How to Accept Mobile Money Payments in Rwanda

Understanding Mobile Money in Rwanda

Mobile Money has revolutionized payments in Rwanda. With over 70% of the population using mobile money services, integrating MTN and Airtel Money into your business is essential for growth.

Supported Providers

DGS-Pay supports two major Mobile Money providers in Rwanda:

• MTN Mobile Money: The largest mobile money operator in Rwanda
• Airtel Money: A popular alternative with wide coverage

Integration Process

Step 1: Prepare Your Request

When initiating a Mobile Money payment, you need to include:

• Amount and currency
• Customer details (name, email, phone)
• Mobile Money network (MTN or Airtel)
• Callback URL for status updates

Step 2: Handle the STK Push

Once the payment is initiated, the customer receives an STK push on their phone. They must authorize the payment by entering their PIN.

Step 3: Verify the Payment

Use webhooks to receive real-time payment status updates. This is the most reliable way to confirm payments.

Testing Your Integration

Use the scenario_key parameter to simulate different outcomes:

"scenario_key": "scenario:auth_pin&issuer:approved"

This simulates a successful payment. Test various scenarios including declined payments and timeout situations.

Best Practices

• Always validate phone numbers before submission
• Set appropriate timeout values (recommended: 5-10 minutes)
• Implement retry logic for failed requests
• Log all API responses for debugging