Pesapal is a popular payment gateway across East Africa — Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, and Zambia. It accepts M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and credit/debit cards through a single integration.
Before you start
- A Pesapal merchant account at pesapal.com
- Account approval (KYC) — usually 1–3 business days
Step 1 — Get your API credentials
- Log in to your Pesapal merchant dashboard
- Go to Account → API Keys (or similar — exact name may vary)
- Note your Consumer Key and Consumer Secret
Step 2 — Connect Pesapal in your shop
- Go to Dashboard → Shop and scroll to the Accept Payments section
- Tap Pesapal
- Paste your Consumer Key and Consumer Secret
- Choose Live or Test mode
- Save
What customers see
At checkout, customers who pick Pesapal are taken to a Pesapal-hosted page where they choose their preferred payment method (M-Pesa, Airtel Money, card). After paying, they're returned to your shop with a confirmation.
When to use Pesapal vs PayHero
- PayHero — only M-Pesa, but with native STK Push (customer never leaves your shop). Best if all your customers use Safaricom M-Pesa.
- Pesapal — covers M-Pesa plus Airtel, Equitel, cards. Best if your customers use a mix of payment methods.
You can have both connected — customers will see both options at checkout.
Pesapal fees
Pesapal charges per-transaction fees, varying by payment method (M-Pesa is usually slightly cheaper than card). Fees are deducted before payout. Check Pesapal's pricing page for current rates.
Payouts
Pesapal pays out to your bank account on a schedule you choose (usually weekly or daily, depending on your tier). Payouts are managed entirely from the Pesapal dashboard.