SHOPIFY · M-PESA · KENYA

Choosing a Shopify payment gateway in Kenya

If you run a Shopify store in Kenya, you cannot assume Shopify Payments is available to you, so you need to compare third-party gateways. This guide sets out the questions to ask and shows where Payment Gateway Kenya fits as one option for M-Pesa.

Kenya was not on Shopify's official Shopify Payments country list when we checked on 5 November 2026. That means Kenyan store owners usually need a third-party payment gateway to take payments. Most of your customers will expect to pay with M-Pesa, so this guide focuses on that.

Shopify payment gateway Kenya illustration

Why you should check Shopify Payments availability before you plan checkout
A criteria checklist for comparing third-party gateways
Where Payment Gateway Kenya fits for M-Pesa pay-ins, with details on the Shopify M-Pesa page
A comparison table and answers to common questions

Why Shopify merchants in Kenya need to check their options

Many Shopify guides assume Shopify Payments is the default. For Kenya, that assumption does not hold. Kenya was not on Shopify's official Shopify Payments country list when checked on 5 November 2026, so confirm the current list yourself before you plan your checkout.

Without Shopify Payments, you choose a third-party gateway and connect it to your store. Your choice decides which payment methods customers see, how you track payment status and how money reaches your business account.

In Kenya, M-Pesa is usually the method that matters most at checkout. Safaricom's Daraja documentation calls the prompt a business sends to a customer's phone M-PESA Express (Lipa na M-PESA Online). The market often calls this 'STK Push'. PayBill and Till are separate transaction types. Our guide on Daraja vs a payment gateway explains how these differ.

Checklist: what to ask any Shopify payment gateway in Kenya

Payment methods: which methods are supported in Kenya today? Get the list in writing rather than relying on a general claim.
Shopify connection: how does the gateway connect to your store? Ask whether it uses an app, a hosted page or an API, and what Shopify allows for your store. Do not assume an automatic install.
Payment status: how will your store learn whether a payment succeeded or failed? Ask about server-to-server status messages and how failed or pending payments are handled.
Settlement: when are funds sent to your business, and how are pay-ins kept separate from settlement in reporting?
Payouts: if you need to send money to customers, for example refunds or rewards, ask whether payouts are available for your account.
Pricing: ask for a written quote that covers connection, transaction and settlement charges in KES.
Security practices: ask how the provider protects API credentials and controls access to its systems.
Regulatory context: payments in Kenya fall under the Central Bank of Kenya and the National Payment System Act 2011. Ask each provider to explain its own position.

Your options at a glance

Shopify Payments

Kenya was not on Shopify's official Shopify Payments country list when checked on 5 November 2026. Check Shopify's current list before you plan around it. If Kenya is still missing, you will need a third-party gateway.

Third-party payment gateways

Several providers serve Kenyan merchants, and they differ in methods, connection routes and settlement terms. Use the checklist above to compare them. Our overview of payment service providers in Kenya gives more background.

Payment Gateway Kenya for M-Pesa

Payment Gateway Kenya is a payment gateway for M-Pesa pay-ins, plus payouts where confirmed for the account. You connect through our API (H2H) or our Hosted Payment Page, which are two ways into the same gateway. Postbacks send transaction status to your system. Merchant settlements are sent on the same day (T+0).

See how Shopify M-Pesa works with Payment Gateway Kenya

Comparison table by criteria

Shopify payment gateway options in Kenya compared by criteria
Criteria	Shopify Payments	Third-party gateways	Payment Gateway Kenya
Availability in Kenya	Kenya not on the official country list when checked on 5 November 2026	Varies by provider	Available for Kenyan merchants
Payment methods in Kenya	Not applicable while unavailable	Varies by provider	M-Pesa only
Connection to Shopify	Built into Shopify where available	Varies: app, hosted page or API	API (H2H) or Hosted Payment Page; ask our team about your store
Payment status	Handled inside Shopify where available	Ask each provider	Postbacks send transaction status to the merchant
Merchant settlement	Not applicable while unavailable	Ask each provider	Merchant settlements are sent on the same day (T+0)
Payouts	Not applicable while unavailable	Ask each provider	Payouts where confirmed for the account
Pricing	Not applicable while unavailable	Ask each provider for a KES quote	Custom / Talk to sales

Our overall transaction success rate is 85%, measured as successful transactions divided by all transactions. This is a product-wide figure, not a figure for any single country, method or merchant, and it is not a guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions from Shopify store owners in Kenya about payment gateways and M-Pesa.

Is Shopify Payments available in Kenya?

Kenya was not on Shopify's official Shopify Payments country list when checked on 5 November 2026. Check Shopify's current list before you plan your checkout, because availability can change.

What is the best Shopify payment gateway in Kenya?

It depends on the methods your customers use, how the gateway connects to your store, how settlement works and what it costs. Use a checklist and get written answers from each provider. If M-Pesa is your priority, Payment Gateway Kenya is one option to consider.

Does Payment Gateway Kenya have a Shopify app?

We do not promise a Shopify app listing, plugin or automatic install. Payment Gateway Kenya connects through an API (H2H) or a Hosted Payment Page. Ask our team how this would work for your store.

Which payment methods does Payment Gateway Kenya support in Kenya?

M-Pesa only. Payment Gateway Kenya provides M-Pesa pay-ins, plus payouts where confirmed for the account.

When are merchant settlements sent?

Merchant settlements are sent on the same day (T+0). This describes when settlement is sent, not when funds appear in your account. Pay-ins, payouts and merchant settlement are three separate flows.

How does my store know a payment went through?

Postbacks send transaction status to your system, so your store can update the order. Postbacks are not a customer notification service, so plan your own customer messages separately.

How much does Payment Gateway Kenya cost for a Shopify store?

Pricing is custom. Talk to sales for a quote based on your business.

How does Payment Gateway Kenya handle security?

We follow general internal practices, including protection of API credentials, MFA and role-based access, business continuity planning and incident response.

Talk to us about M-Pesa for your Shopify store

If M-Pesa is the method your customers use, tell us about your store and how you sell. We will explain how the API (H2H) or Hosted Payment Page route would work for you. Pricing is custom, so see our pricing page for how quotes work.

Get started See Shopify M-Pesa details Talk to sales about pricing