How the advice is worked out
The chooser looks at six routes: MTN MoMo and Airtel Money directly, Safaricom Daraja for M-Pesa, and the aggregators Flutterwave, Paystack and Pesapal. It only suggests a route in a country where this site has checked how it works, and every suggestion links to a guide whose code was run end to end.
Some answers rule a route out completely:
- No registered business: Paystack is ruled out, for payments and for transfers.
- Kenya without a PayBill or Till: M-Pesa STK push through Daraja goes live against your own number, so it drops out for payments.
- Payouts only: routes this site doesn't cover for payouts drop out. Airtel Money disbursements are not covered, because the PIN encryption they need can't be checked against Airtel's public documentation. Pesapal payouts are not covered either.
The others are ranked by how many of your customers they reach, whether they also send payouts, and whether they take cards. "Best" is the top score, "Good" is close behind, and "Possible" works but leaves gaps, such as a second provider for another network.
Direct or through an aggregator?
| Direct (MTN, Airtel, Daraja) | Aggregator (Flutterwave, Paystack, Pesapal) | |
|---|---|---|
| Networks | One per integration | Several through one account |
| Cards | No | Yes |
| Approval | Each network's own onboarding | One account, with KYC |
| Fees | The network's own | The aggregator's on top |
Fees and onboarding terms change and depend on your business, so check them with each provider before you decide.
Whatever you pick
- Save each payment before you call the API, so a lost answer never leaves you without a record.
- Treat a timeout as "unknown", not failed: look the payment up before doing anything else.
- Never trust a callback or webhook body on its own: confirm with the provider's status lookup.
- Once a payment is paid or failed, it never changes again.
Every guide on this site follows these rules, and the starter kits put all six providers behind one interface.
Frequently asked questions
Can I accept mobile money without a registered company?
You can build and test against every sandbox without one. To go live, each provider runs its own business checks (KYC). Paystack specifically needs a business registered in Ghana or Kenya. MTN MoMo, Airtel Money, Flutterwave and Pesapal each decide on their own onboarding, so ask them what they accept for your situation.
Should I integrate MTN and Airtel directly or use an aggregator?
Directly means two approvals and two integrations, but no aggregator fee on top and full control. An aggregator such as Flutterwave gives you both networks, and cards, through one account. In Uganda, both routes are covered here with tested guides.
What do I use in Kenya if I don't have a PayBill or Till number?
M-Pesa STK push through Daraja goes live against your own PayBill or Till. Without one, Pesapal or Paystack (with a registered business) take M-Pesa through their own account.
Does this tool send my answers anywhere?
No. The advice is worked out in your browser from the facts on this site. Nothing is sent or stored.
Compare in more detail
- MTN MoMo vs Flutterwave vs Paystack: the full comparison.
- Mobile money payouts compared: MoMo Disbursements, M-Pesa B2C, Flutterwave and Paystack.
- Country pages: Uganda, Kenya, Ghana.
Based on the provider facts on this site, checked November 2026.