Seamless M-PESA payment integration for East African e-commerce platform that processed $500K+ in transactions with 99.8% success rate and reduced payment friction by 60%.
AfriShop, a rapidly growing e-commerce platform serving customers across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, needed to integrate M-PESA mobile money payments to serve their predominantly mobile-first customer base. With over 80% of their target market using mobile money services, this integration was critical for business growth.
The project scope included integrating M-PESA Express (STK Push), C2B payments, transaction status checking, automated reconciliation, fraud detection, and comprehensive reporting dashboard for financial operations.
Implement a robust, secure M-PESA payment integration that would increase conversion rates, reduce payment friction, and provide seamless mobile money transactions for East African customers while ensuring PCI compliance and fraud protection.
Only credit card payments available while 80% of target market uses mobile money services
65% cart abandonment rate due to payment friction and lack of preferred payment methods
Unable to expand effectively in East African markets without mobile money integration
Below industry average of 3.5%
Missing 40M+ potential customers
We implemented a comprehensive M-PESA integration using Safaricom's Daraja API, focusing on security, reliability, and user experience. Our solution included STK Push for seamless payments, robust error handling, and real-time transaction monitoring.
Seamless mobile payment initiation directly from customer's phone
OAuth 2.0 authentication and encrypted transaction processing
Instant transaction status updates via webhooks and callbacks
Automated transaction matching and financial reporting
Integrated with Safaricom Daraja API, implemented OAuth authentication, and set up sandbox testing environment
Developed STK Push integration, payment confirmation handling, and error management with retry logic
Comprehensive testing with real transactions, security audits, and fraud detection implementation
Production deployment, real-time monitoring setup, and performance optimization based on live data
We followed an API-first approach, thoroughly testing all endpoints in the sandbox environment before moving to production, ensuring robust error handling and optimal performance.
Handling network timeouts and ensuring transaction integrity in unreliable network conditions.
Solution: Implemented retry logic, transaction queuing, and comprehensive status checking with fallback mechanisms.
Providing clear feedback during the payment process while handling various user scenarios.
Solution: Created intuitive payment flow with real-time status updates, clear error messages, and mobile-optimized interface.
In first 6 months
Transaction reliability
Faster checkout process
Up from 2.1% before integration
Of all transactions now via M-PESA
Average transaction completion
Based on payment experience surveys
"Finally! I can pay with M-PESA. The process is so smooth and I don't need to enter card details anymore."
- Grace Wanjiku, Customer
"The payment confirmation is instant. I know immediately if my payment went through. Very reliable!"
- John Mwangi, Regular Customer
"Shopping is now so convenient. I can pay directly from my phone without any hassle. Love it!"
- Mary Achieng, Mobile User
In East African markets, mobile money is the primary payment method. Designing for mobile-first user experience was crucial for adoption and success.
Building robust retry mechanisms and handling network timeouts gracefully was essential for reliable payment processing in varying network conditions.
Providing clear instructions and feedback during the payment process significantly improved user confidence and reduced support queries.
We would have implemented more comprehensive user onboarding and education from day one. While the technical integration was smooth, some users needed additional guidance on the M-PESA payment process.
The M-PESA integration successfully transformed AfriShop's payment capabilities, enabling access to the vast East African mobile money market and delivering exceptional business growth while providing seamless payment experiences for customers.
"The M-PESA integration was a game-changer for our business. Zote Labs delivered a robust, secure solution that opened up the entire East African market to us. Our conversion rates doubled overnight!"
Experience the M-PESA payment integration with our demo environment featuring real payment flows.
Try Payment Demo