Why is M-Pesa not available right now on Swaps?

Our local partner for Kenya (Partna) asked us on 2026-05-07 to pause the KES corridor while they stabilize the rail. We will not show a quote we cannot actually settle — we will re-enable M-Pesa as soon as Partna confirms the corridor is back.

When will M-Pesa come back on Swaps?

No firm date yet. The pause is on Partna's side; we will announce on the Swaps blog as soon as the corridor is stable again.

Do I need a bank account to use M-Pesa?

No. M-Pesa works as a mobile wallet tied to your phone number. You just need an M-Pesa account with sufficient balance.

STK push is a payment prompt that appears on your phone automatically. You enter your M-Pesa PIN to authorize the transaction — no need to dial codes or navigate menus.

Buy Crypto with M-Pesa

M-Pesa is a mobile money rail used across Kenya and East Africa. Crypto via M-Pesa on Swaps is temporarily paused while our partner stabilizes the corridor.

What is M-Pesa?

M-Pesa is a mobile money platform widely used in Kenya, Tanzania, and other East African countries. Buying and selling crypto via M-Pesa on Swaps is **temporarily paused as of 2026-05-07** while our local partner Partna stabilizes the Kenya corridor. We will re-enable M-Pesa STK push payments as soon as the corridor is healthy again.

How to Buy Crypto with M-Pesa

M-Pesa flow on Swaps is currently disabled.
When it is back: enter the amount in KES and select your cryptocurrency on Swaps.
Choose "M-Pesa" as your payment method.
You will receive an STK push notification on your phone — enter your M-Pesa PIN to confirm.

M-Pesa — Pros

No bank account required — works with M-Pesa mobile wallet
Instant confirmation via STK push on your phone (when active)
Accessible to millions who use M-Pesa daily

M-Pesa — Cons

Currently paused on Swaps (2026-05-07) while Partna stabilizes the Kenya rail
Transaction limits depend on your M-Pesa account tier
Larger amounts trigger identity verification at the provider

M-Pesa Limits & Fees

Processing time	Currently unavailable (was: instant via STK push)
Limits	Currently unavailable
Fees	Currently unavailable (was: ~1-3% via Partna)
Regions	Kenya (paused) — Tanzania, Uganda planned via Partna roadmap
Currencies	KES (Kenyan Shilling) — currently paused on Swaps

Popular Cryptocurrencies

Other Payment Methods

Why use M-Pesa on Swaps

Swaps does not process payments itself — we route your M-Pesa transaction through licensed on-ramp providers and protocol routes (Paybis, Transak, Stripe Onramp, Bridge by Stripe, Onramper, Mercuryo, Partna, OKX, and others) and rank their live quotes by total receive amount in your local currency. The strongest provider route for M-Pesa depends on your country, the amount, and the coin you are buying, which is why every quote is re-evaluated in real time. The crypto goes directly to the wallet address you control; Swaps never custodies funds during the transaction.

What to expect

M-Pesa availability varies by provider and country. Some providers settle M-Pesa payments instantly, others may batch transfers depending on the rail. KYC requirements depend on the provider's compliance rules in your market — many corridors complete without verification at smaller amounts. Before you pay, Swaps applies a Tier-1 fiat-aware filter so M-Pesa routes that would be rejected by every available provider in your country never appear in the comparison. If a route is shown, it can complete; if it is hidden, the rail is not currently supported in your market.