Till Number (without API keys)

Collect customer payments via your Safaricom M-Pesa Buy Goods Till using Nukta's platform Daraja credentials without developer onboarding.

Collect payments with your Till, without API keys

The Till Number (without API keys) method sends an automated M-Pesa Buy Goods STK push prompt directly to the customer's phone, utilizing Nukta's platform Daraja infrastructure rather than requiring your own Safaricom developer credentials.

You supply only your active Safaricom Buy Goods Till number. The collected funds settle directly into that till—no Daraja portal registration, consumer secrets, or passkeys required.

Availability: ISPs operating in Kenya (KE).
Direct Settlement: Funds collected via the automated STK prompt land directly in your registered Safaricom Buy Goods merchant till.

NOTE

This is not an "instructions-only" manual method. The customer receives an instant STK push prompt on their phone and enters their M-Pesa PIN, exactly as with Safaricom M-Pesa (with API keys) in till mode. The primary difference is operational: the API keys are provided by the platform, allowing you to begin collecting automated customer payments immediately while your own Daraja onboarding is in progress.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active, operational M-Pesa Buy Goods Till registered to your business.

NOTE

Need a Till Number?

Nukta can assist Kenyan ISPs in obtaining an official Safaricom Buy Goods Till. Contact Nukta support with a copy of your National ID, primary business phone number, and official email address. The till provisioning service costs KES 2,500, and the application is submitted to Safaricom once payment is confirmed.

Configuring the gateway

In your Nukta dashboard, navigate to Settings → Payments.
Select Till Number (Without API keys) from the payment gateway marketplace.
Enter your merchant details:
- Till Number: Required alphanumeric/numeric string (up to 20 characters). This is your official Safaricom Buy Goods Till where collected funds settle. No Daraja keys are requested.
Click Save Settings to switch the gateway live. (Switching payment gateways may request a secure action OTP).
Run a Controlled Test: Connect a test device to your captive portal, make a small test payment, and verify that the STK prompt displays your Till name and that funds land in your till.

Credentials reference

Field	Required	Notes
Till Number	Yes	Maximum 20 characters. Your own registered Safaricom Buy Goods Till. No Daraja keys requested.
Callback URLs	None	The callback destination is attached dynamically to each payment request; no manual URL registration with Safaricom is needed.

Customer checkout experience

Required Customer Input: The customer provides their Safaricom mobile phone number to receive the Buy Goods STK push prompt.
Streamlined Prompt: Because Buy Goods transactions do not use account numbers, the customer simply confirms the business name and amount, then enters their M-Pesa PIN.

How transactions complete

Customer Checkout → Nukta Platform Buy Goods STK Push → Customer Enters PIN → Safaricom Callback → Service Activated

Request: Nukta initiates a CustomerBuyGoodsOnline STK push prompt against your Buy Goods Till using the platform's high-availability Daraja gateway.
Authorization: The customer authorizes payment by typing their M-Pesa PIN on their phone.
Settlement & Activation: Safaricom posts the confirmation to Nukta's callback, which logs the payment in Finance → Payments and updates the customer's internet validity in real time.

Payments typed in by hand

Because an M-Pesa Buy Goods Till does not support an account-number field, there is no manual pay-by-hand instruction for invoices on this method—a customer paying by hand cannot specify which customer account the money belongs to.

Smart TV payments are the exception: the TV screen displays Nukta's platform Paybill and a unique session code. Money collected that way is captured by the platform against the TV code and automatically remitted to your till.

Always verify where funds land with a controlled test payment before migrating live customers to this method.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Recommended Action
"Unable to process payment. Please try again later."	The STK push failed or Safaricom API was temporarily unreachable.	Confirm your Till is active and accepts Buy Goods payments, then retry. If the issue persists, contact Nukta support to verify platform gateway status.
STK prompt displays an unexpected Till name	The saved Till number contains a typographical error.	Correct the Till number under Settings → Payments.
Customer paid, but service was not restored	The gateway callback was delayed or did not match an open checkout session.	Review the transaction in Payment Troubleshooting and verify customer phone matching.

To connect using your own dedicated Safaricom Daraja credentials, see Safaricom M-Pesa. For complete credential parameters across all gateways, consult the Gateway Credential Reference.