How to Pay in Kenya

Mobile payments and digital wallets, curated for travelers visiting Kenya.

Last updated: August 20269 sources

2 apps1 essential

What to know about Payments in Kenya

Kenya is one of the few destinations where a local mobile-money setup can materially improve a short trip.

Best Payments apps in Kenya (2026)

My-OneAppEssential

Safaricom's current app for registered M-PESA payments, balances, airtime and data on a compatible local line.

Pro tip: Register the Safaricom SIM and M-PESA in your own name, then test a small payment. Keep *334# or the SIM Toolkit ready if the app will not load.

App Store Play Store Website

Tourist Tap

A new Kenya-focused app that sends local merchant payments from Apple Pay or a contactless card on an NFC Android phone.

Pro tip: Treat it as an optional backup while adoption is new. Test a small payment, verify the recipient and keep a physical card, cash or M-PESA alternative.

App Store Play Store

Foreign visitors can register a Safaricom SIM with a valid passport under the current subscriber rules, then register for M-PESA at a Safaricom shop or authorized M-PESA outlet. Complete both steps in your own name, load a small amount of Kenyan shillings, make one test payment and confirm the recipient name before depending on the wallet. A data-only travel eSIM does not provide the Kenyan Safaricom number required for this setup. Safaricom's former M-PESA consumer app became My-OneApp in April 2026 and retains the same official store listings.

The app combines M-PESA, airtime, data and other Safaricom services, but current users report login, data and interface problems after the redesign. Keep *334# and the Safaricom SIM Toolkit as fallbacks, and trust the confirmation SMS rather than a screenshot shown by another person. Tourist Tap is a new visitor-focused alternative launched by Kenya's Ministry of Tourism with Craft Silicon, KCB and Visa. On Android it uses a contactless card through NFC; on iPhone it uses Apple Pay to send a local merchant payment.

It is promising but lightly adopted, so test it with a small transaction and keep card, cash and M-PESA alternatives. Never share an M-PESA PIN, OTP or registration code, and independently verify any changed till or phone number.