Send money to Kenya — best service, by amount and corridor
Compare what your recipient receives in M-PESA after fees and FX margin across the major remittance services. Numbers update as you change the amount and corridor.
Best service for this corridor
Lemfi — recipient gets KES 16,335
£100 sent · total cost £165.00 (1.00%)
| Service | Recipient gets (KES) | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Lemfi | 16,335 | £165.00 (1.00%) |
| Sendwave | 16,302 | £198.00 (1.20%) |
| Wise | 16,171 | £329.16 (1.99%) |
| WorldRemit | 15,877 | £623.04 (3.78%) |
| Remitly | 15,647 | £852.80 (5.17%) |
| Western Union | 15,122 | £1377.75 (8.35%) |
| PayPal → Xoom | 15,119 | £1381.05 (8.37%) |
Estimates only. Real fees vary by amount, day, payment method (debit card vs bank transfer vs cash), and promotional rates. Always check the actual quote on the service's website before sending. Reference rate: £1 = KES 165.
How the calculator works
Each remittance service charges two things: a fee (sometimes flat, sometimes percentage) and an FX margin — the gap between the mid-market exchange rate and the rate they actually offer you. The combined cost is what determines how much your recipient gets in M-PESA.
We approximate the typical 2026 cost structure for each service. Real-world numbers vary by amount, day, payment method (card vs bank), and promotion. Always check the live quote on the service's website before you commit.
Why services differ
- Wise publishes its margin transparently and is usually competitive for amounts above £100. Best for users who care about exact mid-market rate.
- Sendwave charges no upfront fee but builds a margin into the FX rate. Often best for small amounts (under £50).
- WorldRemit sits in the middle on cost. Strong network for cash-pickup and bank-deposit options if recipient doesn't have M-PESA.
- Lemfi (formerly Lemonade Finance) is competitive for the UK-Kenya corridor. Often matches or beats Wise on fees for £200-£500 transfers.
- Remitly offers an "Express" (faster, more expensive) and "Economy" (slower, cheaper) tier. Numbers above are for Economy.
- Western Union is the most expensive but has the widest physical sender network — useful when sending from cash, not from a bank account.
- PayPal → Xoom uses PayPal's own remittance arm. Generally mid-priced. Useful if you already have a PayPal balance to send from.