Airtel Money Kenya has entered the mobile business payments space with the launch of Bizna Wallet, a new solution targeting small and micro-enterprises, setting up a direct comparison with Safaricom’s Pochi la Biashara.
The launch comes just days after Safaricom announced revised tariffs for Pochi la Biashara, reducing business transaction charges as part of efforts to make digital payments more affordable.
While both products are designed to help small businesses receive digital payments, they differ significantly in how much customers pay to send money and the features available to merchants.
Safaricom Reduces Pochi la Biashara Charges
Safaricom said its revised Pochi la Biashara tariffs were introduced in line with the Central Bank of Kenya’s pricing principles of customer-centricity, transparency, fairness, competition and affordability.
“To make digital payments more affordable and support the growth of businesses across Kenya, Safaricom is introducing revised tariffs for Pochi la Biashara and Lipa na M-PESA Buy Goods,” the company said.
Under the new tariff, customers making payments to Pochi la Biashara merchants continue to transact for free for amounts of up to KSh200.
Payments above that threshold attract the following charges:
| Transaction Amount | Customer Charge |
| KSh1 – KSh200 | Free |
| KSh201 – KSh500 | KSh7 |
| KSh501 – KSh1,000 | KSh13 |
| KSh1,001 – KSh1,500 | KSh23 |
| KSh1,501 – KSh2,500 | KSh33 |
| KSh2,501 – KSh250,000 | KSh50 |
The revised tariffs are valid from August 1.
Airtel Launches Bizna Wallet
On August 3, Airtel Money Kenya unveiled Bizna Wallet, a business wallet designed to help entrepreneurs separate business transactions from personal finances.
According to Airtel Money Acting Managing Director Michael Bonke, the product enables business owners to receive payments, monitor sales, track transactions and better manage cash flow through a separate business wallet linked to their existing Airtel Money account.
Bonke said the platform was developed following customer feedback from entrepreneurs who struggled to manage business income using personal mobile money wallets.
The service targets micro and small businesses including kiosk owners, market traders, boda boda riders, matatu operators and other informal businesses.
Entrepreneurs can register through the My Airtel App or by dialing *334# and selecting the Bizna Wallet option. Once activated, users can transfer funds between their personal Airtel Money wallet and Bizna Wallet while keeping the two accounts separate.
The wallet also allows businesses to receive payments from Airtel Money users, customers on other mobile money networks, and bank accounts.
Customers Pay Nothing to Send Money
During the launch, Bonke announced that customers can send money to any Bizna Wallet free of charge for transactions ranging from KSh1 to KSh250,000.
“We want to encourage every Kenyan, every business, to try the Bizna Wallet. As I said, it is free to our customers. Customers can pay to any Bizna Wallet free of charge. There is no charge across all the banks. From one shilling to 250,000 shillings, you can pay to any Bizna Wallet in Kenya for free,” Bonke said.
According to Airtel Money, businesses can also receive payments from banks and mobile money platforms across Kenya into Bizna Wallet without transaction charges.
Bizna Wallet vs Pochi la Biashara
Bizna Wallet currently offers lower customer payment costs than Pochi la Biashara.
| Amount (KSh) | Bizna Wallet | Pochi la Biashara |
| 1 – 200 | Free | Free |
| 201 – 500 | Free | KSh7 |
| 501 – 1,000 | Free | KSh13 |
| 1,001 – 1,500 | Free | KSh23 |
| 1,501 – 2,500 | Free | KSh33 |
| 2,501 – 250,000 | Free | KSh50 |
For customer payments, Bizna Wallet allows free transfers across the entire KSh1 to KSh250,000 range, while Pochi la Biashara begins charging customers once a payment exceeds KSh200.
Which Is Cheaper?
For customers making payments, Bizna Wallet is currently the cheaper option. Airtel says customers can make payments to Bizna Wallet merchants free of charge for amounts between KSh1 and KSh250,000.
In contrast, payments to Pochi la Biashara merchants attract customer charges above certain transaction thresholds under the published tariff structure.
Airtel says businesses can receive payments into Bizna Wallet from banks and mobile money platforms without transaction fees, while customers also pay nothing when sending money to Bizna Wallet merchants.
However, a comparison of business costs would require examining other charges that may apply to each service, such as withdrawals and transfers.
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