Sending money from M-PESA into a Family Bank account is not a Send Money to a phone number. It is a Pay Bill to Family's paybill, with the destination bank account number in the account field. It is the same pattern as sending to KCB, Co-op, or Equity, just with Family's number.
The verified paybill
Family Bank, a Kenyan-owned bank with a large branch network upcountry uses paybill 222111 for M-PESA deposits. The account is the Family Bank account number you are depositing to, not your phone number and not your own account. If you are topping up your own account, use your own number. If you are paying someone else, use theirs.
Send to Family step by step
- Open the M-PESA app, or dial *334#.
- Select Lipa na M-PESA, then Pay Bill.
- Business number: 222111.
- Account: the Family Bank account number you are funding. No spaces, hyphens, or slashes.
- Enter the amount.
- Enter your M-PESA PIN and confirm.
Family Bank credits within minutes to same-day; its wide branch and agency footprint makes it a common destination for upcountry transfers. Keep the M-PESA SMS as proof.
The account-number trap
Limits
A single M-PESA Pay Bill is capped at KES 250,000, and the daily M-PESA ceiling is KES 500,000. To move more than KES 250,000 in a day, split it across two transactions and keep each SMS.
It did not reflect
If the M-PESA SMS confirmed but the Family Bank account has not updated, first check the account number you typed against the account you meant to fund. A wrong or mistyped account number is the usual cause: the money reached Family but sits against the wrong or an invalid account. Contact Family Bank with your 10-character M-PESA transaction code and the correct account number to have it traced. Do not send again until it is resolved.
What it costs
Standard M-PESA paybill fees apply. Family does not add a fee on top for M-PESA deposits.
| If you send | M-PESA fee | Total off your wallet |
|---|---|---|
| KES 1,000 | KES 10 | KES 1,010 |
| KES 5,000 | KES 34 | KES 5,034 |
| KES 20,000 | KES 62 | KES 20,062 |
| KES 100,000 | KES 108 | KES 100,108 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Family Bank paybill for M-PESA?
Family Bank uses paybill 222111. The account is the Family Bank account number you are depositing to, not your phone number.
How much can I send from M-PESA to Family at once?
Up to KES 250,000 per transaction, with a daily M-PESA ceiling of KES 500,000. Split larger amounts across two transactions.
My M-PESA to Family transfer did not reflect. What do I do?
Check the account number you used, a stray hyphen or space is the usual cause. If it was wrong, contact Family Bank with your M-PESA transaction code and the correct account. Do not resend until traced.
Does Family charge a fee to receive M-PESA?
No. Family does not add a fee on top of the standard M-PESA paybill tariff. What the M-PESA screen shows is what you pay.
Resources
- The verified Family paybill entry is at paybillke.com/paybill/family-bank.
- To send M-PESA to other banks, see send M-PESA to KCB, Co-op, Equity, or Absa, and the full send-to-any-bank directory.