Kenya · M-Pesa guide

M-Pesa AI API Guide: Fund Your API Wallet from Kenya

The only AI API gateway with M-Pesa checkout in Kenya. STK push to your Safaricom or Airtel line, KES 136.99 charged, KES 133 credited to USD wallet. No foreign card needed.

Get a Fikra API key

Direct answer

Open the Fikra dashboard, choose M-Pesa, enter $5 or more. An STK prompt goes to your Safaricom or Airtel line. Approve it and your USD wallet credits in seconds. Then call deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017 or any route at /v1/models.

What M-Pesa at an AI API checkout means

Most AI APIs bill by card in USD. Fikra API is the exception for Kenya: the checkout shows M-Pesa, Airtel Money and card. M-Pesa means an STK push — the same flow you use for Lipa Na M-Pesa. The charge is published: KES 136.99 is deducted from your M-Pesa, and KES 133 is credited to your USD wallet at the KES 133 = $1 checkout rate.

The KES 136.99 figure breaks down as: $5 × KES 133 = KES 665 for $5 minimum. The 3% checkout fee is included in the KES 136.99 per-dollar rate.

Step-by-step: M-Pesa to AI API in one afternoon

Create an account at fikraapi.co.ke/account/signup and confirm your email.
Copy your fk_live_ key from the dashboard. It is shown once; store it safely.
Open the top-up page and choose M-Pesa or Airtel Money.
Enter $5 or more. The screen shows the KES charge: KES 136.99 per dollar.
An STK prompt appears on your registered Safaricom or Airtel line. Approve it.
The USD wallet credits within seconds. The dashboard shows your balance.
Set base_url to https://api.fikraapi.co.ke/v1 in your OpenAI client.
Call deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017. Check /pricing for route prices.

curl https://api.fikraapi.co.ke/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_FIKRA_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Summarise this ticket in two lines."}]}'

What you can build with M-Pesa-funded AI

Use case	Route	Why it fits Kenyan teams
WhatsApp support bots	deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017	High WhatsApp usage; fund by M-Pesa, serve customers at low cost
USSD flow automation	deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017	Short context, mobile-first; M-Pesa familiarity among end users
M-Pesa receipt parsing	qwen3.8-27b at temperature 0	Extract structured data from M-Pesa SMS; validate JSON before storing
Swahili content generation	deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017	Start here — test 50 Swahili prompts before trusting in production
Lending decision support	deepseek-v4-pro-pinned	Harder reasoning; test on your approval-rate metric before deploying

M-Pesa troubleshooting

STK prompt does not arrive: check the Safaricom/Airtel number registered in your dashboard. Confirm the SIM has airtime/data. Retry once.
M-Pesa service unavailable: Safaricom maintenance windows are brief. Wait and retry, or switch to card for that session.
STK prompt expires: approve within the countdown shown. If it expires, start the checkout again.
Insufficient M-Pesa balance: top up your M-Pesa wallet first. Minimum is KES 136.99 (for $1) or KES 684.95 (for $5 minimum).

M-Pesa vs card: when to use each

Situation	M-Pesa	Card
No foreign card available	Best choice	Not applicable
KES wallet top-up speed	Seconds after STK approval	Seconds after 3-D Secure
KES rate transparency	Published: KES 136.99/dollar	Set by your issuer
Team members in multiple countries	Kenya only	Works everywhere
Large top-ups ($100+)	Works; approve on phone	Works; some banks flag large FX

Common questions

Can I use M-Pesa from outside Kenya?

No. The M-Pesa and Airtel Money checkout is only available on the Kenya checkout. Your Safaricom or Airtel registered number must be active to receive the STK prompt.

What is the minimum M-Pesa amount?

Minimum wallet top-up is $5. At the checkout rate of KES 133 = $1, that is approximately KES 685 charged via M-Pesa.

Can I use Airtel Money instead of M-Pesa?

Yes. The Kenya checkout shows Airtel Money alongside M-Pesa. The STK prompt goes to your registered Airtel line. Same rate: KES 136.99 charged, KES 133 credited per dollar.

Get a Fikra API key