Stripe in Kenya
Is Stripe available in Kenya?
Not directly. Stripe doesn't let businesses registered in Kenya open an account; it sends them to Paystack, which Stripe owns. If you run a community in Kenya, here's what to use instead, and how each one takes M-Pesa.
Why Stripe isn't an option for a Kenyan business
Stripe lists the countries where a business can sign up, and Kenya isn't one of them. For Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Côte d'Ivoire, Stripe points businesses to Paystack, the African payments company it bought in 2020.
A Kenyan community can still use Stripe if it has a company registered in a Stripe country, such as the US or UK. Then you're paid into that country's bank account, and Stripe doesn't take M-Pesa.
What to use instead
Paystack takes Kenyan and international cards, M-Pesa, Airtel Money and bank transfer, and pays out to your Kenyan bank account or M-Pesa. Card members renew automatically; M-Pesa members pay once a year.
Pesapal and IntaSend are Kenyan providers built around M-Pesa. On Ubunya each M-Pesa payment buys a month or a year, and members pay again from your community page when it ends.
Side by side
| Provider | Handles sales tax and VAT (merchant of record) | Card fee | Members can pay with | Recurring billing | Who can sign up as a seller |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paystack | No, you do | 2.9% local cards, 3.8% international cards, 1.5% M-Pesa (Kenya). Kenya rates shown; other countries have their own rates. Transfers out cost KES 20–350 depending on amount and destination. | cards, M-Pesa, Airtel Money, mobile money, Apple Pay, bank transfer, USSD, Pesalink, EFT | Subscriptions by card (and direct debit in Nigeria); M-Pesa and mobile money can't auto-renew. | Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Rwanda |
| Pesapal | No, you do | Not published. Pesapal charges a per-transaction fee but publishes no rates; ask their sales team. | cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), M-Pesa, mobile money, mobile banking | Recurring payments by Visa or Mastercard only; the payer approves the schedule on Pesapal's page. | Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| IntaSend | No, you do | 3% (M-Pesa and mobile money). KSh 100 per M-Pesa payout. Its pricing page says it doesn't process card payments, though its developer docs describe cards. | M-Pesa, Airtel Money, MTN Mobile Money, Orange Money, bank transfer, Pesalink | Has subscription plans in its API, but those charge cards, which its site says it doesn't process; mobile money can't auto-renew. | Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC |
| Stripe | No, you do | 2.9% + 30¢ (US cards). Plus 1.5% for international cards and 1% if currency conversion is needed. Billing adds 0.7% on subscriptions. Optional Managed Payments (merchant of record) adds 3.5%. | cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link, Klarna, ACH Direct Debit, UPI, Pix, bank payments, stablecoins | Subscriptions through Stripe Billing, mainly by card, wallet or bank debit. | About 44 countries self-serve; Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Côte d'Ivoire are served through Paystack instead |
Paystack
- Handles sales tax and VAT (merchant of record)
- No, you do
- Card fee
- 2.9% local cards, 3.8% international cards, 1.5% M-Pesa (Kenya). Kenya rates shown; other countries have their own rates. Transfers out cost KES 20–350 depending on amount and destination.
- Members can pay with
- cards, M-Pesa, Airtel Money, mobile money, Apple Pay, bank transfer, USSD, Pesalink, EFT
- Recurring billing
- Subscriptions by card (and direct debit in Nigeria); M-Pesa and mobile money can't auto-renew.
- Who can sign up as a seller
- Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Rwanda
Pesapal
- Handles sales tax and VAT (merchant of record)
- No, you do
- Card fee
- Not published. Pesapal charges a per-transaction fee but publishes no rates; ask their sales team.
- Members can pay with
- cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), M-Pesa, mobile money, mobile banking
- Recurring billing
- Recurring payments by Visa or Mastercard only; the payer approves the schedule on Pesapal's page.
- Who can sign up as a seller
- Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
IntaSend
- Handles sales tax and VAT (merchant of record)
- No, you do
- Card fee
- 3% (M-Pesa and mobile money). KSh 100 per M-Pesa payout. Its pricing page says it doesn't process card payments, though its developer docs describe cards.
- Members can pay with
- M-Pesa, Airtel Money, MTN Mobile Money, Orange Money, bank transfer, Pesalink
- Recurring billing
- Has subscription plans in its API, but those charge cards, which its site says it doesn't process; mobile money can't auto-renew.
- Who can sign up as a seller
- Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC
Stripe
- Handles sales tax and VAT (merchant of record)
- No, you do
- Card fee
- 2.9% + 30¢ (US cards). Plus 1.5% for international cards and 1% if currency conversion is needed. Billing adds 0.7% on subscriptions. Optional Managed Payments (merchant of record) adds 3.5%.
- Members can pay with
- cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link, Klarna, ACH Direct Debit, UPI, Pix, bank payments, stablecoins
- Recurring billing
- Subscriptions through Stripe Billing, mainly by card, wallet or bank debit.
- Who can sign up as a seller
- About 44 countries self-serve; Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Côte d'Ivoire are served through Paystack instead
From each provider's own website, checked November 2026. Prices change; check theirs before you sign up. Compare all 11 providers.
Questions
Is Stripe available in Kenya?+
Not for businesses registered in Kenya. Stripe directs Kenyan businesses to Paystack, which Stripe owns. Paystack takes cards, M-Pesa and Airtel Money and pays out to Kenyan bank accounts or M-Pesa.
Can I use Stripe in Kenya with a US company?+
Yes. If your business is registered in a country Stripe supports, you can use Stripe from anywhere, but payouts go to a bank in that country and Stripe doesn't accept M-Pesa.
What is the Stripe alternative for Kenya?+
Paystack is Stripe's own option for Kenya. Pesapal and IntaSend are Kenyan alternatives that take M-Pesa directly. All three work with Ubunya.
Can I accept M-Pesa for a paid community?+
Yes. Connect Paystack, Pesapal or IntaSend to your Ubunya community. Members pay by M-Pesa and are let in automatically; their access ends when the month or year they paid for runs out.
Head to head
Charge for your community with the account you already have
Connect it under Manage → Payments. Paying members are let in automatically.