Pay I&M from Canada
How to send CAD from Canada to I&M M-PESA paybill 542542 in 2026 — recommended services, real cost, and the cleanest route end-to-end.
Sending C$200 from Canada to I&M
A typical transfer at C$200 via Wise breaks down roughly as:
| You send | C$200 |
| Wise fee + FX margin (typical) | ~C$2.90 |
| Recipient's M-PESA balance lands at | ~KES 18,668 |
| M-PESA paybill fee to I&M | ~KES 62 |
| I&M receives | ~KES 18,606 |
Estimates only. Real costs vary by amount, payment method, and provider promotions. Try our diaspora calculator for live comparison across 7 services.
Recommended remittance services from Canada
The CAD-KES corridor is one of the better-served in the world. These are the providers consistently delivering the lowest combined cost (fee + FX margin) for transfers to a Kenyan M-PESA in 2026:
- Wise — see our Canada diaspora hub for full provider notes and sender-specific tips.
- Lemfi — see our Canada diaspora hub for full provider notes and sender-specific tips.
- Remitly — see our Canada diaspora hub for full provider notes and sender-specific tips.
- WorldRemit — see our Canada diaspora hub for full provider notes and sender-specific tips.
Step-by-step: CAD → I&M paybill
- Open your remittance app. Wise is the typical first choice from Canada. Sign up if you don't already have an account — KYC takes 5-10 minutes for a Canada resident.
- Choose "Send to Kenya" → "M-PESA". Enter the recipient's registered Safaricom phone number (yours, if you're paying your own paybill).
- Enter the amount. The app shows you the mid-market rate, the provider's rate, and the fee. Confirm.
- Pay with bank transfer or debit card. Bank transfer (ACH/Faster Payments) is usually 1-2% cheaper than card, but slower.
- Funds arrive in M-PESA within minutes. The recipient receives an SMS notification.
- Pay I&M: Open M-PESA → Lipa na M-PESA → Pay Bill → enter 542542. Account: the recipient's i&m bank account number.. Enter the amount and PIN.
Total elapsed time from Canada app to I&M confirmation: typically 5-15 minutes.
Canada-specific note
Wise is the standard for CAD-KES — competitive FX and clear fees. Use the Canadian Wise app, not the website (the app supports Interac).
See our full Canada diaspora guide for additional country-specific tips and the broader corridor context.
Other paybills Kenyans pay from Canada
The most-paid paybills from this corridor: family support, university fees, KPLC and SHA.
FAQ
Can I pay I&M directly from Canada without M-PESA?
For some paybills (banks, government services), an international SWIFT wire is possible but expensive — bank fees of C$25-50 plus a 2-3% FX margin on the receiving bank. The M-PESA route via a remittance service is almost always cheaper for amounts under C$10,000.
Do I need a Kenyan M-PESA account to send from Canada?
Not your own. The remittance service sends funds to any registered Safaricom M-PESA number — yours, a relative's, or the recipient's. Whoever receives the funds then pays paybill 542542 from their M-PESA.
What's the time-zone consideration from Canada?
7-10 hours behind Kenya depending on Canadian time zone matters mainly for customer support — both yours (during Canada business hours) and Kenyan (M-PESA support is 24/7 but agent and merchant support depends on Kenyan business hours). Transfers themselves are 24/7.
What is the I&M paybill number?
542542. Use the recipient's i&m bank account number.