Why the payment does not match
With a Paybill, the tenant types an account number. In HomeManager that number is the unit, for example B4. If the tenant types B44, a unit that does not exist, there is nothing to match. The same happens with Till numbers when the payer's phone number is unknown, or when two tenants share one phone. In each case the money is safe, and no tenant is credited by guesswork.
What to do, step by step
- Do not ask the tenant to pay again. The money has arrived.
- Ask the tenant for the M-Pesa confirmation message, which has the transaction code, amount and time.
- Open the Payments screen in HomeManager and find the unmatched payment.
- Check the code, amount and phone number against what the tenant sent.
- Assign the payment to that tenant. It settles their oldest unpaid invoice.
- Tell the tenant it has been applied, and remind them which account number to use.
One more case to watch: if the wrong number happens to be another real unit, the payment matches that unit automatically. Check the Payments screen for payments a tenant did not expect, and speak to both tenants.
Worked example
The tenant in unit B4 owes KES 18,000 for September and KES 18,000 for October. On 3 October they send KES 18,000 to your Paybill and type B44 as the account number. No unit B44 exists, so the payment waits as unmatched.
Your manager sees it on the Payments screen, confirms the transaction code with the tenant and assigns it to the B4 tenant. It settles the oldest unpaid invoice, which is September, so the September invoice is cleared and October's KES 18,000 stays open. The tenant has lost nothing, and you have not guessed.
How to stop it happening again
- Make the unit number the account number, and print it on a card in each unit.
- Tell tenants to use the Pay now option in the tenant portal instead of typing details into M-Pesa by hand.
- Use STK push, where the tenant gets a prompt on their phone and only enters their PIN.
- Keep unit names short and distinct. B4 and B44 are a typo apart, while "Block B, Unit 4" is not.
How HomeManager handles it
HomeManager matches Paybill payments automatically by the unit entered as the account number, and Till payments by the payer's phone number. A payment that cannot be matched, whether because of a wrong account number, an unknown phone or two tenants sharing a phone, is kept as an unmatched payment rather than guessed. A manager assigns it from the Payments screen and it settles the oldest unpaid invoice.
You can also ask the AI assistant to record a payment against a named tenant. It shows a card first and acts only when you press Confirm. Every change goes into the audit trail.
Let rent match itself, and catch the exceptions.
HomeManager matches M-Pesa payments to invoices automatically and keeps the odd ones for a manager to assign.
Get Started with HomeManagerFrequently asked questions
A tenant paid rent to the wrong M-Pesa account number. Is the money lost?
No. The money reaches your Paybill. In HomeManager it is kept as an unmatched payment until a manager assigns it to the right tenant from the Payments screen, after which it settles their oldest unpaid invoice.
How do I assign an unmatched M-Pesa payment to a tenant?
Open the Payments screen, find the unmatched payment, confirm the transaction code and amount with the tenant, and assign it to them. It then settles the oldest unpaid invoice.
What account number should tenants use for rent on a Paybill?
Their unit number. HomeManager matches the payment to the tenant by the unit entered as the account number, so a clear, short unit name prevents most mistakes.
How can I stop tenants using the wrong account number?
Print the unit number in each unit, point tenants to the portal's Pay now option, or use STK push so there is nothing to type. Any of these removes the typing that causes the error.