M-PESA in Kenya: charges, limits, reversal, and everything else
M-PESA is Safaricom's mobile-money service and the payment rail most of Kenya runs on. In FY26 it processed 46.4 billion transactions for 40.99 million active customers (Source: Safaricom PLC Annual Report FY2026). If you want a specific answer, jump into a card below; if you want the network view, this hub links to every M-PESA answer, calculator, and paybill on paybillke.
M-PESA is CBK-authorized to issue, process, store, send and facilitate mobile money payments (licensed since 1 January 2016). See Safaricom in the CBK PSP directory.
Quick actions
Look up any paybill
Search the verified directory of Kenyan paybills, banks, KRA, KPLC, water, schools, SACCOs, SHIF, betting. Every entry shows the account-number format and last-verified date.
Calculate an M-PESA fee
Enter an amount and pick send, withdraw, paybill or buy goods. The calculator returns the exact Safaricom fee for the current 2026 tariff, no logins.
Reverse a wrong transaction
Forward the confirmation SMS to 456 or dial the reversal short-code. The step-by-step page covers eligibility windows, exact wording, and what Safaricom will and will not reverse.
Read the 2026 charges
The current tariff table for send, withdraw, paybill, buy goods, and the KES 100 free-tier band. Verified against Safaricom's live 2026 tariff and cross-checked at bands.
Check transaction limits
Per-transaction, daily wallet, and business-account limits for M-PESA 2026. Includes M-PESA Global and Pochi la Biashara caps, plus the increase-limit workflow.
USSD code cheat sheet
Every *334#, *234#, *456# and short-code menu written out. Bookmark this if you use feature phones or want the fastest path to a specific M-PESA action.
Register for M-PESA
What you need at an M-PESA agent, ID requirements, minor accounts, and the SIM-registration steps. Also covers reactivating a dormant M-PESA line.
Get your statement
How to pull an M-PESA statement over USSD, from the app, or via the emailed PDF with a longer history. Includes the reset flow for a forgotten statement password.
What M-PESA can do
Eight intents cover the vast majority of what people use M-PESA for. Route to the dedicated page for each, do not read the how-to here.
Send and receive money
Person-to-person M-PESA transfers use the send-money menu (*334# > Send Money) or the app. Same-network transfers within 1 minute; the SMS confirmation is your receipt.
Pay a bill
Paybills are the standard way to pay utilities, tax, school fees and SHIF. Enter the business number and the account number Safaricom requires.
Buy from a business
Tills (Buy Goods) are for one-off purchases at a shop, restaurant or stall. There is no account number, only the till number and the amount.
Borrow
Fuliza for same-transaction shortfalls. M-Shwari and KCB M-PESA for larger balances. Ziidi for investment-linked lending. Each has its own limit and interest logic.
Save or invest
Ziidi is the 2025-launched savings and unit-trust product inside M-PESA. M-Shwari is the older lock-and-save option. Both sit on the same M-PESA account.
Withdraw cash
Withdraw at any M-PESA agent, ATM (Safaricom-integrated banks), or a Buy Goods that supports cashback. Withdrawal fees are the largest single revenue line in the tariff.
Reverse a mistake
If you sent to the wrong number, forward the confirmation SMS to 456 immediately. Reversal windows and success rates depend on whether the recipient has already withdrawn.
Register
Walk into any M-PESA agent with your national ID. Registration is free. Foreign residents use a passport plus KRA PIN, subject to Safaricom KYC.
The six M-PESA products
M-PESA is not one product, it is a family. Here is the honest map of what each one is, who underwrites it, and where the deeper answer lives on paybillke.
| Product | What it does | Underwriter or partner | Deeper page |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-PESA (personal) | Send, receive, pay bills, buy from tills, withdraw cash. The base wallet. | Safaricom PLC | Charges 2026 |
| Fuliza | Automatic overdraft when your M-PESA balance is short of the transaction. Daily access fee, not interest. | Safaricom with KCB and NCBA | Fuliza hub |
| M-Shwari | Lock-and-save plus micro-loans up to a personal limit, repaid in 30 days at a fixed fee. | NCBA Bank | M-Shwari review |
| KCB M-PESA | Save and borrow in one product, higher limits than M-Shwari for users with a KCB history. | KCB Bank | KCB M-PESA review |
| Ziidi | Investment-linked savings inside M-PESA, launched 2025. Funds allocated across unit trusts run by licensed fund managers. | Safaricom with Sanlam, Standard Investment Bank, and ALA Capital | Ziidi explained |
| M-PESA Global | Send and receive across borders. Inbound from PayPal, Western Union, and partner banks; outbound to a growing list of corridors. | Safaricom with global remittance partners | M-PESA Global |
M-PESA at a glance, FY26
Every figure below is from the Safaricom PLC Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2026. For deeper analysis with CAK and CBK cross-checks see the Kenya mobile money statistics 2026 reference.
46.4B
M-PESA transactions in FY26
KShs 41.68T
Value processed in FY26
40.99M
One-month-active customers
333,011
M-PESA agents nationwide
3.13M
M-PESA merchants
57.8%
Share of transactions on the free tier
Source: Safaricom PLC Annual Report FY2026.
FAQ
Short teasers only. Each answer routes to the ranking page for that question.
What is M-PESA?
M-PESA is Safaricom's mobile-money service, launched in Kenya in 2007. You send, receive, save, borrow, and pay bills from your phone. It processed 46.4 billion transactions in FY26. Full backgrounder: /guides/m-pesa-history.
Is M-PESA safe?
Yes for normal use, but the risk is user error and scams (fake reversal calls, wrong-paybill impersonation, SIM-swap). Every send is PIN-protected and reversible within Safaricom rules. See /guides/mpesa-scams-2026 and /guides/hakikisha-mpesa-explained.
How do I reverse a wrong M-PESA transaction?
Forward the confirmation SMS to 456 within minutes, or dial *456# and follow the reversal menu. Do not send an SMS to the recipient asking them to return the money. Full flow: /guides/how-to-reverse-mpesa-transaction.
What are M-PESA charges in 2026?
Fees are banded by amount and split across send, withdraw, paybill, and buy goods, with a 57.8% free tier on small payments. The current tariff table and worked examples: /guides/mpesa-charges-2026.
How much can I send on M-PESA?
Per-transaction and daily wallet limits are set by Safaricom and updated periodically. The band table, business account differences, and the M-PESA Global limits: /guides/mpesa-transaction-limits-2026.
Does M-PESA work abroad?
Yes, via M-PESA Global. You can send to select international corridors and receive from PayPal, Western Union and partner banks. Country coverage and fees: /guides/m-pesa-global.
What is the M-PESA app?
The M-PESA app (rebuilt in 2026) is the smartphone alternative to *334#. It shows your statement, runs Fuliza and M-Shwari, and holds Pochi la Biashara. New-app tour: /guides/new-mpesa-app-2026.
Is my phone eligible for M-PESA?
Any Safaricom SIM with a registered ID works over USSD (*334#). Android and iOS get the app. Feature phones get the SIM Toolkit menu. Registration steps: /guides/how-to-register-for-mpesa-2026.
How do businesses use M-PESA?
Businesses accept payments through a Till (Buy Goods), a Paybill, or Pochi la Biashara, and reconcile via Daraja API or statements. The full business route into M-PESA: /business.
Where can I find a paybill number?
Every verified Kenyan paybill (banks, KRA, KPLC, water, schools, SACCOs, betting, SHIF) is in the directory with the account-number format and last-verified date: /paybills.
How do I borrow on M-PESA?
Fuliza covers same-transaction shortfalls. M-Shwari and KCB M-PESA lend against savings or credit score. Ziidi is the newer investment-linked account. Full comparison: /guides/mpesa-loans-compared-2026.
How do I get my M-PESA statement?
Dial *334#, choose My Account, then M-PESA Statement, or request the full PDF from the app. Longer-history statements come by email after ID verification. Full walkthrough: /guides/download-mpesa-statement.