How TurfBook works,
in plain Kenyan English.
Where the money goes, who handles disputes, who's really running this, and what happens when something breaks. No jargon, no fine print in the footnotes.
M-Pesa first.
No card. No PIN held.
Every payment is a Safaricom M-Pesa STK push to YOUR phone. You approve it with your M-Pesa PIN on your own keypad. We never see your PIN. We never store a card. We never charge you without your tap.
- STK push only. The prompt arrives on the phone you used to start the booking — not a number you have to type in twice.
- Split bookings work the same. Each player gets their own STK push for their share. The booking only confirms when every share is paid.
- Refunds go back the same route. Money returns to the M-Pesa number that paid, with an SMS receipt from Safaricom.
- Every booking has a reference number you can flash at the gate if there's ever any question.
Owners get paid in seconds.
Same minute the player pays.
When a player's M-Pesa payment lands, our backend triggers a payout to the owner's M-Pesa till within 60 seconds — every booking, every time. No batch settlement. No holding account.
- Direct to the till. Owners enter their till during onboarding. Money settles to that till — we never custody it.
- M-Pesa receipt on every payout. Owners see the receipt number in the app, matching the SMS Safaricom sends to their till.
- Failed payout alerts. If Safaricom rejects (till inactive, capped, etc.), the owner sees the reason instantly. We retry automatically when fixed.
- SIM-swap defence. The payout destination is frozen at booking time — a later account-takeover can't redirect a payout that's already in flight.
Something went wrong?
Real human, real escalation.
The owner is responsible for honouring their bookings. The player is responsible for showing up. TurfBook is responsible for holding the receipts on both sides — and stepping in when something breaks.
In-app chat first
Every booking has an in-app chat between the player and the owner. Most issues — wrong pitch, late access, equipment — resolve right here.
Escalate to us
If chat doesn't resolve it, open a dispute in the app or WhatsApp the founders. We have access to the booking, the payment, the chat history, and the M-Pesa receipts.
Resolution within 24h
Most disputes resolve within 24 hours. Refunds — when they're warranted — go back to the original M-Pesa number, with the Safaricom receipt for proof.
Nobody loses money
when life happens.
Plans change. Rain rolls in. The squad gets bigger or smaller. The power goes out mid-game. Three things we built to make sure none of these turn into an argument.
Direct reschedule
Move your booking to a different time without losing money. Up to two reschedules per booking, must be at least one hour before kick-off. The owner keeps the earnings through the chain — no clawback.
Cascade refunds
Cancel a booking that started as a Split Payment or a Need-Players game? Every contributor is refunded automatically — to wallet for players with accounts, to M-Pesa for guest joiners. No chasing. No spreadsheet.
Goodwill credit, on the spot
Power outage, lights failed, late access? The staff on the ground can request a goodwill wallet credit for you. The owner approves; the credit lands in your wallet; the owner's next payout is reduced automatically. No founder phone call needed.
Your data, looked after.
TurfBook complies with the Kenyan Data Protection Act (No. 24 of 2019). Plain version below.
We don't hold your PIN
M-Pesa STK push goes to your phone. You approve it on your phone. TurfBook only ever sees the success confirmation — never your PIN, never your password to anything.
Encrypted in transit
Every request between your phone and our servers runs over HTTPS (TLS). Every page on this website forces HTTPS via HSTS. M-Pesa endpoints are Safaricom's — encrypted end-to-end.
You can delete your account
From the app in two taps, or via email. We honour deletion requests within 30 days, keeping only what Kenyan law requires (financial records for 7 years, per the Tax Procedures Act). Full policy →
Only owners see customer details
When you book, the turf owner sees your name and phone — to contact you about the booking. Staff at the turf only see what the owner permits. Nobody else sees your details. Not even our marketing tools.
The full documents.
Written for clarity, not legalese — but the contracts that actually apply.
Convinced? Get the app.
Everything you just read happens in the app — bookings, payouts, disputes, the lot. Download it and try the flow yourself.
Still got questions? Don't have WhatsApp? Text or call +254 758 185 658.WhatsApp