TAWI

Tawi for retail & everyday trade

Cashless payments for your shop.

Your counter needs more than a way to ask for money. Tawi Merchant connects a product catalogue, stock where configured and confirmed sales with wallet and M-Pesa payment flows. Owners and staff can use the app suited to their role while customers use Tawi Pay.

Choose your Tawi app →See how it works
TAWI PAY CASHIER MERCHANT
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Shops

What it covers

Build a catalogue that looks like your shelves

Create products with names, categories, prices and variants. Use stock tracking for items where quantity matters, and review low-stock or out-of-stock alerts in the catalogue. Services can be listed separately when the shop also sells work such as repairs.

  • Distinguish variants instead of asking staff to remember every price.
  • Configure stock or unlimited quantities to match the item.
  • Review inactive and unavailable items before staff build a cart.

Keep identification and payment separate

For a wallet sale, staff scan the current customer QR from Tawi Pay or read a paired NFC card or band with a compatible device. Review the cart and confirmed total, then request customer authorisation. The shop’s QR sticker identifies the business; it should not be scanned as if it were a customer’s identity QR.

Use M-Pesa when that is the customer’s choice

The Merchant POS can send an M-Pesa STK prompt to the customer’s Kenyan phone number. Wait for the sale to be confirmed in the app. If a prompt is pending, inspect its status before starting another request; a phone screenshot or an unconfirmed prompt should not be treated as your sales receipt.

Give the owner a usable closing routine

Use staff permissions rather than sharing owner credentials. Review sales records by their receipts and payment references, and check current payout destinations in the business app. The tools described support shop operations but do not promise a full accounting or tax-filing system.

Getting started

Three steps to your first sale

  1. Create the shop catalogue

    Add the products and services you sell, their prices, variants and stock settings. Review the catalogue before the first shift.

  2. Set up the people at the till

    Choose Merchant or Cashier for the role and assign the needed permissions. Test the camera and any NFC-capable Android device.

  3. Sell, confirm and review

    Build the cart, choose the payment route and wait for confirmation. Use the sales records when reconciling the counter.

Install screens

One network, three apps

For customersTawi PayGo to the Tawi Pay install screen → For business ownersTawi MerchantGo to the Merchant install screen → For counter staffTawi CashierGo to the Cashier install screen →
Not sure? Open the app selector →

Industry guides

Other industry guides

HotelsUse Tawi for hotel café, bar and service payments in Kenya. Explore QR and NFC wallet requests, M-Pesa checkout, staff permissions and confirmed sales receipts.Read the hotels guide →EventsPlan cashless event stall payments in Kenya with Tawi. Explore paired NFC bands, customer QR payments, M-Pesa prompts, vendor setup and sales reconciliation.Read the events guide →ShopsExplore Tawi for Kenyan shops: products, variants, stock tracking, QR and NFC wallet payments, M-Pesa checkout, staff access and sales receipt reconciliation.You are hereRestaurantsExplore Tawi counter payments for Kenyan restaurants and cafés: menu item catalogues, QR and NFC wallet requests, M-Pesa prompts and confirmed sales receipts.Read the restaurants guide →GymsUse Tawi for gym desk payments in Kenya: service and product catalogues, QR or NFC wallet requests, M-Pesa prompts and receipts. Understand membership limits.Read the gyms guide →
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Straight answers

Questions owners ask

Can the same catalogue contain products and services?

Yes. Merchant distinguishes product and service items. Configure stock where it matters for products and use the service catalogue for work sold at the counter.

Do customers need an NFC card to pay?

No. A Tawi Pay customer can show their identity QR for a wallet request, and the Merchant POS also has an M-Pesa-prompt flow. NFC is one supported identification option, not a requirement.

Does scanning a QR automatically deduct money?

No. The customer identity scan begins the wallet request. Customer authorisation and a confirmed payment are still required.