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Wise
Mid-market FX, transparent fees. UK, US, EU, AU, CA.
Visit WiseLive-tested July 2026
Remitly to M-PESA: Express vs Economy, first-transfer promo
Remitly runs a two-tier product uncommon in the Kenya remittance space. Express delivers in minutes at higher cost. Economy delivers in 1-3 days at lower cost. On top of both, the first-transfer promotional FX often beats mid-market, making Remitly the cheapest option for anyone signing up new. This guide walks through the send flow, both tiers, and when Remitly is genuinely the best choice.
Express vs Economy: pick your tier
Express
Minutes to M-PESA
$2.99 to $9.99 flat fee plus a slightly wider FX margin. Delivers to the recipient wallet in under 30 minutes 95% of the time. Use for urgent sends: medical emergencies, funeral logistics, time-sensitive school-fee deadlines.
Economy
1 to 3 business days
Often zero fee plus a 1.5-2.5% FX margin. Delivery takes 1 to 3 business days because Remitly batches these through cheaper settlement rails. Use for non-urgent recurring transfers where cost matters more than speed.
The 3-step send flow
Step 1
Sign up and add funding
Download Remitly from the App Store or Google Play. Sign up with your US phone number. Complete identity verification (SSN last four plus date of birth). Add a funding source: US bank account (ACH pull), debit card, or credit card. Uniquely, Remitly Economy accepts credit-card funding at no extra surcharge, useful if that is your only funding option.
Step 2
Add the recipient and choose tier
Enter the recipient's full name matching their Kenyan National ID, and Safaricom phone number in +254 international format. Remitly shows the M-PESA-registered name on the confirmation screen. At checkout, choose Express (faster, costlier) or Economy (slower, cheaper). Both deliver directly to M-PESA.
Step 3
Enter amount, review, confirm
Enter the USD amount. Remitly shows the FX rate (promotional for first-time users, standard for repeat), the fee, and the exact KES delivered. First-time promotional FX often beats mid-market by 2-4%. Tap Send. Express lands in minutes; Economy in 1-3 business days.
Live comparison: what Remitly delivers today
Remitly Economy figures shown in the ranked table. First-time senders will see a better rate than the model here reflects; the promo is per-account and cannot be modelled reliably.
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
NALA delivers KES 12,769
Total cost: 1.40% of the send
| Provider | Net to M-PESA | vs cheapest | Total cost | Verified | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 NALA minutes | KES 12,769 | - | 1.40% | 4mo ago | |
2 Sendwave minutes | KES 12,756 | -KES 13 | 1.50% | 4mo ago | |
3 LemFi minutes | KES 12,756 | -KES 13 | 1.50% | 4mo ago | |
4 Remitly same day | KES 12,717 | -KES 52 | 1.80% | 4mo ago | |
5 TapTap Send minutes | KES 12,717 | -KES 52 | 1.80% | 4mo ago | |
6 Wise minutes | KES 12,713 | -KES 55 | 1.83% | 3mo ago | |
7 WorldRemit minutes | KES 12,312 | -KES 457 | 4.93% | 4mo ago | |
8 Western Union minutes | KES 11,996 | -KES 772 | 7.37% | 4mo ago | |
9 PayPal (Xoom) minutes | KES 11,731 | -KES 1,038 | 9.41% | 4mo ago |
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.
Wise: Mid-market FX + small fixed fee + 0.43% variable. Tightest FX margin in the market. (Live API unreachable, fallback model.)
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)
| Amount | Tier | Fee | KES delivered | All-in % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | Economy (repeat) | $0 | KES 12,717 | 1.80% |
| $100 | Economy (first-transfer promo) | $0 | KES ~12,850 | ~0.9% |
| $100 | Express | $2.99 | KES 12,325 | 4.5% |
| $500 | Economy (repeat) | $0 | KES 63,585 | 1.4% |
First-transfer promo can flip the ranking versus Wise for a single send. After that, Wise typically wins on medium-to-large sends and Sendwave on small recurring sends.
Compare remittance
Try Remitly alongside the alternatives
Sign up for the first-transfer promo, then compare on repeat sends.
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
What is the difference between Remitly Express and Economy?
Express delivers to M-PESA within minutes at a higher cost (about $2.99-9.99 fee plus a wider FX margin). Economy delivers in 1 to 3 business days at lower cost (zero fee on many corridors plus 1.5-2.5% FX margin). Pick Express for urgent sends, Economy for non-urgent.
How does the Remitly first-transfer promo work?
New US-Kenya customers routinely get a promotional FX rate on their first send that beats mid-market. The offer varies but is often 3-5 percent better than the standard Remitly rate, effectively making the first send cheaper than Wise. After that, standard Remitly Economy pricing applies.
What does Remitly Economy cost right now?
From the US in July 2026: often zero flat fee on Economy plus 1.5-2.5% FX margin. On a $100 send that is about $1.50-2.50 all-in, delivering roughly KES 12,750-12,850 to M-PESA. Cheaper than Wise on the first transfer thanks to the promo, comparable on repeat sends.
How do I fund a Remitly transfer?
US: ACH bank pull, debit card, or credit card. Credit-card funding on Economy is free (no surcharge), which is unusual and useful. UK: FPS bank transfer or debit. Canada: Interac e-Transfer or debit.
What information do I need about the recipient?
Full legal name matching their Kenyan National ID, and Safaricom phone number in +254 international format. Remitly queries M-PESA Global for the registered name and shows it on confirmation.
Can I schedule recurring Remitly transfers?
Yes. Remitly supports recurring transfers with saved recipient details and one-tap send. Useful for monthly family-support patterns.
When is Remitly the cheapest?
On the first transfer, almost always. The promotional FX plus fee waiver typically beats Wise, Sendwave, and every other provider for a new customer. Beyond the first send, Wise wins on medium-to-large sends, Sendwave on small recurring sends. Remitly Economy is competitive but rarely the outright cheapest.
Is Remitly safe?
Yes. Remitly is NASDAQ-listed (ticker RELY), FinCEN-registered in the US, FCA-regulated in the UK, and licensed in every market it operates in. Founded 2011, well-established with mature dispute resolution.
Remitly
US-focused remittance with promotional FX for first transfers.