WI
Wise
Mid-market FX, transparent fees. UK, US, EU, AU, CA.
Visit WiseLive-tested July 2026
WorldRemit fees: $1.99-4.99 + 1-2% FX margin
WorldRemit costs more per send than its Zepz sibling Sendwave, but the premium buys four delivery rails (M-PESA, bank, cash pickup, airtime) instead of one. If you need M-PESA only, use Sendwave. If you need optional cash pickup or bank deposit as a fallback, the extra 3 percentage points on WorldRemit are the price of that flexibility.
Worked examples (July 2026)
| Amount | Rail | Fee | KES delivered | All-in % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | M-PESA | $1.99 | KES 12,312 | 4.93% |
| $100 | Bank deposit | $2.49 | KES 12,258 | 5.36% |
| $100 | Cash pickup | $3.99 | KES 12,102 | 6.57% |
| $500 | M-PESA | $3.99 | KES 62,918 | 2.40% |
| $500 | Cash pickup | $4.99 | KES 62,689 | 2.76% |
Compare live
Ranked against Wise, Sendwave, Remitly, and NALA at today's 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
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.
When WorldRemit is worth it
- Recipient without M-PESA: Rare but happens. WorldRemit's cash pickup at 3,000+ agents is unmatched by Sendwave.
- Non-US sender in a niche corridor: WorldRemit covers 150+ sender countries; Sendwave covers ~40. If you send from Sweden, Norway, or Italy, WorldRemit is the sibling option.
- Airtime top-up specifically: WorldRemit supports direct airtime credits to a Kenyan SIM; Sendwave does not.
- Bank deposit at niche Kenyan banks: DTB, Family Bank, and smaller banks that Sendwave may not support directly.
Compare remittance
Try WorldRemit for its multi-rail flexibility
Four delivery rails in one app: M-PESA, bank, cash pickup, airtime.
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 much does WorldRemit cost to Kenya in 2026?
From the US: $1.99-4.99 fee (tier by amount) plus 1-2% FX margin. On a $100 M-PESA send, about $4-5 all-in. On a $500 send, about $7-9 all-in. More than Sendwave for M-PESA-only, but competitive when you need the multi-rail flexibility.
Are fees different per delivery rail?
Slightly. M-PESA delivery is the cheapest rail, bank deposit adds ~$0.50, cash pickup adds ~$1-2 (agent processing). Airtime top-up is priced per amount. The FX margin is the same across all rails.
Does WorldRemit run promotional pricing?
Yes, first-transfer promotions on new customer signups, seasonal offers around Christmas and Kenyan school-fee cycles. Value is smaller than Remitly promos.
How does WorldRemit compare to Sendwave on fees?
Both are Zepz-owned. Sendwave charges $0.49 flat + ~1% FX for M-PESA-only. WorldRemit charges $1.99-4.99 + 1-2% FX for M-PESA plus 3 fallback rails. On M-PESA-only sends, Sendwave is 3-3.5 percentage points cheaper.
Are there monthly or account fees?
No. Per-send only, no subscription or balance requirement.
Is cash pickup safe in Kenya?
Yes, at licensed agents (Postbank, Family Bank, and other partners). Recipient shows Kenyan National ID matching the sender-provided name. Agent verifies against the WorldRemit reference code.
WorldRemit
Wider receive options including bank deposit and cash pickup.