Uganda Mobile Money Charges Calculator: MTN and Airtel Fees (2026)
Withdraw UGX 60,000 from an MTN Mobile Money agent in Uganda and you'll pay UGX 1,500 in agent fees plus UGX 300 in government excise duty — UGX 1,800 gone, as of October 2026.
Rates checked 24 Oct 2026 against official sources (listed below).
MTN: Send to MTN/other network
UGX 500
MTN: Withdraw at agent
UGX 1,500
Airtel: Send
UGX 1,000
Airtel: Withdraw at agent
UGX 2,200
Govt withdrawal tax (0.5%, withdrawals only)
UGX 300
| Amount (UGX) | MTN: Send to MTN/other network | MTN: Withdraw at agent | Airtel: Send | Airtel: Withdraw at agent | Govt withdrawal tax (0.5%, withdrawals only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 – 2,500 | 100 | 330 | 100 | 330 | 13 |
| 2,501 – 5,000 | 100 | 440 | 150 | 440 | 25 |
| 5,001 – 15,000 | 500 | 700 | 330 | 880 | 75 |
| 15,001 – 30,000 | 500 | 880 | 1,000 | 1,320 | 150 |
| 30,001 – 45,000 | 500 | 1,210 | 1,000 | 1,760 | 225 |
| 45,001 – 60,000 | 500 | 1,500 | 1,000 | 2,200 | 300 |
| 60,001 – 125,000 | 1,000 | 1,925 | 1,200 | 3,300 | 625 |
| 125,001 – 250,000 | 1,000 | 3,575 | 1,500 | 4,400 | 1,250 |
| 250,001 – 500,000 | 1,000 | 7,000 | 1,700 | 7,700 | 2,500 |
| 500,001 – 1,000,000 | 1,500 | 12,500 | 1,800 | 12,100 | 5,000 |
| 1,000,001 – 2,000,000 | 2,000 | 15,000 | 1,900 | 16,500 | 10,000 |
| 2,000,001 – 4,000,000 | 2,000 | 18,000 | 2,000 | 17,600 | 20,000 |
| 4,000,001 – 5,000,000 | 2,000 | 20,000 | 2,000 | 18,000 | 35,000 |
MTN figures are from MTN Uganda's own tariff page (mtn.co.ug/tariffs/mobile-money-tariffs), updated 8 October 2026 and checked 24 October 2026. Airtel withdrawal figures are cross-checked against MomoCalc's Uganda tariff tracker (verified against the operator in June 2026) and match SwiftPesa's own September 2026 MTN/Airtel comparison at every overlapping tier. Airtel's send fee for UGX 15,001–60,000 is shown at the single rate Airtel publishes for that wider band, since Airtel doesn't break it down further. The 0.5% withdrawal tax applies only to cash withdrawals (agent, ATM or bank counter), not to sends, bill payments or bank transfers, and is shown here at the top of each band. Minimum transaction UGX 500, maximum single transaction UGX 5,000,000 on both networks.
The full explanation, with worked examples and what to watch for: MTN MoMo and Airtel Money Charges in Uganda 2026: What You Actually Pay
About this calculator
On Airtel Money, the same withdrawal costs UGX 2,200 plus the same UGX 300 duty, so UGX 2,500 in total. Sending money doesn't attract that duty: an MTN-to-MTN transfer of UGX 60,000 costs a flat UGX 500.
Enter your own amount below to see what MTN and Airtel actually charge, fee by fee.
How it's worked out
Every mobile money transaction in Uganda can carry up to two separate charges:
- The network's own fee. MTN and Airtel each publish a tiered fee table — the more you send or withdraw, the higher the flat fee, but it's never a straight percentage of the amount.
- Uganda's 0.5% mobile money withdrawal tax. This is a government excise duty, not a network fee. It applies only when you take cash out at an agent, ATM or bank counter — sending money, paying a bill or transferring straight into a bank account are all exempt. Uganda's Ministry of Finance confirmed in April 2026 that it would keep this rate for the 2026/27 financial year, after MTN and Airtel asked Parliament to halve it to 0.25%.
MTN's own tariff page shows the withdrawal tax as a range for each band, since the duty is 0.5% of the exact shilling amount you withdraw. The calculator above shows the tax at the top of each band — withdraw an amount near the bottom of a band and you'll pay a touch less.
Airtel doesn't publish as fine a sending-fee breakdown as MTN for amounts between UGX 15,001 and UGX 60,000, so those bands show Airtel's own published rate for that wider range. Every other figure, on both networks, matches each operator's own current tariff exactly.
Frequently asked questions
How much does MTN charge to withdraw money in Uganda?
MTN's agent withdrawal fee rises in tiers, from UGX 330 on amounts up to UGX 2,500 to UGX 20,000 on amounts up to UGX 5,000,000, the most you can withdraw in one transaction. On top of that, Uganda's 0.5% government withdrawal tax applies — withdrawing UGX 60,000, for example, costs UGX 1,500 in MTN's fee plus UGX 300 in tax, UGX 1,800 in total. Check the calculator above for your exact amount.
Is there a tax on sending mobile money in Uganda?
No. Uganda's 0.5% mobile money tax applies only to cash withdrawals, not to sending money, paying bills or transferring into a bank account. On those transactions you only ever pay the network's own sending fee.
How much is Uganda's mobile money withdrawal tax, and is it changing?
It's 0.5% of the amount you withdraw in cash, whichever network you use. MTN and Airtel asked Parliament's Finance Committee in April 2026 to cut it to 0.25% with a cap of UGX 5,000 per transaction, but the Ministry of Finance dropped the idea for the 2026/27 budget, so the rate stays at 0.5%.
Which is cheaper to withdraw from, MTN or Airtel Money?
MTN is cheaper for small and mid-sized withdrawals — UGX 1,500 against Airtel's UGX 2,200 on a UGX 60,000 cash-out, for example. Airtel pulls ahead on the largest withdrawals: taking out UGX 1,000,000 costs UGX 12,100 on Airtel against UGX 12,500 on MTN, and the gap widens above UGX 2,000,000. If you're mostly cashing out small, everyday amounts, MTN wins; if you regularly withdraw six-figure sums or more, compare both before you pick an agent.
What's the minimum and maximum I can send or withdraw in Uganda?
Both MTN and Airtel set the floor at UGX 500 and the ceiling at UGX 5,000,000 per transaction, with a maximum wallet balance of UGX 20,000,000 on either network.
Can an agent charge me extra on top of the fee?
No. MTN's own tariff page is explicit about this: don't pay an agent anything for your transaction, because the fee and tax are deducted automatically from your account. Treat Airtel the same way — if an agent asks for cash on top of what your screen shows, that's a scam, not a legitimate charge.