M‑Pesa

You can use Safaricom M‑Pesa as the payment gateway your customers use to pay for internet packages.

Centipid only allows one active payment gateway at a time. When you select and save a gateway in the Payments tab, it becomes the gateway used for all online payments until you switch to another one.

This page explains how to configure M‑Pesa inside the Payments tab of System Settings.

Note: M‑Pesa options only appear if your Centipid country is set to Kenya (KE).

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1. Open the Payments tab

1. Sign in to your Centipid dashboard.
2. Click the gear icon in the top‑right corner to open System Settings.
3. Click the Payments tab at the top of the page.

You’ll see the Payment Gateway Settings section.

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2. Choose the M‑Pesa gateway

In the Payment Gateway dropdown:

• Select SAFARICOM – M‑Pesa Paybill / Till Number With API keys if you want full API integration using Daraja credentials.
• Alternatively, you can select Paybill – Without API keys or Till Number – Without API keys gateways if you only need basic payment instructions and will confirm payments manually.

The rest of this page focuses on the SAFARICOM option and related M‑Pesa flows. You can also use the other gateways listed under Payment Gateways if they are a better fit for your business.

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3. Method of payment (Paybill vs Till Number)

When you choose SAFARICOM as the Payment Gateway, a Method of Payment dropdown appears:

• Paybill – customers pay to your Paybill number.
• Till Number – customers pay to a normal Till number.

Pick the option that matches how your Safaricom account is set up. Changing this setting will clear incompatible fields automatically (for example switching from Till Number to Paybill clears any Till value).

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4. Required M‑Pesa fields

After you choose SAFARICOM and a method of payment, Centipid shows additional fields you must fill in.

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Paybill / Till Number

Depending on the method you selected:

• Paybill – enter your Paybill number.
• Till Number – enter your Till Number (the normal till your customers will pay to).

These numbers should match what Safaricom has assigned to you.

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Daraja API credentials

To allow Centipid to talk directly to M‑Pesa, you need credentials from the Safaricom Daraja portal. Official portal: Safaricom Daraja You will need:

• Mpesa Shortcode – the shortcode Daraja uses for your app.
• Mpesa Passkey – the passkey for your Lipa Na M‑Pesa Online Shortcode.
• Consumer Key – your Daraja consumer key.
• Consumer Secret – your Daraja consumer secret.

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How to get the API keys (high level)

1. Sign in to the Safaricom Daraja portal.
2. Create an App if you don’t already have one.
3. In your app details:
   • Copy the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret.
   • Generate or copy the Lipa Na M‑Pesa Online Shortcode.
   • After Safaricom approves your app and you go live, they will email you the Lipa Na M‑Pesa Online Passkey – keep this safe and paste it into Centipid when you receive it.
   • Note the Shortcode you will use for payments.
4. Paste these values into the matching fields in Centipid under System Settings → Payments.

Tips:

• Keep all these values secret – never share screenshots or send them by chat or email.
• Use the reveal buttons only when you need to check the value while configuring.

When you’ve entered everything, click Save changes.

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5. Testing your M‑Pesa integration

Before you rely on M‑Pesa in production:

1. Create or pick a small test package (for example a cheap daily bundle).
2. From your captive portal, subscribe to that package.
3. Confirm that:
   • The STK push or payment flow appears on your phone.
   • The payment is marked as checked in Centipid.
   • The package is activated for the customer.
   • The customer is logged in to Mikrotik Hotspot

If something fails, double‑check your Daraja credentials and Paybill / Till Number values, then repeat the test.

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6. Using M‑Pesa without API keys (Paybill / Till Number)

If you don’t want to use Daraja API keys, you can still accept M‑Pesa payments using the Paybill – Without API keys or Till Number – Without API keys gateways.

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Paybill – Without API keys

• In the Payment Gateway dropdown, choose Paybill – Without API keys.
• You’ll be asked for your Paybill details – enter the Paybill number you want Centipid to settle funds to.
• Click Save changes when you’re done.

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Till Number – Without API keys

• In the Payment Gateway dropdown, choose Till Number – Without API keys.
• You’ll be asked for your Till Number – enter it exactly as provided by Safaricom so Centipid can settle funds to it.
• Click Save changes when you’re done.

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7. Bank account payments (Kenya)

If you prefer customers to pay by bank transfer instead of directly through M‑Pesa:

• In the Payment Gateway dropdown, choose BANK.
• Enter the bank account that should receive payments.
• Click Save changes.

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How payments flow (PPPoE vs Hotspot)

• PPPoE packages
  • Customers are shown the Centipid collection Paybill 4026374 and a unique account number auto generated by the system.
  • Payments go to Centipid first; once received, Centipid automatically forwards the funds to your configured Paybill / Till Number / Bank and activates the customer’s PPPoE package.
  • You do not need to manually match or confirm these payments.
  • When you are not using API keys (Paybill / Till Number / Bank), Centipid charges a 1% transaction cost on PPPoE payments before settling the funds to your gateway.
• Hotspot packages
  • Customers receive an STK push on their phone.
  • After they enter their M‑Pesa PIN, the money goes directly to your configured gateway (Paybill, Till Number, or Bank) and Centipid activates their hotspot session.

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8. Other gateways and mixed setups

If your ISP also accepts other forms of payment:

• You can switch between M‑Pesa, bank, or other gateways such as PawaPay or Paystack (depending on your country).
• Use the Payment Gateway dropdown in System Settings → Payments to choose and configure the one gateway you want to use.

If you later decide to stop using M‑Pesa or bank transfer, simply choose a different gateway or clear the relevant fields and save.

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Need help?

For M‑Pesa API or Daraja account issues, email [email protected].
For Centipid configuration questions, contact Centipid support on WhatsApp: +254742324193.