK Push cost?
Safaricom charges the standard M-PESA business transaction fee per payment (a small percentage with a cap — check Safaricom's current tariffs). Shops in Kenya adds 0% on top: you pay your plan fee and Safaricom's fee, nothing else.