How do I send money from Airtel Money to M-PESA?

Dial *334#, choose Send Money, choose Other Networks, enter the M-PESA phone number, enter the amount, enter your PIN. Cross-network charge applies (KES 7 to 108 by band).

How much does it cost to send Airtel to M-PESA?

Cross-network sending bands: KES 7 for KES 101 to 500, KES 13 for KES 501 to 1,000, up to KES 108 for KES 20,001 and above.

How long does an Airtel to M-PESA transfer take?

Usually under 60 seconds. Both wallets get an SMS confirmation within a minute. Rare cross-network holds resolve within 24 hours.

Can I send from M-PESA to Airtel Money?

Yes, from M-PESA dial *334#, choose Send Money, enter the Airtel Money phone number. M-PESA detects the cross-network destination automatically. Charges follow the M-PESA send bracket for the amount.

What if the recipient has both an Airtel line and an M-PESA line?

Cross-network routing follows the SIM the recipient number is registered on. If the number is an Airtel SIM, the funds land in Airtel Money. If Safaricom, in M-PESA. There is no user choice; the SIM decides.

What happens if the recipient number is not registered on any mobile money?

The recipient gets an SMS with a code to walk into an agent and cash out (M-PESA calls this Send to Anyone). On Airtel Money, unregistered receipt has similar mechanics; the code arrives via SMS. Verify the specific flow before sending large amounts to unregistered numbers.

Airtel to M-PESA Transfer 2026: Both Directions

To send money from Airtel Money to M-PESA, dial *334#, choose Send Money, select 'Other Networks', enter the M-PESA number, amount, PIN. Cross-network charge is KES 7 to KES 108.

Both directions at a glance

Direction	USSD path	Fee (paid by sender)
Airtel Money to M-PESA	`*334#` → Send Money → Other Networks → number → amount → PIN	KES 7 to 108 (cross-network band)
M-PESA to Airtel Money	`*334#` → Send Money → number → amount → PIN (M-PESA auto-detects)	M-PESA send band for the amount

For the M-PESA to Airtel direction with full detail, see M-PESA to Airtel Money.

Fees table (Airtel to M-PESA)

Verified against Airtel Africa Kenya published tariffs on 30 August 2026 [Source 1].

Amount (KES)	Cross-network send fee (KES)
101 to 500	7
501 to 1,000	13
1,001 to 2,500	23 to 33
2,501 to 5,000	53 to 57
5,001 to 10,000	78 to 90
10,001 to 20,000	100 to 105
20,001 to 250,000	108

How the cross-network route works

Since 2018, CBK-supervised mobile money interoperability [Source 2] lets Airtel Money, M-PESA and T-Kash send between each other at the network level. No account linking. No new registration. The SIM the recipient number is registered on decides which wallet receives.

Tips

Confirm the recipient name. Airtel Money returns the M-PESA recipient name before the final PIN prompt. Read it before sending large amounts.
Save the transaction ID. The SMS transaction reference is your evidence if anything goes wrong.
Do not double-send. If the confirmation SMS is late, wait 5 minutes and check balance via *334# → My Account → Balance before retrying.
Withdraw at the destination. If the recipient wants cash, they withdraw from their side (M-PESA agent) at M-PESA withdrawal rates. Cross-network fees only apply on the send.

Troubleshooting

Wallet debited but recipient did not receive: wait 15 minutes; the interoperability layer occasionally lags. If unresolved after 30 minutes, call Airtel on 100 with the transaction ID.
Wrong number sent: dial *334# → My Account → Reverse Transaction. Cross-network reversal works for a limited window (typically same day) and depends on the receiving wallet.
USSD returns Service unavailable: retry in 30 seconds; if persistent, switch to the MyAirtel app or call 100.

Sources

[Source 1] Airtel Africa Kenya, Airtel Money Send Money. airtel.africa/ke/money. Verified 30 August 2026.
[Source 2] Central Bank of Kenya, mobile money interoperability. centralbank.go.ke.