Pochi La Biashara is an M-Pesa product that allows people
with informal businesses like kiosk owners, boda-boda operators, food vendors,
and second-hand clothes dealers to receive and separate business funds from
personal funds on their M-Pesa number.
This M-Pesa product requires very simple steps to get
registered and enjoy the full benefit of planning your business finances
appropriately without interference from other day-to-day M-Pesa transactions.
Why Should You Sign Up for Safaricom Pochi La Biashara?
Generally, Pochi La Biashara promises these benefits to
merchants:
1. Funds Separation
The primary reason why you should sign up for Pochi La
Biashara as a merchant is the opportunity to separate personal cash from
business funds. That allows you to stay accountable for your business finances
and track every MPESA dealing.
Besides, you can request an MPESA mini statement if you want
clear evidence of how much money goes into and out of business via MPESA.
2. Funds Security
As I mentioned, a customer cannot reverse the money they pay
you via MPESA without your consent. That usually’s possible without Pochi La
Biashara, which means your business may end up with preventable losses.
So, Pochi La Biashara protects you against unscrupulous
customers who have the habit of reversing transactions to avoid paying.
3. Commission Opportunity
One of Pochi La Biashara’s most attractive perks is the
opportunity to sell airtime to the people around you and receive a 5%
commission. So, the more airtime you buy, the more money you make.
Mark you; those who buy airtime from you can also pay you
via Pochi La Biashara to protect the funds and separate them from personal
finances in your MPESA wallet.
4. Huge Transaction Limit
Pochi La Biashara allows you to transact up to Ksh 300,000 a
day. That’s a big lift for those who deal with bulk MPESA transactions.
5. Saving Grace for Fuliza Customers
Most Kenyans with Fuliza loans usually fear receiving money
on their phone because the lender will deduct automatically. That, however, is
not the case with Pochi La Biashara.
Safaricom doesn’t touch the money you receive through Pochi
La Biashara unless you transfer it to your MPESA wallet.
6. Free Signup
Lastly, there is no reason why you shouldn’t sign up for
Pochi La Biashara if you are a small business owner in the informal sector, as
it’s free to do it. It’s also simple, as I share in the next section.
How to Opt into Pochi La Biashara
Provided you have a registered MPESA line and are running an
informal business; you can opt into Pochi La Biashara by following these steps:
- Dial
*334#.
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option.
- Click
on join.
- Accept
the terms and conditions.
- Pick
your preferred business category from the popup menu.
That’s it! You’ll receive a confirmation message indicating
a successful opt-in.
How to Transfer Money from MPESA to Pochi La Biashara
Customers usually have three options to pay you via Pochi La
Biashara.
Option 1 – USSD Code
Here, customers should:
- Dial
*334#.
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option.
- Opt
for Send to Pochi.
- Enter
the seller’s/merchant’s MPESA phone number.
- Enter
the transaction amount.
- Input
the MPESA Pin and then press OK.
Option 2 – Systems Tool Kit (STK) Menu
Customers can also use the STK function on their phones to
transfer money from their MPESA to a merchant’s Pochi La Biashara wallet.
Generally, here are the steps to follow:
- Go the
phone’s STK
- Pick
Lipa na MPESA
- Opt
for Pochi La Biashara
- Enter
the seller’s/merchant’s MPESA number
- Input
the transaction amount
- Enter
the MPESA Pin and press OK
Option 3 – MPESA Super App
Safaricom allows MPESA customers with smartphones to pay to
a Pochi La Biashara account using the MPESA Super App.
In general, here are the steps to follow after downloading
the MPESA Super App (Google Play or App
Store:
- Launch
the MPESA app
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option and then click on Pochi La Biashara
- Enter
the recipient’s/merchant’s MPESA number
- Specify
the amount to pay
- Enter
your MPESA PIN and then OK
Pochi La Biashara Safaricom Charges
Safaricom charges the same fees on Pochi La Biashara as
sending money. In that case, here are the latest MPESA
charges for transferring or sending money to Pochi La Biashara.
Amount Limit (Ksh) |
Charges (Ksh) |
1-100 |
Free |
101-500 |
6 |
501-1,000 |
12 |
1,001-1,500 |
22 |
1,501-2,500 |
32 |
2,501-3,500 |
51 |
3,501-5,000 |
55 |
5,001-7,500 |
75 |
7,501-10,000 |
87 |
10,001-15,000 |
97 |
15,001-20,000 |
102 |
20,001-150,000 |
105 |
How to Withdraw from Pochi La Biashara
Usually, here’s how to go about it:
a) How to Withdraw Money from Pochi La Biashara to
MPESA
Merchants (business owners) can transfer from their Pochi La
Biashara wallet to personal MPESA account using these steps:
- Dial
*334#
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option
- Opt
for withdrawing funds
- Choose
‘From Pochi La Biashara to MPESA’
- Enter
the amount to transfer
- Enter
the MPESA Pin and then OK
Note: This process doesn’t attract any transaction charges.
It’s free.
b) How to Withdraw Money from Pochi La Biashara at
an MPESA Agent
Merchants can alternatively withdraw money from their Pochi
wallet at an MPESA agent by following these steps:
- Dial
*334#
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option
- Opt
for ‘withdraw from agent.’
- Enter
the MPESA agent number
- Input
the amount to withdraw
- Enter
the MPESA Pin and then OK to complete the transaction
Note: This process, like the one above, is free.
How to Transfer Money from Pochi La Biashara to MPESA
(Customer’s Number)
As a Pochi merchant, you have the option of sending money
from your Pochi wallet to a customer’s mobile.
Generally, here are the steps to follow:
- Dial
*334#
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option
- Opt
for Lipa na MPESA and then select other mobile numbers
- Enter
the MPESA number of the customer
- Enter
the amount to send
- Input
the MPESA Pin and then press OK
How to Transfer Money from One Pochi La Biashara Wallet
to Another
Pochi La Biashara merchants can transfer money to other
Pochi La Biashara wallets using these steps:
- Dial
*334#
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option
- Opt
for Send to Pochi
- Input
the mobile number of the other Pochi merchant
- Enter
the amount you want to send
- Enter
the MPESA Pin and then press OK
Note: Normal sending money charges apply here.
Pochi La Biashara Airtime (How to Sell Airtime Using
Pochi)
Safaricom allows you to receive a 5% commission from selling
airtime using the money in your Pochi wallet. Here are the steps to follow:
- Dial
*334#
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option
- Choose
sell airtime
- Enter
the phone number of the airtime recipient
- Enter
the amount equivalent to the airtime you want to buy
- Input
MPESA Pin and then press OK
How to Deposit Money to Pochi La Biashara
Sadly, you cannot deposit money to your Pochi La Biashara
wallet from an MPESA agent. However, you can deposit the funds into another
line and have them sent to your Pochi wallet.
How to Check Pochi La Biashara Balance
You can check your Pochi La Biashara balance by following
these steps:
- Dial
*334#
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option
- Choose
My Account
- Pick
check balance
- Enter
MPESA pin and wait for the confirmation message, indicating your Pochi
balance
How to Request Your Pochi La Biashara Statement
To help you keep track of your Pochi La Biashara
transactions, Safaricom allows you to get
an MPESA mini-statement in seconds at no cost.
Generally, here are the steps to follow:
- Dial
*334#
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option
- Choose
My Account and then My Statement
- Pick
mini statement
- Enter
MPESA Pin and then OK
- Wait
to receive a mini statement via SMS
Pochi La Biashara Loans
Safaricom sees your Pochi wallet and MPESA wallet as two
different entries. So, once you receive money into your Pochi wallet, the money
is not subject to any loan deductions, including Fuliza.
The only time it’ll be deducted by Fuiza is when you
transfer it to your MPESA account.
How to Opt-Out of Pochi La Biashara Safaricom
After looking at how to opt into Pochi La Biashara, here’s
how to opt-out:
- Dial
*334#
- Select
the ‘Pochi La Biashara’ option
- Choose
My Account
- Opt
for ‘Leave
You’ll receive a confirmation message of your opting-out
immediately after the above steps.
Note: Once you opt out of Pochi La Biashara, the funds in
your Pochi wallet automatically go to your MPESA wallet.
People Also Ask
1. How Do I Activate Pochi La Biashara?
You can activate Pochi La Biashara by dialing *334#,
selecting Pochi La Biashara, and clicking Join.
2. What is the Limit for Each Pochi La Biashara
Transaction?
The daily limit for Pochi La Biashara transactions is Ksh
300,000. The limitation applies to both your business and personal account.
3. Can I Send Money to My Own Pochi La Biashara?
Unfortunately, you cannot transfer money from your personal MPESA wallet to your Pochi wallet. However, you can send to other Pochi wallets, customer numbers, and your other MPESA line.
Closing Remarks!
Above is everything to know about Safaricom Pochi La
Biashara. Hopefully, the information will help you understand the service
better before enrolling. As seen, Pochi comes with so many benefits that
informal business owners should take advantage of. So make plans to do so!