M-Pesa Paybill vs Till vs STK Push: Which Works Best for an Online Shop?
Short answer: Paybill and Till are the M-Pesa accounts a business receives money into. STK Push is the method that sends a payment prompt straight to the customer’s phone. For an online shop, the best setup is STK Push linked to your Paybill or Till, so customers just enter their PIN and the order is confirmed automatically.
Most Kenyan shoppers want to pay with M-Pesa. How you set it up decides whether checkout feels effortless or whether customers give up halfway. We build this into shops through our M-Pesa integration service.
| Paybill | Till (Buy Goods) | STK Push | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Business account with account numbers | Business account without account numbers | A prompt sent to the customer’s phone |
| Customer types | Paybill number plus account reference | Till number | Only their M-Pesa PIN |
| Mistakes | Wrong account references are common | Wrong amounts possible | Amount and account pre-filled |
| Order matching | Manual unless integrated | Manual unless integrated | Automatic |
| Best for | Invoices, schools, utilities, many accounts | Shops and counters | Online checkout |
How Paybill works
A Paybill lets customers pay into your business using a Paybill number and an account reference, often an invoice or order number. It’s ideal when you need to know who paid for what, such as school fees or utility bills. Online, the problem is that customers must type the details themselves, which leads to wrong references and orders that have to be matched by hand.
How a Till works
A Till (Buy Goods and Services) is simpler: customers enter the Till number and amount. It’s common in retail. Online, there’s no account reference, so matching payments to orders is even harder without an integration.
How STK Push works
STK Push uses Safaricom’s Daraja API. When the customer clicks “Pay with M-Pesa” and enters their number, a prompt appears on their phone showing your business name and the exact amount. They enter their PIN, and your website gets a confirmation and marks the order paid. STK Push can work with either a Paybill or a Till.
Why STK Push wins for online shops
- Fewer abandoned checkouts: nothing to copy or type.
- No wrong amounts or references.
- Automatic order confirmation and stock updates.
- Easier reconciliation for your accounts team.
See it step by step in how to add M-Pesa payments to a WooCommerce store.
What you need to set it up
- A registered M-Pesa Paybill or Till in the business name.
- Access to Safaricom’s Daraja portal and production credentials.
- A website or shop that can call the API securely and receive confirmations.
- Testing in the sandbox, then with real small payments.
Keep a manual fallback
Sometimes a prompt doesn’t arrive because of network issues. Good checkouts show the Paybill or Till as a backup option, with clear instructions.
Choosing your platform
WooCommerce lets us connect STK Push directly. Shopify needs a third-party app. See Shopify vs WooCommerce for online shops in Kenya and our WooCommerce M-Pesa integration.
We build M-Pesa checkouts for Kenyan shops, with 1,200+ projects since 2012 and a 5.0 rating on Google.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Paybill and Till?
A Paybill takes an account reference with each payment. A Till takes only the number and amount.
What is M-Pesa STK Push?
A payment prompt sent to the customer’s phone with the amount filled in. They enter their PIN to pay.
Can STK Push work with a Till number?
Yes. STK Push can be linked to either a Paybill or a Till.
Which is best for an online shop?
STK Push linked to your Paybill or Till, because it’s fastest for customers and confirms orders automatically.
Do I need a developer to set up STK Push?
Usually, yes. It needs Daraja API credentials, secure integration and testing.
Want M-Pesa STK Push on your website?
Tell us about your shop and your M-Pesa account, and we’ll show you how the checkout will work. During working hours (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm EAT) we reply within minutes on phone or WhatsApp at +254 705 828 000.
Prefer it in writing? Request a quote.
Written by Vincent Ochieng, founder of Butterfly Prime Solutions (since 2012). Last updated: 2 November 2026.
