EcoCash Charges 2026: Sending, Cash-Out and IMTT in USD and ZiG

EcoCash charges 1.3% to send US dollars to another EcoCash wallet, plus 2% IMTT (Intermediated Money Transfer Tax), so sending US$100 costs US$3.30 in total. Cashing out US dollars costs 1.7%: US$1.70 on US$100. In ZiG, sending costs 1.3% (1.4% above ZWG 1,000) plus 1.5% IMTT. Transfers of US$5 or less, or ZWG 127.95 or less, are free of both. These are EcoCash's regulated tariffs as published on EcoCash's tariff page, checked in October 2026.

EcoCash charges at a glance (2026)

Some 2026 guides still quote a 3.5% send fee for USD. That figure isn't on EcoCash's own tariff table. The USD send fee has been 1.3% since January 2023, when The Herald reported the same US$3.30 total for sending US$100.

EcoCash charges for sending money in USD

Sending US dollars to another EcoCash wallet costs EcoCash's 1.3% fee plus the government's 2% IMTT, a total of 3.3% on anything from US$5.01 up to US$500. Sends of US$5 or less carry no fee and no tax.

The official tariff stops at US$500 for USD sends. For larger amounts, a bank transfer is usually the better route anyway.

EcoCash cash-out charges

Cashing out US dollars at an EcoCash agent costs 1.7% of the amount, with no IMTT. The tariff covers cash-outs up to US$500.

What it really costs to send cash to someone. Say you send US$100 to your mother in Gweru so she can buy groceries in cash. You pay US$3.30 to send it, and she pays US$1.70 to cash it out. That's US$5.00 gone, 5% of the money. Paying the shop by EcoCash instead doesn't help: a USD merchant payment costs 2% plus 2% IMTT, which is 4%, more than the 1.7% cash-out. If the shop takes cash at the same price, cashing out is the cheaper way to spend it.

EcoCash's table lists no tariff for cashing out ZiG at an agent. If you need ZiG notes, ask the agent or your bank before you count on it.

EcoCash ZiG (ZWG) charges for sending money

Sending ZiG costs nothing up to ZWG 127.95. Above that, EcoCash charges 1.3% up to ZWG 1,000 and 1.4% from ZWG 1,000.01 to ZWG 8,000, plus 1.5% IMTT.

The ZiG send costs 2.8%–2.9% in total, against 3.3% in US dollars. That half-point gap is the IMTT difference: 1.5% on ZiG against 2% on USD since January 2026.

What is the IMTT on EcoCash, and when do you pay it?

The Intermediated Money Transfer Tax (IMTT) is a government tax on electronic transfers, collected by EcoCash and the banks for the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA). In 2026 it is 2% on US dollar transactions and 1.5% on ZiG transactions. The ZiG rate was cut from 2% to 1.5% in January 2026, while foreign-currency transfers stayed at 2%, as Mushoriwa Moyo's 2026 tax changes summary records.

On EcoCash, IMTT applies to:

• Sending money to another EcoCash wallet
• Merchant and bill payments
• ZIPIT transfers to banks and other wallets
• Mastercard and EIP payments
• Buying airtime above US$5 (or ZWG 127.95)

It does not apply to cash-ins, agent cash-outs, diaspora cash-outs, wallet-to-bank transfers or bank-to-wallet transfers, according to EcoCash's tariff table. Transactions of US$5 or ZWG 127.95 and below are exempt.

A cut may be coming. On 20 October 2026, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said "consideration is in progress to further reduce IMTT", New Zimbabwe reported via AllAfrica. No new rate or date has been announced. Until one is, the 2% and 1.5% rates above apply. Our IMTT guide covers which transactions are exempt and how businesses can now deduct it.

EcoCash to bank, ZIPIT and Mastercard charges

• Wallet to bank: 1.5%, capped at US$20 (ZWG 512), with no IMTT. Moving US$500 to your own bank account costs US$7.50.
• ZIPIT to a bank or another mobile wallet (through the national ZIPIT switch): 2.99% plus IMTT. Sending US$100 this way costs US$4.99, the most expensive way to move money in the table.
• Bank to wallet: free.
• EcoCash Mastercard and EIP payments: 1.5% (capped at US$20 or ZWG 512) plus IMTT. Paying for foreign online services with the card also attracts a 15.5% digital services tax, per EcoCash's tariff notes.

If you're moving money to your own bank account, use the wallet-to-bank option, not ZIPIT. At US$100, the difference is US$1.50 against US$4.99.

Small fees people forget

EcoCash's non-regulated tariffs add small charges for information:

Checking your EcoCash balance is free, but checking "last 5 transactions" every day costs about US$4 a month.

Money from abroad: the free diaspora cash-out

If a relative abroad sends money into your EcoCash wallet through one of EcoCash's international remittance partners, cashing it out is free up to US$5,000. This is the only cash-out on the table with no charge at all. Compare remittance apps on fees and exchange rates before choosing one; our guide to the cheapest ways to send money to Africa from the UK or US shows how to compare them. If you freelance, note that PayPal can't pay out to EcoCash; see PayPal in Zimbabwe for what works instead.

How to cut your EcoCash charges

1. Keep small payments at US$5 or under where you can. Sending US$5 costs nothing. Sending US$5.01 costs US$0.17.
2. Use ZiG for local transfers when the other side accepts it. You pay 1.5% IMTT instead of 2%.
3. For big shop purchases, compare cash with EcoCash. A USD merchant payment costs 4% with IMTT. Cashing out costs 1.7%, so if the price is the same in cash, cash wins.
4. Use wallet-to-bank, not ZIPIT, for your own bank account. It's 1.5% with no tax against 2.99% plus tax.
5. Check the fee on the confirmation screen. EcoCash shows the charge before you enter your PIN, and the official tariff calculator works out any amount.

What to watch out for

• Old tariff screenshots. WhatsApp groups still circulate charts from before the January 2026 IMTT change, and some show a 3.5% send fee that isn't on EcoCash's table.
• Agents charging extra. EcoCash's cash-out fee is regulated. An agent asking for an extra "commission" in cash is charging you twice.
• Fake EcoCash agents and reversal scams. EcoCash will never ask for your PIN. A caller saying they "sent money by mistake" and asking you to send it back is a classic scam: check your actual balance first, not the SMS.
• The ZiG/USD wallet mix-up. Your EcoCash line has separate USD and ZiG wallets. Make sure you're sending from the right one.

Mobile money works differently in each country. In Zambia, the government levy is a flat amount per band, not a percentage; see Airtel Money charges in Zambia. Uganda's 0.5% tax hits withdrawals instead of sends, as our breakdown of MTN MoMo and Airtel Money charges in Uganda shows. And if you want to know what comes off a salary before it reaches your wallet, see ZIMRA's PAYE tax tables for 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much does EcoCash charge to send US$100?

US$3.30 in total: EcoCash's 1.3% fee (US$1.30) plus the 2% IMTT (US$2.00). If the recipient then cashes it out, they pay another US$1.70.

How much does it cost to cash out US$100 on EcoCash?

US$1.70, which is 1.7% of the amount. There is no IMTT on cash-outs. Money received from abroad through EcoCash's diaspora service can be cashed out free up to US$5,000.

Is IMTT charged on EcoCash cash-out?

No. EcoCash's tariff table shows no IMTT on cash-in, cash-out, diaspora cash-out, wallet-to-bank or bank-to-wallet transactions. IMTT applies to sends, merchant and bill payments, ZIPIT transfers and card payments.

What is the IMTT rate in Zimbabwe in 2026?

2% on US dollar transactions and 1.5% on ZiG transactions. The ZiG rate was cut from 2% in January 2026. The Finance Minister said in October 2026 that a further cut is under consideration, but no new rate has been set.

Is there a free amount on EcoCash?

Yes. Sends and payments of US$5 or less (ZWG 127.95 or less in ZiG) carry no EcoCash fee and no IMTT. Cash-ins, bank-to-wallet transfers and EcoCash balance checks are always free.

Is there an EcoCash charges calculator?

Yes. EcoCash's official tariff calculator works out the fee for any amount, currency and transaction type. The tables above cover the common amounts, so you can check what you'll pay before you send.