Frequently asked

Questions Kenyan merchants actually ask.

Short, direct answers about M-Pesa STK Push, Safaricom Daraja, the WhatsApp Business Platform, and DukaBot pricing in KES.

  • What is DukaBot?
    DukaBot is a WhatsApp commerce platform for Kenyan merchants. It runs on the WhatsApp Business Platform and accepts M-Pesa STK Push payments via Safaricom Daraja, so a customer can browse a catalog and pay without leaving the WhatsApp chat.
  • Does DukaBot charge per M-Pesa transaction?
    DukaBot does not add a transaction fee on top of M-Pesa. Safaricom's own Daraja STK Push fees still apply on your Till or Paybill, charged directly by Safaricom to the merchant account that receives the funds.
  • How does the customer actually pay?
    The bot sends an M-Pesa STK Push prompt to the customer's phone via Daraja. The customer enters their M-Pesa PIN, the prompt clears in seconds, and the order is marked paid inside the WhatsApp thread once Safaricom returns a success callback.
  • Can I use IntaSend instead of Daraja directly?
    Yes. DukaBot's payment layer abstracts the provider — you can run on Safaricom Daraja directly for the lowest M-Pesa fees, or on IntaSend if you want a single dashboard for M-Pesa, card, and bank payments. Switch by changing PAYMENT_PROVIDER per business.
  • What do I need from Meta/WhatsApp to start?
    You need a verified WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API) account, a phone number, and a Meta Business Manager. DukaBot uses your existing Business Platform number, so you do not need a separate SIM — the bot replies as your business on WhatsApp.
  • Does DukaBot work with both M-Pesa Till and Paybill?
    Yes. DukaBot supports both M-Pesa Till numbers (Buy Goods) and Paybill numbers via Daraja STK Push. Pick whichever account Safaricom has issued for your business — DukaBot does not require you to switch.
  • What does the Free tier let me do?
    The Free tier on DukaBot covers 50 orders per month with M-Pesa STK Push checkout and one staff user. It is enough to validate WhatsApp ordering for a small shop in KES before you commit to a paid plan.
  • Where is customer message data stored?
    Customer WhatsApp messages and M-Pesa receipts are stored in DukaBot's PostgreSQL database hosted for Kenyan operations. Phone numbers and M-Pesa receipt IDs are kept only for order reconciliation and Safaricom-required audit trails.
  • Does DukaBot reply in Swahili?
    The DukaBot dashboard is English-only today. On the WhatsApp Business Platform side the bot tries to answer customers in the language they message in, so short Swahili and Sheng phrases may be understood, but full Swahili dashboard parity is on the roadmap and not yet shipped.
  • How do I cancel or get a refund?
    You can downgrade or cancel any DukaBot plan from the merchant dashboard; cancellation stops the next KES billing cycle. M-Pesa STK Push refunds to your customers are handled through Safaricom's own reversal process via Daraja — DukaBot surfaces the receipt IDs you need.