WI
Wise
Mid-market FX, transparent fees. UK, US, EU, AU, CA.
Visit WiseLive-tested July 2026
Wise to M-PESA: send in 3 steps, mid-market FX, real fees
Wise delivers to Kenyan M-PESA wallets at the tightest FX in the market, with a transparent two-part fee shown before you confirm. From the US in July 2026, a $100 send costs $1.63 all-in and delivers about KES 12,842. Above about $300, Wise beats every other provider in this space including Sendwave.
The 3-step send flow
Step 1
Add funding source
Link a bank account for ACH (US), FPS (UK), or EFT (Canada) pull. All three are free and take 1-2 business days to verify the first time; subsequent pulls are near-instant. Alternatively, add a debit card (adds 0.5%). Avoid credit-card funding: it triggers a cash-advance fee of 1.5-3% on top of Wise's fee.
Step 2
Add the recipient and verify the M-PESA number
Enter the recipient's full name (matching their Kenyan National ID) and Safaricom number in +254 international format. Wise queries M-PESA Global and returns the registered account holder name, shown on the confirmation screen. Cross-check the name before you commit; sends are irreversible once released.
Step 3
Enter the amount, review the quote, confirm
Enter the amount in USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, or AUD. Wise shows the mid-market FX rate, the fixed fee (about $1.20 from the US), the variable fee (0.43% of amount), and the exact KES delivered. Tap Send. First send after bank verification takes an hour or so; subsequent sends complete in minutes.
Live comparison: what Wise delivers today
Wise is fetched live from api.wise.com. Enter your amount to see how Wise ranks against Sendwave, Remitly, WorldRemit, and NALA at today's live rates.
Live comparison
Wise is fetched live; other providers update from our quarterly verification cycle. Rankings refresh as you change the amount.
Currency: US Dollar
Cheapest right now
Wise delivers KES 64,188
Total cost: 0.87% of the send
| Provider | Net to M-PESA | vs cheapest | Total cost | Verified | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Wise minutes | KES 64,188 | - | 0.87% | 3mo ago | |
2 NALA minutes | KES 63,844 | -KES 344 | 1.40% | 3mo ago | |
3 Sendwave minutes | KES 63,779 | -KES 409 | 1.50% | 3mo ago | |
4 LemFi minutes | KES 63,779 | -KES 409 | 1.50% | 3mo ago | |
5 Remitly same day | KES 63,585 | -KES 603 | 1.80% | 3mo ago | |
6 TapTap Send minutes | KES 63,585 | -KES 603 | 1.80% | 3mo ago | |
7 WorldRemit minutes | KES 63,076 | -KES 1,112 | 2.59% | 3mo ago | |
8 Western Union minutes | KES 62,501 | -KES 1,686 | 3.47% | 3mo ago | |
9 PayPal (Xoom) minutes | KES 58,802 | -KES 5,386 | 9.19% | 3mo ago |
Wise: Mid-market FX + small fixed fee + 0.43% variable. Tightest FX margin in the market. (Live API unreachable, fallback model.)
NALA: East Africa specialist. Often cheapest on Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya corridors.
Sendwave: Zero flat fee, ~1.5% FX margin. Wins on small sends under $200.
LemFi: Strong UK and Canada corridor pricing. Often beats Wise on UK to KES small sends.
Remitly: Express (faster, more expensive) vs Economy (1-2 days, cheaper). We model Economy.
TapTap Send: Zero flat fee, FX margin around 1.8%. Wide EU coverage.
WorldRemit: Fixed transfer fee + ~2% FX margin. Broadest country coverage.
Western Union: Online (web/app) flat fee + ~2.5% margin. Agent cash costs more.
PayPal (Xoom): PayPal commercial fee + ~3.5% FX + 1.5% on-arrival cut. Structurally expensive.
Comparison engine ranks providers by net KES delivered (descending). Wise is fetched live from the public quote API; other providers reflect our quarterly verification. For a binding quote, open the provider directly. Affiliate links may earn paybillke a commission at no cost to you.
Worked $100 and $500 examples (July 2026)
Live-tested against the Wise app on 1 July 2026 with mid-market FX 128.99 KES/USD.
| Amount | Fixed fee | Variable fee | FX used | KES delivered | All-in % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $1.20 | $0.43 (0.43%) | 128.99 (mid-market) | KES 12,713 | 1.63% |
| $500 | $1.20 | $2.15 (0.43%) | 128.99 (mid-market) | KES 64,067 | 0.67% |
Wise uses actual mid-market FX (no FX margin), which is the single biggest differentiator on medium-to-large sends. Compare $500 on Sendwave: fee $0.49 + ~$4.95 FX margin = $5.44 all-in, roughly $2.09 more expensive than Wise on the same send.
When Wise is the cheapest
- Sends above $300: Wise's 0.43% variable fee scales more favourably than any flat-plus-margin competitor. On $1,000 sends Wise is typically 2x cheaper than Sendwave.
- Multi-currency needs: Wise Multi-Currency Account holds USD, KES, GBP, EUR in one place. Useful for diaspora with income in multiple currencies.
- Business sends and payroll: Wise Business supports batch payouts, invoicing, and API access. No other consumer-focused Kenya remittance provider matches the business rail.
- Property purchases and university fees: Above about $2,000, the Wise vs Sendwave delta widens to $15-30 per send.
Compare remittance
Compare Wise with the alternatives
Wise, Sendwave, Remitly, LemFi. Open two quotes side by side.
SW
Sendwave
Diaspora-Africa specialist. Often cheapest under $200.
Visit SendwaveLF
Lemfi
Strong UK-Kenya corridor, mobile-first app.
Visit LemfiWR
WorldRemit
Wider receive options including bank deposit and cash pickup.
Visit WorldRemitRE
Remitly
US-focused remittance with promotional FX for first transfers.
Visit RemitlyWU
Western Union
Legacy provider with the widest cash-pickup network for non-M-PESA family.
Visit Western UnionTT
TapTap Send
Africa-focused mobile app with fee-free transfers on many corridors.
Visit TapTap SendNL
NALA
East-Africa-focused app with strong UK and US corridor coverage.
Visit NALAMG
MoneyGram
Global legacy provider with deep cash-pickup network across Kenya.
Visit MoneyGramRM
Ria Money Transfer
Cash + digital, Walmart and many US retailers as sending points.
Visit Ria Money TransferCC
Chipper Cash
Pan-African app, originally peer-to-peer across Africa, now with diaspora sends.
Visit Chipper CashSK
Skrill
E-wallet first, used for international transfers and online betting payouts.
Visit SkrillSV
Sendvalu
Germany-based, EU-to-Africa corridors with cash-pickup partner network.
Visit SendvaluFAQ
How long does Wise to M-PESA take?
Under an hour for M-PESA delivery once funding clears. First-time ACH bank pull takes 1-2 business days to verify. Subsequent sends complete in minutes. Wise routes through M-PESA Global; the recipient sees an M-PESA Send Money SMS with no on-arrival step needed.
What does Wise to M-PESA cost right now?
From the US in July 2026: roughly $1.20 fixed plus 0.43% variable, applied to mid-market FX (128.99 KES/USD anchor). On a $100 send, that is $1.20 + $0.43 = $1.63 all-in, delivering about KES 12,842 to the recipient. Cost scales sub-linearly, so Wise gets cheaper as a percentage on larger sends.
How is Wise cheaper than a bank wire?
A US bank wire charges $25-45 flat plus a 2-3% FX margin. On a $500 send, that is $35 + $12 = about $47 all-in. Wise costs $1.20 + $2.15 = $3.35 all-in. Roughly 14x cheaper.
Can I fund Wise with a credit card?
Yes but avoid it. Credit-card funding adds 1.5 to 3% surcharge on top of the standard fee. Debit card adds 0.5% roughly. ACH bank pull is free and the cheapest funding method.
What information do I need about the recipient?
Their full legal name matching their Kenyan National ID, and their Safaricom phone number in +254 international format. Wise queries M-PESA Global for the registered name and displays it on the confirmation screen so you can catch typos before sending.
Does Wise support Airtel Money delivery to Kenya?
No, M-PESA only for Kenyan mobile-wallet delivery. Wise also supports direct deposit to any Kenyan bank account (KCB, Equity, Co-op, NCBA, Absa, DTB) as a fallback rail.
When is Wise cheaper than Sendwave?
Above roughly $300 per send. Below that, Sendwave's $0.49 flat fee undercuts Wise's percentage-based pricing. Above $300, Wise's tighter FX margin more than makes up for the higher fixed fee. See our /compare/wise-vs-sendwave page for the worked crossover.
Is my Wise transfer safe?
Yes. Wise is FCA-regulated in the UK, FinCEN-registered in the US, publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange (WISE.L), and holds customer funds in ring-fenced accounts separate from operating capital. In-flight transfers are traceable via the app; cancellation within 30 minutes of send is straightforward.
Wise
Mid-market FX, transparent fees. UK, US, EU, AU, CA.