Why your M-Pesa payment may fail
Common reasons an M-Pesa buy does not complete, and what to do.
If your M-Pesa buy didn't complete, it's almost always one of these, and your money is safe in each case.
Common reasons
- You didn't enter your PIN in time. The STK prompt expires after a short window. Just retry.
- You cancelled the prompt or entered the wrong PIN.
- Insufficient M-Pesa balance for the amount plus any M-Pesa charges.
- No payment method added. You need to add and confirm your M-Pesa number first.
- The prompt didn't arrive. Network delays happen, retry, or check payment status.
- Daily M-Pesa limit reached on your number.
What to do
- Retry the STK push: this fixes most cases.
- Check payment status before assuming it failed; confirmations can lag a minute.
- Confirm your M-Pesa number is added and correct in Payment Methods.
- If money left your M-Pesa but no crypto arrived, don't panic, our system reconciles confirmed payments automatically and credits your crypto. Contact support with your M-Pesa transaction code if it doesn't resolve.
Coinwaka never credits crypto until M-Pesa confirms your payment: so a failed prompt simply means no charge went through.
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