Mobile money users across the country are celebrating a fresh Airtel Money DTB partnership that now allows direct payments to thousands of Diamond Trust Bank Till Moja merchants with an automatic 50% cashback rewarded as airtime on every Paybill transaction. The new service, launched quietly on December 4, 2025, removes previous barriers that forced Airtel customers to use intermediaries or withdraw cash before paying businesses banking with DTB.
The Airtel Money DTB partnership means anyone with an Airtel line can settle bills, buy goods, or support a local vendor instantly using Paybill number 516600 and receive half the amount back as airtime within seconds.
A shopper who sends 1000 shillings to a supermarket till, for example, instantly gets 500 shillings credited back to their phone as talk time or data bundles. The cashback applies to all successful Paybill payments and has no stated upper limit during the ongoing promotional period.
Small business owners are among the biggest winners. Many traders who previously lost customers because they only had a DTB Till Moja now report a surge in Airtel Money transactions.
“Before this week, some customers would walk away when they realised we don’t have M-Pesa,” said Mercy Wanjiku, who runs a cosmetics shop in Gikomba Market. “Since Tuesday, I have received over thirty Airtel payments, and the cashback makes my customers smile and come back faster.”
Getting started takes less than a minute. Customers simply open the Airtel Money menu by dialling *334# or using the Airtel Money app, select Paybill, enter 516600 as the business number, input the Till Moja number or account details, and confirm the amount.
The transaction completes in seconds, and the cashback airtime reflects immediately. Users can also deposit funds straight from their Airtel wallet into any DTB bank account using the same Paybill, giving Airtel subscribers seamless access to one of Kenya’s fastest-growing commercial banks.
The deal was sealed during a low-key ceremony at DTB headquarters along Ngong Road. Airtel Money Kenya Managing Director Anne Kinuthia-Otieno and DTB Group Managing Director and CEO Murali Natarajan put pen to paper while emphasising how the collaboration levels the playing field for small and medium enterprises.
“We want every Kenyan trader to accept payments from any mobile money wallet without losing a single sale,” Kinuthia-Otieno told journalists after the signing. “This partnership with DTB removes friction and puts money back into customers’ pockets through guaranteed cashback.”
DTB has aggressively expanded its Till Moja merchant base over the past two years, targeting neighbourhood shops, schools, churches, and saccos that previously relied solely on M-Pesa. With over 120,000 active tills countrywide, the bank now reaches corners where traditional banking branches remain scarce. The new Airtel integration instantly adds millions of potential customers who were previously locked out.
Industry watchers see the move as part of a wider trend toward wallet interoperability. While full integration between M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and bank services remains a distant goal, targeted partnerships like this one deliver real benefits faster. “Cashback is a clever incentive,” noted mobile money analyst Catherine Oduor. “It encourages Airtel users to try the service and keeps merchants happy because they still receive full payment.”
Airtel has not announced an end date for the 50% cashback offer, describing it only as “ongoing until further notice.” Customer care lines have been busy with users confirming their airtime rewards and merchants asking how to display Airtel Money stickers alongside their existing tills.
For many everyday Kenyans, the biggest takeaway is simple: buying lunch, paying school fees, or settling a hardware bill just became cheaper if the recipient banks with DTB. As word spreads through WhatsApp groups and neighbourhood chatter, the Airtel Money DTB partnership looks set to reshape how millions move money across the country, one cashback at a time.
