Designing UX for Airtime Purchase Flows in Kenya

Mobile-first and fast

Most users pay by phone. Prioritise minimal fields (phone, recipient, amount), large tappable CTAs, and an obvious confirmation screen.

Key UX patterns

• One-tap confirmation for repeat purchases: securely store a token, not PINs.
• Inline validation for phone number format (Kenyan numbers: 07xx or +2547xx).
• Progress states: show a clear "Waiting for M-Pesa confirmation" spinner with timeout and retry hints.
• Helpful failure messages: avoid technical errors. Use friendly language (e.g., "Payment not completed — please try again or contact support").

Trust signals & transparency

• Show Paybill number and AccountReference clearly.
• Display receipts or an order summary with transaction ID and timestamp.
• Offer an easily accessible help link for transaction disputes.

Accessibility & performance

• Keep forms accessible (labels, ARIA where needed).
• Optimize images and avoid heavy client bundles — your audience often uses variable mobile data.