M-PESA customers will have new ways to complete payments without going through several manual steps, following the rollout of three features by Safaricom that allow users to scan, tap or use artificial intelligence to enter transaction details.
Safaricom announced the changes on Thursday, October 1, 2026, saying the new payment options are intended to make transactions easier and more convenient for customers.
The new services include Dynamic Scan-to-Pay and Tap-to-Pay, which Safaricom is introducing in partnership with Pesapal through its point-of-sale (POS) network.
“Together with Pesapal, we are bringing Dynamic Scan-to-Pay and Tap-to-Pay to the Pesapal POS network, giving customers simpler ways to complete their M-PESA payments with fewer manual steps,” Safaricom said.
Dynamic Scan-to-Pay expands on the existing M-PESA Scan-to-Pay service, which is currently available at more than 60,000 merchants.
Customers using the new feature can scan a QR code shown on a Pesapal POS terminal. Once the code is scanned, the merchant information and amount required for the transaction are automatically filled in.
This means customers do not have to manually enter the merchant details and payment amount before completing the transaction.
Customers can tap phones to pay
Safaricom is also offering Tap-to-Pay to customers whose smartphones have Near Field Communication (NFC) capability.
The feature works at compatible Pesapal POS terminals, where customers can place their phones against the terminal and then confirm the transaction.
“Tap-to-Pay enables customers with NFC-enabled smartphones to simply tap their phone on a Pesapal POS, verify and pay!” the company said.
The feature provides another contactless option for M-PESA users while removing the need to key in merchant payment information manually.
AI feature reads payment information from receipts
The third addition is AI Pay, which Safaricom is making available through My OneApp as part of its use of artificial intelligence in M-PESA payments.
Customers can use the application to scan receipts and extract payment information. Safaricom said the feature can also work with handwritten receipts.
Where the necessary details are available, the system can identify the till or paybill number and the amount to be paid from the receipt.
“Simply scan any receipt, including handwritten ones, and where available, the till or paybill details and payment amount will be picked automatically!” Safaricom said.
Safaricom said the three features are part of its continued efforts to simplify M-PESA payments by cutting down manual data entry and offering customers more ways to pay at participating merchants.