Paybill vs STK Push for School Fees: Which Should You Use?
By PayDesk · Updated
Should a school collect fees through Paybill or STK Push?
Offer both. With Paybill the parent opens M-Pesa, enters your business number and an account reference, and pays. With STK Push the system (for example the parent portal) triggers a prompt on the parent's phone, so no reference needs to be typed. STK Push has fewer wrong-reference errors; Paybill works for any parent with M-Pesa, no app or login needed.
Paybill (C2B): the parent starts the payment
The parent chooses Lipa na M-Pesa, then Paybill, enters your school's business number and types an account number. Everything depends on that account number being right, which is where most mismatches come from.
STK Push: the system starts the payment
The system asks Safaricom to show a payment prompt on the parent's phone for a specific invoice and amount. The parent only enters their M-Pesa PIN. In PayDesk the invoice number is sent as the account reference automatically, and payment goes to the school's own Paybill, not a shared PayDesk account.
Which one fits which parent
- Parents using a portal or link: STK Push, because the amount and reference are pre-filled.
- Parents paying from a feature phone or at an agent: Paybill with a printed account reference.
- Bursar-assisted payments in the school office: either, depending on whether the parent has their phone.
Frequently asked questions
- Does STK Push send money to the school directly?
- Yes. In PayDesk the prompt is for the school's own Paybill shortcode, so funds settle to the school's account, not to PayDesk.
- Do I need both Paybill and STK Push?
- Not strictly, but offering both covers parents who prefer a portal and parents who pay from the M-Pesa menu.
See it work with your own Paybill
PayDesk matches M-Pesa payments to invoices automatically. Book a short demo and we will show it on a sample school.