Why Was I Charged KSh 10.00 for a Small Upgrade?

If you recently upgraded a subscription mid-cycle (such as adding a mailbox seat or expanding storage for just a few days) and noticed an M-Pesa prompt or card charge of KSh 10.00 instead of your calculated prorated cost of KSh 3.50, this guide explains why this occurs and where your money goes.

1. How It Works Under the Hood

Payment aggregators (Paystack) and telecommunication networks (Safaricom M-Pesa) enforce a mandatory minimum transaction threshold of KSh 10.00 (1,000 cents) for all digital checkouts.

If an API payload attempts to trigger an M-Pesa STK push or charge a credit card for an amount below KSh 10.00 (e.g., KSh 3.50), the payment gateway immediately rejects the transaction.

TEXT

1. PRORATED UPGRADE INITIATED
    User adds a mailbox 3 days before renewal -> Calculated cost = KSh 3.50
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                         ▼
 2. GATEWAY THRESHOLD ENFORCEMENT
    Payment gateway requires minimum charge of KSh 10.00 (1,000 cents).
    System charges KSh 10.00 via M-Pesa STK / Card.
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 3. AUTOMATIC WALLET REBALANCING
    - KSh 3.50 settles the prorated mailbox upgrade immediately.
    - KSh 6.50 difference is AUTOMATICALLY CREDITED to your Nyota Wallet
      (billing_accounts.balanceCents).

2. Zero-Loss Guarantee: Your Money is Credited to Your Wallet

You are never overcharged, and no money is lost.

Whenever an upgrade triggers the mandatory KSh 10.00 gateway threshold:

The exact cost of your service upgrade (e.g., KSh 3.50) is allocated to activate your new seat or storage capacity immediately.
The entire surplus balance (e.g., KSh 6.50) is credited directly to your workspace Nyota Wallet.
On your next billing cycle, SMS dispatch, or identity verification check, the system draws from this wallet credit first before attempting to charge any payment method.

3. How to Verify Your Wallet Surplus Balance

You can verify your credited balance and audit history in your account console:

Log in to accounts.nyotaimara.com/billing.
Review your Current Wallet Balance in the top dashboard card.
Scroll to Billing History & Ledger Entries (/billing/history).
You will see two linked ledger line items for your transaction:
- Line Item 1 (Credit): + KSh 10.00 (Payment Gateway Deposit).
- Line Item 2 (Debit): - KSh 3.50 (Prorated Service Activation).
- Net Wallet Increase: + KSh 6.50 (Available for immediate use).

4. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I withdraw the surplus KSh 6.50 back to M-Pesa?

In accordance with our Master Terms of Service Section 4(B), wallet deposits are non-refundable platform credits. However, your balance never expires as long as your account remains active, and can be used across any product in the Nyota ecosystem (SMS units, email seats, S3 storage, or KYC checks).

How can I avoid the KSh 10.00 minimum threshold in the future?

Pre-fund your workspace Nyota Wallet with a buffer balance (e.g., KSh 500 or KSh 1,000). When your wallet has an active balance, all mid-cycle additions and prorated seat upgrades debit directly from your balance in exact cent amounts (e.g., KSh 3.50), bypassing external payment gateway thresholds entirely.