M-Pesa is now the primary payment method for most Kenyan businesses. But the question of whether to use a Paybill number, a Till number, or both — and how to connect either to your accounting system — is one that confuses many Kenyan business owners. This guide explains the practical difference between the two, when to use each, and how BetaSuite's Daraja API integration auto-reconciles both without manual intervention.
M-Pesa Paybill vs Till: The Key Differences
M-Pesa Paybill (Business Number)
A Paybill number is a business payment channel that allows customers to pay to a business account with an account reference. The customer enters the Paybill number, an account number (which you define — e.g. invoice number, customer code) and the amount. Payments go to a bank account linked to the Paybill.
Best for: Invoice payments, utility bill payments, subscription fees, school fees, loan repayments — any payment where you need to match the payment to a specific account or invoice reference. The account number field is your matching key.
M-Pesa Till (Buy Goods)
A Till number is a point-of-sale payment channel. The customer enters the Till number and the amount. There is no account reference field — the payment is simply associated with the Till. Funds settle to a linked bank account (or the business M-Pesa float).
Best for: Retail counter payments, restaurant bills, petrol stations, market stalls — any fixed-location point of sale where the amount is determined at the time of payment and no reference number is needed.
When to Use Both
Many Kenyan businesses benefit from both:
- Till at the retail counter — for walk-in customers paying for goods at the till
- Paybill for debtors — for credit customers paying their outstanding invoices using the invoice number as the account reference
BetaSuite supports multiple Tills and Paybill numbers — each one can be assigned to a specific branch, and payments route to the correct branch ledger automatically.
How Daraja API Integration Works
Safaricom's Daraja API allows BetaSuite to receive real-time notifications when a payment is made to your Till or Paybill. The notification contains the M-Pesa reference, payer phone number, amount and timestamp. BetaSuite processes this notification and:
- For Paybill payments: Matches the account reference (invoice number) to the open invoice and posts the receipt automatically
- For Till payments: Matches the amount to the open POS transaction at the corresponding till and closes the sale
- For unmatched payments: Creates a pending receipt in the reconciliation queue for manual matching — no payment is ever lost
STK Push — The Most Powerful Use Case
STK Push (Lipa na M-Pesa) allows BetaSuite to trigger a payment prompt on the customer's phone directly from the POS screen. The cashier enters the customer's phone number, the correct amount appears on the customer's phone, and the customer confirms with their PIN. BetaSuite receives the confirmation instantly and closes the sale.
For businesses with debtors, STK Push sent from the accounts receivable screen — prompting a customer to pay their outstanding invoice — is one of the most effective collection tools available.
M-Pesa for Float-Based Operations
Some Kenyan businesses — particularly mobile money agents, saccos and microfinance institutions — manage M-Pesa float as part of their core operations. BetaSuite tracks float levels, alerts when float is low and reconciles all float transactions against accounting entries.
Book a free M-Pesa integration demo at betasuiteapp.com/get-quote and see live Paybill, Till and STK Push reconciliation in action.