Safaricom and Pesapal announced that their Scan‑to‑Pay solution is now available at more than 60,000 merchant outlets, and the partnership aims to reach 500,000 merchants within the next year.

The Scan‑to‑Pay feature works by displaying a QR code at the point of sale, which customers scan with their phones to complete the payment through the supported platform.

Customers can link a Visa card to the Pesapal Mobile app, allowing the QR‑based payment to be funded directly from the card.

A new Tap‑to‑Pay experience has also been introduced, using NFC technology so that compatible Android phones and iPhones can be tapped on supported terminals to pay.

Pesapal already supports NFC payments on its Sabi point‑of‑sale terminals, and the Tap‑to‑Pay service builds on earlier contactless offerings such as the M‑Pesa 1Tap wristband.

Safaricom’s Group Chief Technology and Information Officer, James Maitai, said the aim is to simplify checkout for small merchants and reduce waiting times for customers.

Pesapal CEO Agosta Liko highlighted that the partnership removes steps such as entering PINs incorrectly or sending money to the wrong recipient, making payments more reliable for merchants.

Both services are integrated into Safaricom’s My OneApp, giving users access to Scan‑to‑Pay and Tap‑to‑Pay alongside other Safaricom services.

The expansion reflects Kenya’s broader shift away from traditional phone‑based payments toward QR codes, NFC and digital wallets at physical points of sale.