How to Add a New Payee from Express Payment in Niobi Introduction If you're setting up an Express Payment in Niobi and the person or business you want to pay isn't saved yet, you don't need to leave the payment flow to add them. Niobi lets you add a new payee — with their contact and payment details — right from Step 1 of the Express Payment flow, so you can go straight from adding a payee to paying them. In this guide, you'll learn: - How to open the Add Payee screen from Express Payment - How to enter a payee's name and contact details - How to choose between Individual and Organization - How to add mobile money or bank account payment details - How to add more than one payment method for the same payee Time to complete: 2–3 minutes\ Difficulty: Beginner Before You Start To add a new payee in Niobi, make sure you have: - The payee's first and last name (or organization name) - Their payment details ready — a phone number for mobile money, or account details for a bank transfer - Optionally, their contact details if you want to save that alongside the payment information Step 1: Start from the Payee List From the Make Payments screen, select Express Payment. On the payee selection screen (Step 1 of the Express Payment flow), you'll see: - Payee Name\* search bar — for finding an existing payee - + Add new payee link, top right — click this to add someone new - The existing payee list below, each with an avatar, name, and masked account details Click + Add new payee to open the payee creation form. Step 2: Enter the Payee's Name and Type On the Add Payee Details screen, start with: - First Name\* (required) - Last Name\* (required) - Individual / Organization — a pair of checkboxes to indicate whether you're adding a person or a business. Individual is selected by default. - + Add Contact Details — an optional expandable link to add further contact information (such as email or phone) beyond what's required for payment Step 3: Add Payee Payment Details Under Add Payment Details, first confirm the currency using the selector in the top right (e.g., KES). Then choose a payment method type: - Mobile Money tab (selected by default) - Bank Account tab If you choose Mobile Money, you'll see three sub-options: - Send Money (selected by default) - Paybill - Till Number For Send Money, enter the payee's Phone Number, including the country code (e.g., +254 for Kenya). If you choose a Bank Account instead, you'll be prompted for the relevant bank details rather than a phone number. Step 4: Save and Add the Payee If the payee has more than one way to be paid, click + Save & Add Another Payment Detail to add an additional payment method before finishing — for example, saving both a mobile money number and a bank account for the same payee. Once you're done, click Add Recipient to save the payee. You'll be returned to the payee list, where the new payee should now appear and can be selected to continue the Express Payment. Tips & Best Practices for Adding Payees - Double-check the phone number's country code before saving — an incorrect code can cause payments to fail or be misdirected. - Use Organization instead of Individual for businesses — this keeps your payee records accurate and can affect how the payee is displayed and categorized later. - Add multiple payment methods where relevant, using "Save & Add Another Payment Detail," rather than creating duplicate payee entries for the same person with different payment methods. - Fill in Contact Details if you plan to use "Notify Payee" later (available after some payments complete) — having an email or phone number saved makes that feature more useful. - Search before adding — check the payee list first to avoid creating a duplicate entry for someone who's already saved under a slightly different name. Frequently Asked Questions Can I add a payee without leaving the Express Payment flow? Yes — that's exactly what this flow is for. Clicking "+ Add new payee" on Step 1 opens the payee form without losing your place in the payment process. What's the difference between Paybill, Till Number, and Send Money under Mobile Money? These represent different M-Pesa transaction types. Send Money pays directly to a phone number, Paybill pays into a business paybill account, and Till Number pays into a merchant till — choose the one that matches how the payee actually receives funds. Do I have to add contact details for a payee? No, contact details are optional. Only the name and at least one payment method are required to save a payee. Can a payee have both a mobile money number and a bank account saved? Yes. Use "Save & Add Another Payment Detail" before clicking "Add Recipient" to attach more than one payment method to the same payee. What happens after I click "Add Recipient"? You're returned to the payee selection screen, where your newly added payee should appear in the list and can be selected to continue with the Express Payment. Troubleshooting Issue: The "Add Recipient" button isn't clickable.\ Solution: Confirm all required fields (marked with a red dot) are filled in — First Name, Last Name, and a valid payment method are mandatory. Issue: I can't find the payee I just added.\ Solution: Return to the payee search screen and check the list again — if you searched by a name that doesn't match exactly what you entered, try searching more broadly or scrolling through the full list. Issue: I need to add a payment method type that isn't Mobile Money or Bank Account.\ Solution: Currently, only these two payment method categories are available when adding a payee from this screen. If you need another type, check with your Niobi admin or support team. Next Steps - How to Make an Express Payment in Niobi to continue and pay the payee you just added - How to Pay Bills in Niobi if the payee you're adding relates to a logged bill - How to Make Bulk Payments in Niobi for paying multiple payees, including newly added ones, at once