Paid by M-Pesa. Matched in the books.
Guests pay by M-Pesa at reception, by card at the bar, by bank transfer for a conference and in cash for a walk-in. Tivuzo records each payment with its reference, so the front desk, the tills and the statements tell the same story.
Tivuzo records hotel payments by method: M-Pesa and other mobile money with the transaction code, card with the slip or terminal reference, cash and bank transfer. Payments can be taken on a guest folio, against a company invoice or at the restaurant and bar tills, and each one posts to its own journal. Bank and M-Pesa statements are imported and matched line by line. Tivuzo records payments; it does not collect money itself.
Payment methods
| Method | Where it is used | Reference kept |
|---|---|---|
| M-Pesa (Kenya, Tanzania) and other mobile money | Folios, deposits, tills, supplier payments | Transaction code, such as QJK7XXXX |
| MTN MoMo, Airtel Money | Folios and tills in Uganda, Rwanda and beyond | Transaction ID |
| Card | Folios and tills | Terminal slip or approval number |
| Bank transfer | Company invoices, groups, agents, suppliers | Bank reference |
| Cash | Folios, tills, petty cash | Receipt number |
| Charge to room | Restaurant and bar tills | Folio and bill number |
Each method has its own journal: one for your Paybill or Till number, one for each bank account, one for cash. That is what makes reconciliation quick.
Matching statements
Export your M-Pesa or bank statement as CSV or Excel and import it into the matching journal. Tivuzo suggests a match for each line by amount and reference; confirm it, or split a payout that covers several bills. Differences, such as M-Pesa transaction charges or bank fees, are posted to their own accounts. Read the month-end checklist.
Deposits and part payments
- Deposits against a booking before arrival
- Part payments during a long stay
- Company payments against several invoices at once
- Refunds recorded against the original payment
- Overpayments kept as credit on the guest or company
What Tivuzo does not do
Tivuzo doesn't send M-Pesa payment prompts to guests' phones or connect to card terminals. You keep your Paybill or Till number and your card machine; the front desk and cashiers record each payment with its reference. Because every payment is recorded by method, the end-of-day count by method shows any gap the same day.
Guest folios
Deposits and payments against the stay.
Restaurant and bar
Split payments and charge to room.
Accounting
Journals, reconciliation and reports.
Payment questions
Can guests pay by M-Pesa in Tivuzo?
Yes. Create an M-Pesa payment method linked to your Paybill or Till journal. The front desk or cashier records the payment with its transaction code.
Does Tivuzo connect to the M-Pesa API?
Not today. Payments are recorded with their code, and the statement is imported and matched. This keeps your existing Paybill or Till number unchanged.
Can one bill be paid with two methods?
Yes. Split a folio or a restaurant bill across M-Pesa, card, cash or charge to room.
How do I record M-Pesa charges?
When you match the statement, post the transaction charge to a bank charges account. The guest's payment stays whole.
Last updated by the Tivuzo team.