specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: M-Pesa (Safaricom Daraja)
providerId: mpesa
created: '2026-07-17'
modified: '2026-07-17'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Mobile Money
- Payments
- Fintech
- Kenya
- Plans
description: >-
  The Daraja API itself is free to access — Safaricom does not charge a per-call or
  subscription fee for the developer API. Cost is incurred through M-Pesa transaction
  tariffs, which are set by Safaricom's commercial agreements per business shortcode
  (paybill/till) and are regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya. Charges vary by product
  (C2B, B2C, B2B), transaction band, and negotiated merchant rate, and are billed in
  Kenyan Shillings (KES). Sandbox access is free and unmetered. There are no published
  Free/Pro/Enterprise API tiers; access is via a registered Daraja app (consumer
  key/secret) plus a live business shortcode.
notes: >-
  Per-transaction tariffs are commercial and not published as a fixed public rate card
  in the developer portal; they are governed by the merchant's M-Pesa business agreement
  and CBK-approved tariff bands. Verify current rates with Safaricom business onboarding.
sources:
- https://developer.safaricom.co.ke/
- https://www.safaricom.co.ke/business/sme/payment-solutions
plans:
- id: mpesa-sandbox
  name: Sandbox
  type: free
  description: >-
    Free, unmetered test environment on https://sandbox.safaricom.co.ke with test
    credentials and simulated shortcodes for every Daraja product.
  entries:
  - label: Sandbox Access
    name: sandbox
    type: free
    metric: requests
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: KE
    unit: 1
    price: free
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: All Daraja Products (test)
- id: mpesa-production
  name: Production (Live Shortcode)
  type: usage
  description: >-
    Free Daraja API access tied to a live business shortcode. Cost is the underlying
    M-Pesa transaction tariff per product, billed in KES per commercial agreement.
  entries:
  - label: Daraja API Access
    name: api_access
    type: free
    metric: requests
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: KE
    unit: 1
    price: free (no API fee)
    userMultiplied: false
  - label: C2B / STK Push Collection Tariff
    name: c2b_tariff
    type: usage
    metric: transactions
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: KE
    unit: 1
    price: per M-Pesa merchant tariff (KES), CBK-regulated band
    userMultiplied: false
  - label: B2C Disbursement Tariff
    name: b2c_tariff
    type: usage
    metric: transactions
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: KE
    unit: 1
    price: per B2C tariff band (KES), commercial agreement
    userMultiplied: false
  - label: B2B Transfer Tariff
    name: b2b_tariff
    type: usage
    metric: transactions
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: KE
    unit: 1
    price: per B2B tariff band (KES), commercial agreement
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: M-Pesa Express (STK Push)
  - name: Customer To Business (C2B)
  - name: Business To Customer (B2C)
  - name: Business To Business (B2B)
  - name: Dynamic QR
  - name: Bill Manager
  - name: M-Pesa Ratiba
- id: mpesa-enterprise
  name: Enterprise / Aggregator
  type: enterprise
  description: >-
    Negotiated tariffs, higher throughput, and aggregator/PSP arrangements for banks,
    fintechs, and payment aggregators. Contact Safaricom business.
  entries:
  - label: Negotiated Agreement
    name: enterprise
    type: flat
    metric: contract
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: year
    geo: KE
    unit: 1
    price: contact Safaricom business
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: Custom Tariffs
  - name: Aggregator / PSP Access
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com