Kenyan users who transfer funds between PayPal and M-PESA through the PayPal Mobile Money service will soon have to change how they move money. Safaricom and PayPal have jointly announced that the current service hosted on paypal-mobilemoney.com/m-pesa will be permanently discontinued on 16 August 2025.
What’s Changing
For years, the PayPal Mobile Money service offered a simple web-based method for transferring funds between the two platforms. Users could log in through the PayPal mini app or the dedicated paypal-mobilemoney.com site to complete withdrawals and top-ups.
From 16 August 2025, that page and service will no longer work.
Instead, all transfers will need to be initiated directly from the official M-PESA app. The process will bypass the older mini app and website entirely.
According to the notice, “To continue transferring money, you must link your PayPal account directly through the M-PESA app… All transfers will be processed using the link on the M-PESA application.”
Why the Shift?
While neither company has given a detailed explanation, this move appears to be part of a broader push to consolidate digital services into official apps. By driving transactions through the M-PESA application, Safaricom can ensure tighter security controls, better fraud monitoring, and a more integrated user experience.
The change also reflects a global trend where financial service providers are retiring older web-based gateways in favour of app-based ecosystems that can be updated and secured more quickly.
How to Prepare Before August 16
To avoid disruptions in your transactions:
- Download or update the M-PESA app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- Link your PayPal account within the app. This typically requires logging in to PayPal and granting permissions.
- Test a small transfer ahead of the cutoff date to confirm everything works.
- Clear any pending transactions on the old service before August 16, as they may fail once the shutdown occurs.
What This Means for Kenyan Freelancers and Online Shoppers
This transition is especially significant for Kenya’s growing freelance economy, where PayPal remains a preferred method for receiving payments from global clients.
Online shoppers who use PayPal for cross-border purchases will also need to adjust quickly to avoid delays in topping up funds for international orders.
The Bottom Line
The familiar paypal-mobilemoney.com portal is going away, but PayPal–M-PESA transfers will continue — only through the official M-PESA app.
With the deadline less than a week away, users should link their accounts now to keep their cash flowing without interruption.
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