A loyalty program in Kenya works best when it fits M-Pesa habits: customers pay at your Lipa na M-Pesa till, join with their phone number and earn points they can see. Keep rewards near 5% of spend, get clear consent for marketing messages under the Data Protection Act 2019, and register with the ODPC. TheCoins starts at about KES 10,300 a month.
This guide is written by TheCoins, which sells loyalty and commerce software. We use only facts we could confirm from public sources, listed at the end, and we say where another option may fit better.
Kenyans already know how points work
Your customers do not need a lesson in loyalty. Safaricom's Bonga program gives 1 point for every KES 10 spent on calls, SMS and data, and customers can redeem Bonga points at any Buy Goods Lipa na M-Pesa merchant and at selected Paybill numbers by dialing *126#. Supermarkets run their own cards too: Naivas reported 3.6 million loyalty card holders in May 2024 and launched a Reward Card with Visa that earns Naivas points on card payments.
This matters for design. A Kenyan customer will compare your offer with programs they use every week. A simple rule, such as 1 point per KES 10, is easy to understand because it matches what they already see on their phone.
How customers pay in Kenya, and what that means for loyalty
M-Pesa is the center of daily payments. In the year to 31 March 2026, M-Pesa processed 46.4 billion transactions worth KES 41.68 trillion. Lipa na M-Pesa had about 1.0 million merchants, and the total merchant base, including Pochi La Biashara tills, reached 3.1 million. Cards are used as well, for example through the Naivas and Visa card above.
| Payment method | How it works at the counter | Loyalty tip |
|---|---|---|
| Lipa na M-Pesa Buy Goods (till) | Customer pays to your till number from the phone | Ask for the phone number at payment and award points on the same number |
| Lipa na M-Pesa Paybill | Customer pays to a business number with an account reference | Use the account reference or phone number to match the customer |
| Pochi La Biashara | Small sellers receive payments on a personal line | Keep a simple record of phone numbers so points are not lost |
| Bank cards | Tap or insert at a card terminal | Link points to the phone number, not to the card |
The phone number is the natural loyalty ID in Kenya. Customers already give it to pay, so asking for it at the counter feels normal. TheCoins takes payment through the provider you connect; ask us which providers are live in your country before you launch.
See how payments work on TheCoins
Delivery apps in Kenya today
- Glovo operates in 12 Kenyan towns and cities with more than 6,000 merchants and over 2,200 riders active daily (October 2026).
- Uber Eats and Bolt Food also operate as competing apps. Bolt Food added Quickmart supermarket orders in June 2026.
- In July 2026 Uber agreed to buy Delivery Hero, the owner of Glovo. The deal is not final and is expected to close in the second half of 2027, subject to review.
- Jumia closed its food delivery business in Kenya at the end of December 2023.
Delivery apps bring new customers, but the app owns that relationship. A loyalty program helps you turn an app customer into a direct customer: put a card with a QR code in every delivery bag that offers points on the next order placed through your own ordering link.
Data protection: what the law asks of a loyalty program
Kenya's Data Protection Act 2019 created the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC). Section 37 says you may not use personal data for commercial purposes without the customer's express consent, unless a written law allows it and you told the customer when you collected the data. The 2021 regulations make the right to object to direct marketing absolute and require an opt-out that is free, clear and quick, such as replying with one word.
- Register with the ODPC. Hospitality and direct marketing are listed as sectors that must register regardless of turnover or staff numbers.
- Collect only what the program needs: name, phone number, visits, spend and points.
- Ask for marketing consent separately from joining the program, and record it.
- Put an opt-out instruction in every SMS and WhatsApp campaign, and act on it at once.
- The maximum fine is KES 5 million or 1% of annual turnover, whichever is lower.
This is a plain summary, not legal advice. Check your own case with a Kenyan lawyer.
A worked example for a Nairobi cafe
Example only, with assumed numbers. A cafe has 400 members. Each visits 3 times a month and spends KES 650 per visit. Members earn 1 point per KES 10, and 600 points buy an item worth KES 300 on the menu.
| Item | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Member spend per month | 400 x 3 x KES 650 | KES 780,000 |
| Reward value at menu price | KES 300 for KES 6,000 spent = 5% | KES 39,000 |
| Reward cost at 35% food cost (assumption) | KES 39,000 x 0.35 | KES 13,650 |
| TheCoins Basic plan | $79 x 129.9 | about KES 10,260 |
| Total monthly cost | KES 13,650 + KES 10,260 | about KES 23,910 |
| Extra sales needed at 65% gross margin | KES 23,910 / 0.65 | about KES 36,800 |
| Extra visits needed | KES 36,800 / KES 650 | about 57 visits |
So the program pays for itself if about one member in seven makes one extra visit a month. Track repeat rate and visit frequency for members and non-members for two to three months before you change the reward.
Where TheCoins fits, and what it costs in shillings
TheCoins gives you coins loyalty with tiers, referrals and rewards, an Apple Wallet loyalty card, an online store, ordering links and QR codes, and WhatsApp, SMS, email and push journeys, with no commission per order. Customers can join with a phone number or a wallet card, without downloading an app. The Pro plan adds a branded iOS and Android app.
| Plan | Price in USD | About in KES |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $79 a month | about KES 10,300 |
| Growth | $199 a month | about KES 25,900 |
| Pro | $349 a month | about KES 45,300 |
Plans are billed in US dollars. The shilling figures use 1 USD = KES 129.9 (Wise mid-market rate, 9 November 2026) and will move with the rate. If you only need a punch card for one small kiosk, a paper card or a free tool may be enough at first.
See how coins loyalty works on TheCoins
Sources
- Safaricom FY26 M-PESA results explained (Tech-ish, May 2026)
- Bonga Points (Safaricom)
- Visa deal opens up credit shopping at Naivas (The Star, May 2024)
- Glovo Kenya orders jump 40pc as quick commerce gains ground (TechTrendsKE, October 2026)
- What the Uber acquisition of Glovo means for Kenyan customers (HapaKenya, July 2026)
- Bolt Food expands into Kenyan retail delivery through Quickmart partnership (Food Business MEA, June 2026)
- Kenya food delivery market jinx replays on exit of Jumia (Business Daily, December 2023)
- The Data Protection Act No. 24 of 2019 (ODPC)
- Guidance Note on Registration of Data Controllers and Data Processors (ODPC)
- Beyond the text of the law: best practices for direct marketing in Kenya (Afriwise, May 2026)
- US dollars to Kenyan shillings today (Wise, read 9 November 2026)
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