M-PESA charges Kenya 2026: send, withdraw, paybill

Sending KES 1,000 on M-PESA costs KES 13. Sending KES 20,000 costs KES 105. The maximum charge is KES 108 (for any amount above KES 20,000). The same tariff applies whether the recipient is on Safaricom M-PESA, Airtel Money, or T-Kash. Sending KES 1 to KES 100 is free on every network.

Full send-money tariff (2026)

Amount (KES)	Send to M-PESA (KES)	Send to other mobile money (KES)
1 to 49	Free	Free
50 to 100	Free	Free
101 to 500	7	7
501 to 1,000	13	13
1,001 to 1,500	23	23
1,501 to 2,500	33	33
2,501 to 3,500	53	53
3,501 to 5,000	57	57
5,001 to 7,500	78	78
7,501 to 10,000	90	90
10,001 to 15,000	100	100
15,001 to 20,000	105	105
20,001 to 35,000	108	108
35,001 to 50,000	108	108
50,001 to 250,000	108	108

Source: Safaricom M-PESA Consumer Tariffs and Limits, last updated 4 August 2026 (safaricom.co.ke). Bands are harmonised, so the fee is the same on Safaricom, Airtel Money, and T-Kash.

Pochi la Biashara: promo tariff through 31 October 2026

Pochi la Biashara is Safaricom's personal-till product used by kiosks, boda-boda riders, and freelance service providers. Unlike a Buy Goods Till, the customer pays the fee when they pay a Pochi. Safaricom is running a promotional customer tariff from 1 August to 31 October 2026:

Amount (KES)	Customer fee (KES)
0 to 200	Free
201 to 500	7
501 to 1,000	13
1,001 to 1,500	23
1,501 to 2,500	33
2,501 to 250,000	50 (cap)

These bands are from Safaricom's M-PESA Charges page (updated 4 August 2026) and match its Pochi promo page: free to KES 200 and a KES 50 cap. Safaricom has not said what applies from 1 November 2026. Before the promo the top charge was KES 108. We will update this page when Safaricom publishes the new tariff.

M-PESA actions that stay free in 2026

Deposits at any M-PESA agent. No fee for depositing cash into your wallet.
Airtime purchase from M-PESA. Free at every amount.
SIM registration and M-PESA activation. Free.
Balance enquiry. Dial *144#, free.
PIN change. Free through the SIM Toolkit or the M-PESA app.
Any send from KES 1 to KES 100 to a Safaricom, Airtel Money, or T-Kash number.

Get the exact figure for any amount

Bands are easy to misread. Drop your amount into the M-PESA send and withdraw cost calculator to see the precise 2026 fee across every mode.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to send KES 1,000 on M-PESA?

KES 13. The same fee applies whether the recipient is on Safaricom M-PESA, Airtel Money, or T-Kash. All Safaricom send-money bands are harmonised across networks.

What is the maximum M-PESA send-money fee?

KES 108. The fee is capped at KES 108 for any single transaction between KES 20,001 and the per-transaction limit of KES 250,000.

Is sending money on M-PESA ever free?

Yes. Sending any amount from KES 1 to KES 100 is free on both same-network and cross-network transfers. Deposits at an agent, airtime purchase, registration, balance enquiry (dial *144#), and PIN change are also free.

Does sending to Airtel Money or T-Kash cost extra?

No. Safaricom harmonised the send-money tariff across networks. Sending KES 5,000 to a Safaricom line and to an Airtel Money line both cost KES 78.

What is the Pochi la Biashara promo tariff?

From 1 August to 31 October 2026, customer payments to a Pochi la Biashara of KES 200 and below are free. Above that the customer pays KES 7 up to KES 500, then 13, 23 and 33 in the usual bands, and never more than KES 50 (Safaricom M-PESA Charges page, updated 4 August 2026). Safaricom has not said what applies from 1 November 2026.

Do M-PESA fees include excise duty?

Yes. Every figure in the Safaricom tariff schedule is the total deducted from your M-PESA balance. The KRA excise on M-PESA fees is bundled into the displayed number, so what you see is what you pay.