M-Pesa is the dominant mobile-money rail in Kenya; for millions of people it functions as bank, payments processor and informal financial infrastructure all in one. You can do a lot with it, pay people, move money between accounts, buy airtime, settle bills and interact with merchant services, but the exact convenience depends on how the merchant or service you want to use has integrated M-Pesa: some accept a simple Till or PayBill, others use Lipa na M-Pesa / STK push flows, some accept QR scans, and a few still insist on cash. Below I explain the common real-world uses you asked about, groceries, fast food, train tickets and funding investment/forex accounts, how those payments work in practice, and the key precautions you should apply before you send money.

Can you buy groceries with M-Pesa?

Yes. Supermarkets and grocery chains in Kenya widely accept M-Pesa via several merchant integrations: tills for in-store checkout, QR codes that you scan with the M-Pesa app, and “Buy Goods / Lipa na M-Pesa” merchant numbers that look like normal till payments but route straight to the retailer. Major supermarket groups have run campaigns to encourage cashless shopping and many outlets offer point-of-sale terminals that take M-Pesa alongside cards. There are also occasional merchant promotions, for example supermarket cashback offers for qualifying M-Pesa payments, so paying by mobile money is frequently not only possible but sometimes beneficial. That said, acceptance is not universal at every independent shop; always check for the till number, the “Pay with M-Pesa” signage or an on-screen prompt before you assume a store accepts it.

Can you pay for fast food with M-Pesa?

Yes. Many fast food chains, quick-service restaurants and cafés accept M-Pesa either directly at the till or through payment aggregators. Restaurants use POS integrations from providers such as Pesapal and other gateway services that support M-Pesa STK pushes or QR payments; some fast food outlets also let you place orders on an app or kiosk and then confirm payment via an M-Pesa prompt. In practice you will see three common flows: (1) the cashier gives you a Till number or a QR code and you authorise payment from your phone; (2) the merchant triggers an STK push to your phone to request payment confirmation; or (3) the restaurant’s delivery or ordering platform accepts M-Pesa online. That makes it straightforward to pay for a meal at many of the national chains and tens of thousands of independent venues that have adopted merchant payment integration.

Can you pay for train tickets with M-Pesa?

Yes — major rail services in Kenya accept M-Pesa for ticket purchases. Kenya Railways’ Madaraka Express (SGR) supports online booking where payment is completed with M-Pesa; the booking flow either directs you to an M-Pesa payment prompt after you select seats or allows payment via a USSD/M-Pesa menu. In short, you can book and pay for many scheduled train journeys without needing cash at the station, provided you follow the rail operator’s online or USSD ticketing instructions and complete the M-Pesa payment within the seller’s timeout window. As with other uses, the exact steps (web booking then STK push, or USSD pay) depend on the operator’s implementation, so follow the booking site’s instructions and keep the payment confirmation SMS as your receipt.

Can you deposit money to investment accounts such as forex accounts using M-Pesa?

In many cases, yes—you can fund trading or investment accounts using M-Pesa. Plenty of legit, regulated brokers that serve Kenyan clients now support M-Pesa, either directly or through local payment services like Pesapal, Flutterwave, or others that turn your M-Pesa payment into a trading account credit. Just check the details for each broker, since setups and fees can vary. You can see this list of all brokers that are regulated by the Kenyan Finance Regulator (CMA) and accept deposits using M-Pesa.

There are also local fintech payment bridges and aggregator services that provide M-Pesa on-ramps for international platforms. Several well-known brokers explicitly list M-Pesa as a deposit/withdrawal option for Kenyan clients, which makes funding convenient and quick compared with international bank transfers. However, you must verify three things before you transfer: that the broker is regulated and reputable, that the deposit method requires you to use your own M-Pesa number (not a third-party wallet), and that the provider’s withdrawal path is equally supported (i.e., you can reliably withdraw back to M-Pesa).

This reduces the risk of trapped funds and of fraudulent operations that take deposits but make withdrawals difficult. Payment aggregators are common and legitimate, but they also add one more counterparty to trust, so pick brokers with clear deposit/withdrawal instructions and good user feedback from other Kenyan clients.

How the main M-Pesa merchant flows work

Merchant payments land via a few standard M-Pesa channels and each matters in practice. Buy Goods / Till numbers are used at retail checkouts and behave like instant merchant payments; PayBill numbers are used for recurring bills and some ticketing services; Lipa na M-Pesa and STK pushes are the online/mobile checkout flows where the merchant triggers a prompt on your phone to authorise a payment; QR codes are increasingly common for scan-to-pay at counters. For investments and broker funding you will typically encounter a PayBill or an aggregator-driven flow where the provider gives you a payment page or a reference and you authorise via STK push. Know which flow you are using and always confirm the merchant name and payment reference in the M-Pesa confirmation SMS, that is both your proof of payment and the main evidence a merchant or broker will accept in case of a reconciliation issue. For consumer protection, Safaricom publishes the product names, basic transaction limits and charges, so if you are near the transaction cap you should be aware the payment may be split or rejected.

Practical cautions and safety rules

M-Pesa makes payments easy, but ease invites mistakes and scams. For groceries and restaurants always check the till/Till name or the QR and confirm the merchant on your phone before you enter your PIN. For SGR or other ticketing, complete the payment within the operator’s timeout and save the SMS/receipt (screenshots are useful). For funding investment or forex accounts be absolutely sure you are sending money to the broker’s documented deposit channel; avoid ad-hoc requests to send money to random PayBill numbers or to a private person’s wallet. Do not accept promises that you will be “credited later” or asked to route funds via a third party to unlock bonuses. Only use brokers that (a) clearly list M-Pesa in their deposit options and (b) document how withdrawals back to M-Pesa will work; ideally pick platforms with local Kenyan customer reports and an established local payments integration. If a service requires you to install remote access software, share OTPs, or provide account PINs to anyone, treat that as a scam red flag and stop. Finally, if you use M-Pesa for higher-value transfers (including funding an investment account), check transaction limits in your M-Pesa profile and, if necessary, upgrade or contact Safaricom so you won’t have a payment fail at the point of transfer.

What to expect

M-Pesa is widely accepted in Kenya for retail spending — groceries, fast food and many transport tickets can be paid with mobile money — and many modern payment stacks let you fund investment and trading accounts using M-Pesa. The convenience is genuine, but the detail matters: the merchant integration (Till, PayBill, Lipa na M-Pesa, QR), the broker’s onboarding and withdrawal rules, and the safeguards you take before sending money decide whether the experience is smooth or risky. Always verify the receiving entity, save payment receipts, test new payment routes with small amounts where feasible, and prefer regulated brokers or well-known merchant partners when you are depositing money intended for investment.