Selling on WhatsApp in Kenya: M-PESA Pochi la Biashara, ODPC rules and scams

In Kenya, a lot of selling already happens the same way: a product photo in a WhatsApp group, a quick "is it available?", and payment by M-PESA. This guide shows how to run that properly: receiving money with Pochi la Biashara or a Till, following the ODPC's direct marketing rules, and spotting the fake M-PESA messages that cost sellers stock every week.

The short answer: use Pochi la Biashara (or a Buy Goods Till) so business money stays separate from personal money; only message people who joined or asked and give them a free, easy way out, as Kenya's data protection regulations require for direct marketing; and never release goods based on an SMS or a screenshot: confirm the payment in your own M-PESA.

Why WhatsApp groups work for selling in Kenya

DataReportal's Digital 2026 Kenya report counts 23.4 million internet users (40.5% of the population) and 77.5 million active mobile connections in October 2025. Connections exceed the population because many people use more than one SIM. And the Reuters Institute's 2026 report on Kenya notes that "WhatsApp is particularly influential" as a channel for sharing information.

That combination, phones everywhere and money already on the phone, is why a well-run WhatsApp group can work as a shop window for a small business in Nairobi, Mombasa or Kisumu.

Getting paid: Pochi la Biashara, Till or Paybill

Safaricom describes Pochi la Biashara as "a product that allows business owners such as food vendors, small kiosk owners, boda-boda operators, secondhand clothes dealers, etc. to receive and separate business funds from personal funds on their M-PESA line." For a WhatsApp seller, that separation is gold: you can see at a glance what came from sales.

1. 1
   Activate it

   Dial *334# and choose "Pochi La Biashara", as Safaricom explains on its official page.

2. 2
   Tell customers how to pay

   They pay from the M-PESA app or *334# using your phone number, choosing the Pochi option.

3. 3
   Check charges

   Safaricom says "Standard customer M-PESA charges will apply". Check the current tariffs before you set prices.

4. 4
   Confirm in your own M-PESA

   Before you pack the order, check the payment in your Pochi balance, never only on the customer's screen.

Paystack's help centre says its services are available to businesses registered in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Kenya, and Flutterwave lists Kenya among its countries. Either can be useful when a customer asks "can I pay by card?". WhatsApp itself doesn't process payments in Kenya: its payments documentation only covers India and Brazil.

The ODPC rule: consent plus a free way out

This is the part most sellers skip. Kenya's Data Protection (General) Regulations, 2021, published by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), set clear conditions for direct marketing. In plain words:

• Regulation 15(1): direct marketing is allowed when you collected the data from the person, told them what it's for, they consented, there is a simple opt-out, and they haven't asked to stop.
• Regulation 15(2): no direct marketing message "by any means" without telling people how to ask you to stop, at no cost to them.
• Regulation 16: the opt-out must be clear, quick and free.
• Regulation 8(4): the right to object to direct marketing is absolute. If someone says stop, you stop.

WhatsApp's own Business Policy points the same way: you may only contact people who gave you their number and opted in to receive messages. So the safe pattern for a Kenyan seller is simple: people join through your invite link, your description says what they'll get, and leaving is free and instant.

🛍️ {SHOP NAME}: {NICHE} deals in {TOWN}
You joined to get our offers, {2-3} posts a day, {TIMES}.
💳 Pay via Pochi la Biashara: {NUMBER} ({NAME})
🚪 Don't want offers anymore? Just leave the group, or reply STOP to me in private and I'll remove you and delete your number from my list. Free, no questions.
⚠️ We never ask for your M-PESA PIN.

Done ✅ You've been removed and I won't send you offers again. Thank you, {NAME}!

Also mind the claims you make. The Competition Authority of Kenya's mandate includes "preventing misleading market conduct throughout Kenya", and it publishes decisions on misleading representations. "Original", "brand new", "50% off": only say it if it's true.

The fake M-PESA message: how to never lose stock to it

Safaricom's fraud awareness page lists the "Fake/old M-PESA Message" and "Fake Reversal Instructions" among the known tricks. For a seller, it usually looks like this:

Fake "Jumia Shopping" pages: protect your buyers too

Scams don't only target sellers. In January 2023, Citizen Digital reported on a DCI investigation into a fake "Jumia Shopping" Facebook page that offered discounts, took payments to an M-PESA Till, sent "invoices" through WhatsApp and then switched the numbers off. Your group can be the place where people learn to check before paying.

🔒 Safety reminder from {SHOP NAME}
• Our ONLY payment number is {POCHI/TILL} ({NAME}).
• We never ask for your M-PESA PIN or a "reservation fee".
• If someone messages you claiming to be us from another number, it's not us.
• Big-brand "discount pages" you don't know? Check the brand's official site before paying.

If you sell Jumia products rather than your own, read our guide to Jumia JForce vs. affiliate links: Jumia operates in Kenya, and its official consultant network is described publicly.

WhatsApp Business tools that save you time

If you sell every day, the WhatsApp Business app gives you a few tools that make the routine lighter. None of them are specific to Kenya, but they fit M-PESA selling well:

• Catalogue: each item needs a name, at least one image and the country of origin; price is optional. Customers can browse your products without waiting for you to post them again.
• Labels: colour-coded tags for chats, such as "Awaiting payment", "Paid", "Dispatched". You'll never send a rider for an order that wasn't paid.
• Quick replies: save your payment instructions once and send them with a shortcut, so the Pochi or Till number is always typed correctly.
• Away message: an automatic reply outside your working hours, so a customer who messages at night knows when you'll answer.

For more ideas, see WhatsApp Business tips to sell more.

Thank you for your order 🙏
Total: KSh {TOTAL} (item + delivery)
Pay via M-PESA to Pochi la Biashara: {NUMBER} ({NAME})
Once I see the payment in my M-PESA, I'll confirm and dispatch. Please don't share your PIN with anyone, including me.

A simple daily routine for a Kenyan WhatsApp shop

🔥 *{PRODUCT}*
KSh {PRICE} (was KSh {OLD PRICE} at our shop)
📦 Delivery in {AREA}: {DELIVERY FEE}
💳 Pochi la Biashara: {NUMBER} ({NAME})
Reply with the item name to order 🙂

For more on the after-sale part, see WhatsApp after-sales follow-up messages. And if you're growing past one group, how to sell in WhatsApp groups without getting banned keeps your number safe.