KUCCPS Clarifies How Applicants Can Retrieve Payment Reference After Application Payment

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has clarified how applicants can easily retrieve their payment reference after completing their application payment.

The clarification comes two weeks after the placement body opened its portal for degree programmes and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) applications.

However, some candidates have since reported challenges while making payments, with others indicating that their payments did not reflect on the application portal.

These challenges prompted concerns among applicants seeking to secure placement into universities and colleges across the country.

To address the issue, KUCCPS issued guidance explaining how applicants can retrieve their payment reference numbers after making payment.

According to KUCCPS, the payment reference, also abbreviated as Payment Ref., during the application process refers to the account number issued to applicants when making their application payment.

Candidates who have already made payments can retrieve the reference number by simply checking their M-Pesa confirmation messages.

KUCCPS explained that the account number indicated in the message is the payment reference and urged applicants not to confuse it with the M-Pesa transaction code.

“Looking for your Payment Ref. after paying for the KUCCPS application? Your Payment Ref. is the account number you keyed in during payment,” KUCCPS stated.

“You can retrieve it from your MPESA payment message. Be sure to pick the account, not the MPESA code,” the placement body added.

The payment reference is a crucial requirement when verifying application payments and when making any necessary changes to an application. KUCCPS also advised applicants to keep their M-Pesa confirmation messages safe, as they may be required later in the application process.

While making the announcement, KUCCPS encouraged candidates to complete their applications before the deadline, noting that only 14 days remain before the application window closes on May 6, 2026.