M-Pesa Paybill / Till Setup
To accept M-Pesa payments through Slade Advantage, you need an active Safaricom Paybill or Till (Buy Goods) shortcode and Daraja API credentials from the Safaricom Developer Portal.
If you already have a Paybill or Till shortcode, skip to Step 2: Get your Daraja API credentials.
Step 1: Apply for a Paybill or Till
Documents required
Have all of these ready before you apply, and note that every document must be stamped.
- Paybill Application Form (or Till Application Form)
- Tariff Guide
- Account Opening Form
- Admin Account Creation Form
- Administrator Letter
- Bank letter or cancelled cheque (must be signed or stamped by your bank)
- KRA PIN Certificate
- Copy of ID or Passport of the business owner / authorized signatory
Application methods
Option A: M-PESA Business Portal (recommended)
- Go to the M-PESA Business Portal and create or log in to your account.
- Open the application section for Paybill or Till.
- Upload all required documents as PDFs.
- Submit the application.
Safaricom usually processes an application within 72 hours.
Option B: email
- Compile all required documents into a single PDF.
- Send the email to M-PESABusiness@safaricom.co.ke with a CC to paybill@safaricom.co.ke.
- Use the subject line:
Paybill ApplicationorTill Application. - Include your business contact details in the email body.
Once the application is approved, Safaricom issues you a shortcode, for example 123456. Keep it somewhere safe, because you need it when you configure Slade Advantage.
Step 2: Get your Daraja API credentials
The credentials live on the Safaricom Developer Portal, and you can set them up as soon as the shortcode has been issued.
2.1 Create a developer account
- Go to https://developer.safaricom.co.ke.
- Register for a developer account using your business email address.
- Verify your email and log in.
2.2 Create an app
- In the portal, navigate to My Apps and click Create App.
- Give the app a descriptive name (e.g.,
Slade Advantage Production). - Enable the APIs your integration requires:
- M-Pesa Express (STK Push) starts the payment prompt.
- C2B receives payments on your Paybill or Till.
- B2C, which is optional, sends money out.
2.3 Retrieve OAuth credentials
From the app details page, copy both of these and store them somewhere safe:
| Credential | Description |
|---|---|
| Consumer Key | Your client ID for OAuth 2.0 authentication |
| Consumer Secret | Your client secret. Treat it like a password |
2.4 Retrieve your PassKey
- For sandbox, the PassKey sits in the portal under your test app credentials.
- For production, Safaricom emails you the PassKey once it approves your Paybill or Till application.
2.5 Generate a security credential (B2C / B2B only)
If your integration handles B2C or B2B transactions:
- In My Apps, open the dropdown for your app and select Test Credentials.
- Use the portal to generate an encrypted security credential.
- For production, encrypt your M-Pesa API Initiator password with Safaricom's public certificate.
Credentials summary
By the end of both steps you should have:
| Credential | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Shortcode | Issued by Safaricom after Paybill/Till approval |
| Consumer Key | Safaricom Developer Portal → My Apps |
| Consumer Secret | Safaricom Developer Portal → My Apps |
| PassKey | Portal (sandbox) / Email from Safaricom (production) |
| Security Credential | Generated in the portal (B2C/B2B only) |
If something goes wrong with the application or with the credentials, Safaricom support is at M-PESABusiness@safaricom.co.ke.
Additional references:

