M-Pesa Charges 2026: Full Sending and Withdrawal Tariffs (With Examples)

Sending KES 1,000 on M-Pesa to another M-Pesa number costs KES 13, and withdrawing KES 1,000 from an agent costs KES 29, under Safaricom's tariff schedule last updated 4 August 2026. Deposits, registration, buying airtime and checking your balance are free. Sending to an Airtel Money or T-Kash number costs exactly the same as sending to another M-Pesa number. Below is the full tariff, by amount, so you can work out any transaction before you send it — or run your numbers through our M-Pesa charges calculator.

How much does M-Pesa charge to send money?

Sending money on M-Pesa is free up to KES 100. Above that, the charge rises in bands, and — since Safaricom harmonised its tariffs — it costs exactly the same whether you're sending to another M-Pesa number or to a registered Airtel Money or T-Kash number.

Two things worth noticing. First, the charge caps at KES 108 once you're sending more than KES 20,000 — moving KES 50,000 in one go costs the same as moving KES 20,001. Second, splitting a transfer to dodge a fee band doesn't work: two separate transfers of KES 500 cost KES 7 each (KES 14 total), more than one transfer of KES 1,000 at KES 13. Send it in one go. This KES 108 cap is only for transfers within Kenya — sending to a Tanzanian number through Lipa na M-Pesa Pay Bill 255255 uses a separate tariff of KSh 3 to KSh 220, covered in our M-Pesa Tanzania charges guide.

Curious what you've paid in charges over the past months? Our M-Pesa statement analyzer totals them from your own statement.

How much does M-Pesa charge to withdraw cash?

Withdrawals from an M-Pesa agent follow their own bands, and you can't withdraw less than KES 50 at an agent at all.

Is it cheaper to withdraw at an ATM instead of an agent?

No, not under the current tariff. Safaricom's ATM withdrawal charges are either the same as an agent or more expensive, band for band:

Withdraw KES 5,000 at an agent and you pay KES 69, the same as at an ATM. Withdraw KES 15,000 at an agent and you pay KES 167; the same amount at an ATM falls in the 10,001–35,000 band at KES 203 — KES 36 more. ATMs are a backup for when an agent has no cash float or it's the middle of the night, not a way to save money, and they cap out at KES 35,000 per withdrawal against an agent's KES 250,000.

What does M-Pesa charge for Pochi la Biashara and Lipa na M-Pesa?

Paying a Pochi la Biashara merchant (the personal-wallet-as-till option many small traders use) is on a time-limited discount: free up to KES 200, then a reduced scale, for three months from 1 August 2026. Check the rate is still running before you rely on it — it's due to lapse around the end of October 2026.

If you run a Lipa na M-Pesa Buy Goods till, receiving payment is free up to KES 500, then a 0.55% merchant charge up to KES 36,363, and a flat KES 200 above that — the customer pays nothing either way. Moving money out of the till to your personal M-Pesa or to pay a paybill got cheaper from 7 August 2026, when Safaricom cut till-to-wallet and till-to-paybill charges by close to half, in a move it said aligned with the Central Bank of Kenya's pricing principles. If you're costing out a shop that'll run on a till, our mini-supermarket business plan guide has the fuller cost breakdown.

M-Pesa transaction limits in 2026

• Maximum single transaction: KES 250,000.
• Maximum daily transaction total: KES 500,000.
• Maximum M-Pesa account balance: KES 500,000.
• Minimum agent withdrawal: KES 50.

Need to move more than KES 250,000, or just pay less? Bank to bank, PesaLink sends up to KES 999,999 in one transfer, and KCB, Co-op Bank, NCBA and most other banks now charge a flat KES 20 for anything above KES 1,000. Check what your bank charges with our PesaLink charges calculator, or see how to use PesaLink to send by phone number.

What to watch out for

• Sent to the wrong number, paybill or till? You can self-reverse by forwarding the confirmation SMS to 456, but it isn't automatic — see our guide on reversing M-Pesa sent to the wrong number, paybill or till for what to do next and how long you have.
• Agents can't deposit into someone else's account. A cash deposit can only go into your own registered M-Pesa account — if an agent offers to deposit into a third party's number for you, that's against Safaricom's own rules and a common scam setup.
• Don't split transfers to save money. As shown above, two smaller transfers almost always cost more than one larger one.
• Getting paid from abroad? Fees change depending on the route your money takes before it lands in your M-Pesa wallet — see our guides on receiving payments via Payoneer and M-Pesa or withdrawing PayPal to M-Pesa.
• Paying a government bill through M-Pesa, like your SHIF/SHA contribution, uses the standard paybill charges above — there's no special discount for paying the taxman or a statutory fund.
• Paying a private medical insurance premium by paybill also uses the standard charges above — see what insurers actually charge for medical insurance in Kenya before you budget for the paybill fee on top.
• Short on funds when you need to send or pay? Fuliza covers the gap, but it comes with its own access fee and daily charges on top of the M-Pesa charges above — see how Fuliza charges work and why some limits sit at 0.

All the figures above are from Safaricom's own M-Pesa tariff page, published and last updated 4 August 2026, checked in October 2026, with the Pochi la Biashara promotion timeline corroborated by Standard Media's coverage of the August 2026 fee changes. Charges can change; if a figure here ever looks off, check Safaricom's tariff page directly or dial *234# and follow the tariff query option, and look for other guides for the rest of your money questions on our Kenya hub. M-Pesa outside Kenya is priced differently: in Lesotho, Vodacom's M-Pesa charges switch to a percentage above M5,000.

Frequently asked questions

How much does M-Pesa charge to send KES 1,000?

Sending KES 1,000 to another M-Pesa number, or to a registered Airtel Money or T-Kash number, costs KES 13 under the current tariff.

Is M-Pesa free to send below KES 100?

Yes. Any transfer of KES 100 or less is free, whether you're sending to an M-Pesa, Airtel Money or T-Kash number.

Does M-Pesa charge for deposits?

No. Depositing cash into your own M-Pesa account at an agent is free, as is registration, buying airtime through M-Pesa, checking your balance and changing your PIN.

Is it cheaper to withdraw from an ATM or an M-Pesa agent?

An M-Pesa agent is cheaper or the same price as an ATM at every amount, and agents let you withdraw up to KES 250,000 in one go against an ATM's KES 35,000 cap. Use an ATM only when there's no agent with enough cash float nearby.

What's the maximum amount I can send or hold on M-Pesa?

You can send up to KES 250,000 in a single transaction, up to KES 500,000 a day in total, and hold a maximum balance of KES 500,000 in your M-Pesa account.

How much is Pochi la Biashara in 2026?

Paying a Pochi la Biashara merchant is free up to KES 200, then rises in bands to a flat KES 50 for amounts above KES 2,500, under a promotion running for three months from 1 August 2026 — confirm it's still active before you rely on it.