Till Number (Buy Goods) vs Paybill: feature by feature
| Till Number (Buy Goods) | Paybill | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer pays a fee? | No, free for the customer | No, free for the customer |
| Customer enters a reference? | No, simpler checkout | Yes, one extra step |
| Best for | Shops, dukas, restaurants, salons | Schools, landlords, utility bills, B2B invoicing |
| Staff access | Linked to one business number | Can have multiple stores/departments |
| Reconciliation | Match by time and amount | Match by account reference |
| POS integration | Standard, widely supported | Supported, needs reference mapping |
| Withdrawal method | Via linked bank or M-Pesa agent | Via linked bank account |
| Typical users | Retail, food, services | Schools, landlords, distributors, NGOs |
How to choose
Choose Till Number (Buy Goods) if
- You sell over the counter and want a fast, frictionless checkout
- Your customers are individual buyers who should not be slowed by a reference number
- You run a restaurant, salon, pharmacy or duka
Choose Paybill if
- Each customer needs a unique reference so you can match their payment to their account
- You collect school fees, rent, subscriptions or invoices with account codes
- You need a head office structure with multiple department codes
More detail
The practical difference comes down to one question: does the payer need to identify themselves? If every customer at your counter is paying for a clear sale that can be matched by amount and time, a Till is simpler. If the payment is one instalment of a longer account, Paybill gives you the reference to match it.
Either way, a POS that records the payment against the sale removes the manual reconciliation that eats time at end of day.
Free tools for this
Frequently asked questions
Can I have both a Till and a Paybill?
Yes. Some businesses use a Till for walk-in counter sales and a Paybill for credit customers and invoices. A POS can reconcile both.
Which is faster to set up?
Both require Safaricom registration. A Till is often slightly simpler for a small business because there are fewer department configurations.
Which gives me better reports?
Neither on its own is a full reporting tool. A POS linked to whichever you use turns every transaction into a named, dated, categorised sale.
Veira combines POS, M-Pesa, KRA eTIMS and inventory in one app with a free terminal. Book a demo and see how it fits your trade.