if this has been covered elswhere, naomba niwe directed - my browsing device is a pain running a search.

for the first time I used this ka service in one of the kiosks and noticed that some deductions were made from my end - I thought its the vendor who is charged.
from what safcom call their website, FAQ section



http://www.safaricom.co.ke/personal/m-pesa/m-pesa-services/buy-goods-and-services

Funny, because I thought they market it, or used to market it as no charge to the one paying.

The weird thing is that the rate does not seem to be standard, used it with 2 different vendors and one charged a 50 bob for a sale of around 500 and the other like 150 for a sale of around 3k.

Withdrawing mpesa from an agent next door and using the cash is actually cheaper.

Lipa na Mpesa has always charged. Question is who picks up the tab - you or the merchant? The merchant decides and can change the rules at any time.

Wouldn't it then be prudent, or at least more logical for safcom to ask the merchants charging the clients at least to place the charges next to the till number display, which is always visible.
Or at least have a standard charge, at least for those using the system to know the charges before hand.

Not just a catch...but a HIDDEN catch revealed only after public outcry!

I was charged a ka tariff at two supermarkets,

I think its foolhardy for safcom to let merchants choose and also fix the amount to charge clients using the service - worst case, they do not even put a notice of the same and one has to first query some ussd code to find out the tariff in place.

Yesterday morning Bob Con Me More was hosted on the Person of Interest show, he actually admitted that Safaricom has moved away from its mwananchi level that has seen it grow up. He acknowleged that they have gone to sit and operate in Nairobi and became unreachable. Further he admitted to mistakes in recent post pay ,big box and bundles drama. He said he's afraid they're loosing touch that could cost them in future. He stated cartegorically that " I do not work for shareholders but for these people";he was pointing to a drawing in his office that showed wananichi going about their business on interior streets. If you could get the video..listen to him.

@whiteowl Why would a business choose to charge it's customer's more and give the money to safaricom? or do businesses pocket the extra?
If it's the latter charging customers 10 to 5 percent, as in nakujua's case just to process payment is just wrong.

because the alternative is businesses paying safcom the transaction fees

but some businesses are not charging customers that transaction fee, what about those blueband bandika promotions that are usually attached to loafs za mikate