Safaricom launches M-PESA Jumbe to enhance payment privacy

Safaricom has introduced M-PESA Jumbe, a new service designed to protect customer privacy during payment verification. The feature allows users to provide proof of payment to merchants without revealing their full names, phone numbers, or account balances.

When using the service, a customer’s identity is replaced by a JumbeID, which consists of the initials of their first and last names followed by the last two digits of their phone number. While this provides a layer of privacy, the service is not entirely anonymous, as the identifier may still allow for identification in certain contexts.

For merchants, the service enables the delegation of payment alerts to up to 50 nominated staff members via SMS or USSD. This allows employees to confirm transactions independently without requiring the business owner to hand over their personal phone or reveal sensitive information like PINs or transaction histories. Merchants can activate the feature by dialing *234# or using the M-PESA Business Hub.