PesaLink

What PesaLink does

PesaLink is Kenya's de facto open and interoperable instant payment network, operated by Integrated Payment Services Limited (IPSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA). Established in 2015 under the National Payment System Act and processing live transactions since November 2016, the network connects 80+ financial institutions — commercial banks, SACCOs, fintechs, telcos, and microfinance institutions — enabling account-to-account transfers 24/7/365 with no intermediaries and a per-transaction ceiling of Ksh 999,999. End users access PesaLink through their existing bank internet banking portals, mobile apps, or USSD codes; the platform processes approximately Ksh 4 billion in daily inter-bank transactions, 8.41 million transactions in 2024 (+35% YoY), and serves 3M+ users with 99.7% uptime and 8-second average processing.

The technical foundation is the ISO 20022 messaging standard, which PesaLink migrated to in October 2021 to enable richer data payloads and support Request to Pay, Payment Initiation, and Direct Debits use cases. Product offerings span PesaLink Instant Transfers (P2P and A2A), PesaLink Bulk (batch disbursements for salary, vendor, and loan payments), PesaLink Pay (merchant payments), G2P/P2G integrations with eCitizen and M-Akiba, and Dhamana (a customs bond processing platform shared with KRA). Recent additions include PesaLink ID (alias-based payments using phone, national ID, or email), BulkPay API, and a developer Sandbox. Cross-border capability was added in February 2026 via the PAPSS partnership, positioning PesaLink as a Technical Connectivity Provider linking 80+ Kenyan institutions to 160+ African banks and fintechs.

Commercially, PesaLink operates as a not-for-profit shared infrastructure utility rather than a profit-maximizing entity. Revenue is generated via transaction fees that participating banks set independently for their end users (varying by bank, e.g., SBM Bank's "Tuma na Mbao" tariff of free for KSh 1–1,000 and a flat KSh 20 for larger transfers). Distribution is entirely B2B — enterprise field sales to financial institutions, API/developer onboarding, and channel partnerships — with no direct consumer acquisition. The October 2025 Fintech Programme onboarded 26+ fintech partners via APIs, sandbox, and preferential pricing, and the February 2026 PAPSS integration opens a pan-African cross-border revenue corridor.

Name

PesaLink

Legal name

Integrated Payment Services Limited

Website

https://pesalink.co.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PesaLink is Kenya's interoperable instant payment network, operated by IPSL under the Kenya Bankers Association. It connects 80+ banks, SACCOs, fintechs, and telcos for 24/7/365 account-to-account transfers, processing 8.4M+ transactions annually for 3M+ users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real-Time Payment Network Infrastructure

akta.pro primary industry

A2A Payment Initiation Service Providers (PISPs) (FSAMAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

P2P Transfers & Remittances Platforms (BPAMAFAE), Payment Initiation & Account-to-Account (A2A) Payments (PIS, RTP initiation) (FSAGACAI), Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P) (FSAGAAAF), Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB)

Keywords

• Instant payment network
• Interbank transfers
• Account-to-account payments
• Cross-border payments
• Mobile banking infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Transaction Fees: PesaLink charges transaction fees for interbank transfers processed through its network. Fees vary from bank to bank as each participating institution sets its own pricing. Some partnerships offer specific tariff structures (e.g., SBM Bank's 'Tuma na Mbao' with free transfers for KSh 1-1,000 and flat KSh 20 fee for KSh 1,001-999,999).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PesaLink operates an open, interoperable instant payment network providing real-time account-to-account (A2A) transfers across 80+ Kenyan financial institutions, including banks, SACCOs, fintechs, telcos, and MFIs. The platform delivers individual consumer transfers, bulk business disbursements, merchant payments, G2P/P2G government flows, customs bond processing, and cross-border payments via PAPSS, accessible through bank internet/mobile channels, USSD, and APIs.

Product overview

PesaLink is Kenya's de facto instant, open, and interoperable payment network operated by Integrated Payment Services Limited (IPSL), a subsidiary of the Kenya Bankers Association. The platform consists of core products including Pesalink Instant Transfers (account-to-account transfers up to Ksh 999,999), Pesalink Bulk (high-volume batch transactions), Pesalink Pay (merchant payments), and Government-to-Person/Person-to-Government integrations with eCitizen and M-Akiba. Supporting infrastructure includes Dhamana (KRA customs bond processing) and OneView (business intelligence dashboard). The platform connects 80+ financial institutions including banks, SACCOs, fintechs, and telcos, processing Ksh 4 billion daily with 98% success rate. Fintech extensions include BulkPay (API-based bulk payments), Pesalink Pay merchant services, and PesaLink ID (alias-based transfers). Recent expansion includes cross-border connectivity via PAPSS for pan-African payments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PesaLink Instant Transfers: Instant and secure account-to-account transfers up to Ksh 999,999 for consumers and businesses, available 24/7 via online banking, mobile app, or USSD.
• PesaLink Bulk
• PesaLink Pay
• PesaLink ID
• Dhamana
• OneView

Products and services

• PesaLink Instant Transfers Instant and secure account-to-account (A2A) transfers up to Ksh 999,999 for consumers and businesses, available 24/7/365 including weekends and public holidays via online banking, mobile banking app, or USSD.
• PesaLink Bulk Instant account-to-account bulk transfers up to Ksh 999,999 per transaction for businesses and institutions, enabling salary disbursements, vendor payments, loan disbursements, and other high-volume financial transactions.
• PesaLink Pay Instant payment solution for goods and services directly from bank accounts, usable 24/7 at outlets displaying the PesaLink Pay sign via mobile banking app or USSD.
• Government-to-Person (G2P) and Person-to-Government (P2G) Integrated with Kenya's eCitizen and M-Akiba platforms, enabling citizens to pay for government services directly from bank accounts, and government entities to remit disbursements to beneficiaries.
• Dhamana Collaborative customs bond processing platform integrated with Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) systems, enabling banks to instantly process and verify customs bond requests.
• PesaLink ID Account-mapping service enabling PesaLink transfers using simpler identifiers such as phone numbers, national IDs, and email addresses instead of bank account numbers.
• BulkPay Fintech-facing bulk payment solution enabling businesses to send hundreds of payments instantly through a single API or web interface for salaries, supplier payouts, refunds, and loan disbursements.
• PesaLink Merchant Payments (PesaLink Pay acceptance) Merchant-facing acceptance solution enabling instant account-to-account payments from customer bank accounts to merchants displaying the PesaLink Pay sign, supporting cheque-out and in-person settlements through partner platforms such as Cellulant's Tingg.
• PAPSS Cross-Border Payments via PesaLink Cross-border payment capability connecting PesaLink's 80+ Kenyan financial institutions to 160+ African banks and fintechs via PAPSS, enabling instant 24/7 local-currency settlement that reduces cross-border costs from 7-8% and settlement times from 3-7 business days to seconds.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98%+ transaction success rate across the network
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS)flagshipTechnology or Integration · 26 February 2026PesaLink partnered with PAPSS to enable instant 24/7 cross-border payments settled in local currencies. PesaLink serves as Technical Connectivity Provider for PAPSS, connecting 80+ Kenyan banks, fintechs, SACCOs, and telcos to 160+ commercial banks and fintechs on PAPSS. This reduces cross-border transaction costs from 7-8% to potentially lower rates and settlement times from 3-7 business days to seconds.
• Unaitas SACCOcoreTechnology or Integration · 4 November 2025Unaitas became the first SACCO in Kenya to integrate with PesaLink, enabling 400,000+ members with 24/7 instant, affordable payments via Mo-Cash USSD (*493#). Collaboration serves as blueprint for cooperative movement digital inclusion.
• Mwalimu National DT SACCOcoreTechnology or Integration · 27 October 2025PesaLink powers instant and affordable account-to-account payments for Mwalimu National members (teachers, public/private sector workers, MSMEs). Transfers up to KES 999,999 via MwalimuHela App, Members portal, and USSD. Sky World Limited provided technical integration support.
• Fintech Programme Partners (26+)coreTechnology or Integration · 23 October 2025PesaLink Fintech Programme launched October 2025 providing fintechs direct access to PesaLink's secure APIs, settlement network, and shared infrastructure. Includes BulkPay, PesaLink Pay products, sandbox testing, and preferential pricing with settlement banks.
• Choice Bank (Choice Microfinance Bank)coreTechnology or Integration · 13 October 2025Choice Bank integrates PesaLink into its digital platforms (iBank app, APIs) enabling customers instant account-to-account payments. Partnership targets SMEs, diaspora communities, and retail customers with digital-first banking services.
• CellulantcoreTechnology or Integration · 30 September 2025Strategic partnership integrating Cellulant's Tingg payment platform with PesaLink's network of 80+ financial institutions. Enables millions of consumers to pay seamlessly from bank accounts to merchants, with improved reconciliation and faster settlement. Initially launched for airline and travel sectors.
• TendePaycoreTechnology or Integration · 22 September 2025Partnership integrates PesaLink's instant payment infrastructure with TendePay's spend management platform. Enables businesses to make single and bulk payments up to KSh 999,999 instantly 24/7 across all banks in Kenya. Targets microfinance institutions, manufacturers, distributors, contractors, logistics firms, and SMEs.
• NALAcoreTechnology or Integration · 3 September 2025Partnership enables diaspora inflows routing through PesaLink's instant payment network. NALA's platform allows senders in US, UK, and Europe to pay with debit card or bank account, with recipients receiving funds in near real-time into mobile wallets or bank accounts via PesaLink. Kenya remittances reached US$4.94 billion in 2024.
• Equity BankcoreTechnology or Integration · 3 September 2025Equity Bank provides settlement infrastructure for the NALA-PesaLink cross-border payment corridor. Partnership aims to digitize remittance flows and expand access to underserved communities as part of Equity Group's Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan.
• Fintech AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2025MoU signed with Fintech Alliance (umbrella body including AFIK, DFSAK, DCPAK, BAK) to reduce fintech-bank integration friction, accelerate instant A2A payment adoption, and support inclusive interoperable ecosystem. Includes joint fraud prevention initiatives and developer collaboration platform. Currently 27+ fintechs integrated with PesaLink.
• Kenya Bankers Association (KBA)coreOthersPesaLink is owned by KBA and operated by IPSL, its subsidiary. KBA established IPSL in 2015 under the National Payment System Act to enhance financial inclusion and efficiency in Kenya's banking sector.
• Co-operative BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor Kenyan commercial bank integrated with PesaLink network, enabling its customers access to instant interbank transfers.
• KCB BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationKenya's largest bank by assets integrated with PesaLink, enabling KCB customers instant transfers across the network. Partnership includes Vooma agent services.
• SafaricomcoreTechnology or IntegrationKenya's largest telco partner on PesaLink network, enabling interoperability between M-Pesa mobile money and bank accounts.
• NCBAcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor commercial bank integrated with PesaLink network enabling NCBA customers instant account-to-account transfers.
• Equity BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationPan-African banking group integrated with PesaLink, serving millions of customers across East Africa.
• Family BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationKenyan commercial bank integrated with PesaLink enabling Family Bank customers instant interbank transfers.
• Stanbic BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationKenyan subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings integrated with PesaLink network.
• I&M BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationRegional commercial bank integrated with PesaLink enabling I&M customers instant transfers across Kenya's financial institutions.
• ABC BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationKenyan commercial bank integrated with PesaLink network.
• SBM BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationSBM Bank Kenya integrated with PesaLink, offering 'Tuma na Mbao' tariff with free transfers KSh 1-1,000 and flat KSh 20 for KSh 1,001-999,999.
• Caritas MicrofinancecoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrofinance institution focusing on empowering women through financial inclusion, integrated with PesaLink.
• Central Bank of KenyacoreOthersPesaLink operates under CBK regulatory oversight as part of National Payment System. CBK's Fast Payment System (FPS) initiative includes PesaLink for government-to-person payments.
• TerrapaycoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal payments company integrated with PesaLink enabling cross-border payment services.
• PesapalcoreTechnology or IntegrationEast African payments platform integrated with PesaLink for merchant payments and collections.
• InterswitchcoreTechnology or IntegrationPan-African payment technology company integrated with PesaLink for cross-network interoperability.
• EcobankcoreTechnology or IntegrationPan-African banking group integrated with PesaLink network.
• ABSABankcoreTechnology or IntegrationKenyan subsidiary of pan-African banking group ABSA integrated with PesaLink.
• Standard Chartered BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational bank integrated with PesaLink enabling instant transfers for its Kenya customers.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Flutterwave: African payments infrastructure company providing payment processing, cross-border, and merchant payment APIs across the continent. Overlapping in cross-border and merchant payment verticals; differs in being a private fintech rather than an industry-owned switch.

Broad incumbents

• Safaricom M-Pesa: Kenya's dominant mobile money platform with millions of active users. Competes with PesaLink for the same person-to-person and merchant payment use cases in Kenya, with deeper consumer brand presence but narrower interbank interoperability.
• Interswitch: Pan-African digital payments and commerce company providing switching, processing, and payment infrastructure across multiple African markets. An established incumbent in the broader African payment infrastructure space where PesaLink operates.

Others

• Cellulant: Pan-African payment platform (Tingg) integrated with PesaLink for bank-to-merchant payments. Adjacent infrastructure provider and direct partner — operates complementary payment aggregation and merchant payment rails in multiple African markets.
• Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS): Afreximbank-led cross-border payment and settlement system for Africa. PesaLink's partner for cross-border flows and an ecosystem peer in the pan-African instant payment stack — both target interoperability at scale across the continent.
• NALA: Cross-border remittance platform routing diaspora transfers through PesaLink's instant rail into Kenyan bank accounts and mobile wallets. Direct integration partner and adjacent ecosystem participant in the diaspora remittance corridor.

Direct peers

• PayShap: South Africa's real-time interbank A2A payment system operated by BankservAfrica. Closest direct peer — same A2A instant payment rail model, similar industry-owned governance, ISO 20022-aligned, and comparable 24/7 interbank settlement use cases.
• NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP): Nigeria's interbank instant payment platform operated by Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System. Direct functional peer in West Africa — same account-to-account instant settlement model connecting multiple banks and financial institutions.

Regional players

• NPCI Unified Payments Interface (UPI): India's dominant A2A instant payment network operated by the National Payments Corporation of India. Comparable architecture (interbank real-time transfers, ISO 20022 alignment, mobile/agent access) and use case set, though operates at much larger scale in India.
• FedNow Service: US Federal Reserve's real-time interbank payment service. Comparable in function as an industry/government-backed instant interbank settlement rail, though operates in a different geography and serves a different regulatory framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IPSL_Kenya
• Facebookfacebook.com/IPSLKenya
• Instagraminstagram.com/pesalinkke
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pesa-link

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PesaLink