M-PESA Send Money Charges 2026
Quick Answer: M-PESA Send Money charges currently range from KES 0 to KES 108. Transfers from KES 1 to KES 100 are free, and the maximum send fee is KES 108 from KES 20,001 up to KES 250,000.
Sending money is the single most frequently used M-PESA service in Kenya. Whether you are paying rent to a landlord, topping up a family member's wallet, settling a debt with a friend, or paying a supplier, the Send Money function handles it all. Safaricom reported 37.9 million one-month active M-PESA customers in Kenya in September 2025, and wallet-to-wallet transfers remain one of the most heavily used channels in that ecosystem.
As of 2026, Safaricom has not announced new M-PESA charges, so the rates that have been in place since July 2023 still apply. Any updates are typically communicated later in the year through Safaricom's official tariff channels. This guide covers every send money charge currently in effect, the full fee table, how the band system works, every supported destination, the band-boundary traps to avoid, and practical ways to reduce what you pay every month.
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How M-PESA Send Money Charges Work
M-PESA send money fees follow a tiered band structure. Safaricom divides the transaction range into fixed bands and assigns a flat fee to each one. Every transaction that falls within a band pays exactly that band's fee. Sending KES 1,501 and sending KES 2,499 both cost exactly KES 33. Sending KES 2,501 costs KES 53 because that extra shilling crosses into the next band.
This stepped structure means fees are never proportional to the amount you send. They are flat within a range and jump at every boundary. Understanding this is the foundation of using M-PESA cost-effectively, especially when you are transacting near the edge of a band where one extra shilling can produce a noticeably higher fee.
The sender always pays the fee. The recipient receives the exact amount you specify and nothing is deducted from the incoming funds. If you send KES 5,000, your wallet is debited KES 5,057 and your recipient receives KES 5,000 in full. All fees are inclusive of the 20% government excise duty collected through the M-PESA tariff.
Who Can You Send Money To?
Before looking at the fee table, it helps to know exactly which destinations the Send Money service covers because, since 2024, not every destination is available.
- Registered M-PESA users: Any Safaricom line with an active M-PESA account. This remains the primary and most common send-money destination.
- Airtel Money users: Since the 2024 cross-network harmonisation, M-PESA to Airtel Money transfers use the same customer fee table as Safaricom-to-Safaricom sends.
- T-Kash users: The same harmonisation applies to T-Kash. No separate cross-network premium currently applies on the published send-money customer tariff.
- Pochi la Biashara: Sending to a Pochi wallet uses the same customer send-money tariff as sending to a personal M-PESA wallet.
- Unregistered users: Sending to unregistered users is no longer permitted on M-PESA. Safaricom discontinued this route on February 5, 2024.
M-PESA Send Money Charges 2026
Sending KES 1 to KES 100 to any registered user is free. Once you hit KES 101, fees begin at KES 7. The maximum send-money fee is capped at KES 108, which applies from KES 20,001 all the way to the maximum single transaction amount of KES 250,000.
| Amount Band (KES) | Send Fee (KES) |
|---|---|
| 1 - 100 | Free |
| 101 - 500 | 7 |
| 501 - 1,000 | 13 |
| 1,001 - 1,500 | 23 |
| 1,501 - 2,500 | 33 |
| 2,501 - 3,500 | 53 |
| 3,501 - 5,000 | 57 |
| 5,001 - 7,500 | 78 |
| 7,501 - 10,000 | 90 |
| 10,001 - 15,000 | 100 |
| 15,001 - 20,000 | 105 |
| 20,001 - 35,000 | 108 |
| 35,001 - 70,000 | 108 |
| 70,001 - 150,000 | 108 |
| 150,001 - 250,000 | 108 |
The fee ceiling of KES 108 is a deliberate policy choice. Sending KES 250,000 costs KES 108, which is proportionally tiny compared with the amount being transferred. Small transfers are proportionally more expensive than large ones, which is how the stepped tariff is designed.
Send Money vs Withdrawal - Why Sending Is Almost Always Cheaper
While it costs KES 13 to send KES 1,000, withdrawing the same amount at an agent costs KES 29. This gap is intentional and encourages customers to keep money inside the digital ecosystem for as long as possible.
In practical terms, if the recipient has an M-PESA account, sending directly to their wallet is almost always cheaper than withdrawing cash and handing it over physically. The one narrow exception is the KES 2,501-3,500 band, where the agent withdrawal fee of KES 52 is one shilling lower than the send fee of KES 53.
| Amount (KES) | Send Fee (KES) | Withdrawal Fee (KES) | Saving by Sending (KES) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | 7 | 29 | 22 |
| 1,000 | 13 | 29 | 16 |
| 5,000 | 57 | 69 | 12 |
| 10,000 | 90 | 115 | 25 |
| 50,000 | 108 | 309 | 201 |
Send Money Limits 2026
| Limit | Amount (KES) |
|---|---|
| Minimum send amount | 1 |
| Maximum per single transaction | 250,000 |
| Maximum cumulative per day | 500,000 |
| Maximum wallet balance (affects receiving) | 500,000 |
The per-transaction limit is KES 250,000, with the daily transaction and wallet balance limits both capped at KES 500,000. If you need to send more than KES 250,000 to one recipient in a day, you can split into two transactions as long as your cumulative daily total does not exceed KES 500,000.
Also keep the recipient's wallet balance in mind. If their wallet already holds KES 500,000, your transfer will fail until they move funds out and create space.
What to Do When a Transaction Goes Wrong
Sending to the wrong number or the wrong amount is not automatically hopeless, but you need to act quickly. To initiate an M-PESA self-reversal, forward the original transaction confirmation SMS to 456. Safaricom will attempt the reversal if the funds have not yet been withdrawn or moved onward.
If the money has already been withdrawn or the reversal does not go through, contact Safaricom customer care on 100 from a Safaricom line or 200 from PostPay and keep the full transaction message ready. Two habits prevent most send-money mistakes: always read the recipient's name on the confirmation screen before entering your PIN, and for large transfers, consider a small test transaction first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are M-Pesa's current transaction fees?
M-PESA transaction fees depend on the service used. For Send Money, transfers from KES 1 to KES 100 are free, fees start at KES 7 from KES 101, and the maximum send fee is KES 108 for any amount from KES 20,001 to KES 250,000.
How much does Safaricom charge to send money?
Safaricom currently charges between KES 0 and KES 108 for M-PESA Send Money, depending on the amount band. Transfers of KES 100 and below are free, while larger transfers use the published flat-band tariff.
How much is the fee to send money?
The fee depends on the amount you send. For example, sending KES 500 costs KES 7, KES 1,000 costs KES 13, KES 5,000 costs KES 57, and any amount from KES 20,001 up to KES 250,000 costs KES 108.
Has M-PESA changed their charges recently?
As of March 16, 2026, Safaricom has not announced a new M-PESA Send Money tariff for 2026. The current fee table still follows the tariff structure introduced after the July 2023 update.
What is the M-Pesa withdrawal charges for 2026?
Withdrawal charges are separate from send-money charges and are usually higher. For instance, sending KES 1,000 costs KES 13, while withdrawing KES 1,000 at an agent costs KES 29. That is why wallet-to-wallet sending is usually cheaper than cashing out first.
How much does it cost to withdraw Ksh 20,000?
At an M-PESA agent, withdrawing KES 20,000 currently costs KES 185. That is much higher than the KES 105 send fee for the same amount band, which is why digital transfer is often the cheaper option if the recipient already uses M-PESA.
How are M-Pesa withdrawal charges calculated?
Withdrawal charges are calculated using fixed bands, just like send-money charges. Every withdrawal amount that falls within a band pays the same flat fee until the next threshold is crossed. That means one extra shilling can push a transaction into a higher band.
Which Paybill is free?
A Paybill is free to the customer when the receiving business uses the Customer Bouquet tariff. Under that arrangement, the customer pays KES 0 and the business absorbs the charge.
Can I use M-Pesa in the USA?
You can access some M-PESA-linked services internationally, but the ordinary Send Money service on this page is the domestic Kenyan wallet-to-wallet tariff. If you want cross-border transfers or international payments, you should check M-PESA Global instead.
Who owns Fuliza M-PESA?
Fuliza sits inside the M-PESA ecosystem and is offered through Safaricom together with participating lenders. It is a separate overdraft-style service from ordinary Send Money, and its charges follow a different structure from the send-money tariff on this page.
All fees are inclusive of 20% government excise duty and are current as of March 2026. The confirmation screen shown before you enter your PIN is always the definitive charge for that specific transaction. For official tariff confirmation, see Safaricom's M-PESA charges page and the M-PESA app listing.