How ISP Billing Systems Handle MikroTik Hotspot Billing in Kenya

MikroTik Hotspot Billing — The Full Picture

MikroTik Hotspot is the most common WiFi access control mechanism used by Kenyan ISPs. When integrated with a proper billing system, it creates a seamless experience where customers pay and get access instantly — without any manual intervention.

How the Integration Works

1. A customer connects to your WiFi network
2. MikroTik intercepts their traffic and redirects them to a captive portal (login page)
3. The customer selects a package and pays via M-Pesa STK Push
4. The M-Pesa payment callback reaches your billing system
5. The billing system creates or activates a Hotspot user on MikroTik via API
6. The customer is granted internet access for their package duration
7. When the package expires, the billing system removes the user and they're redirected back to the login page

Bandwidth Control

MikroTik allows you to set upload and download speed limits per user profile. Your billing system should map each package to the correct MikroTik profile automatically. A customer on a 5Mbps package should get exactly 5Mbps — not whatever happens to be available.

Voucher-Based Hotspot Billing

For locations where subscribers don't have smartphones for STK Push — bus parks, rural areas — voucher-based billing works well. The billing system generates voucher codes tied to specific packages. The operator sells vouchers, and customers enter the code at the captive portal to get access.

Common Hotspot Billing Problems

• Customers paying but not getting access — usually a Safaricom callback delay
• Customers overstaying their package — MikroTik session management needs to be configured correctly
• Multiple devices per voucher — billing system should enforce single-device use if required

Jasiyo handles all of these scenarios automatically as part of its MikroTik Hotspot billing module.