M-Pesa global is a service that enables M-Pesa registered customers to send and receive money globally. The introduction of M-Pesa Global has seen registered customers have the ability to send and receive money from abroad directly into their Mpesa accounts. Sending money is very fast, cheap and safe, and given that there are no service charges, minimum and maximum balance restrictions, it’s a very convenient way to transact. M-Pesa registered customers will receive the funds from abroad on their M-Pesa account. M-Pesa customers will be able to send funds to:
- East African countries
- Globally: To millions of Bank accounts and Western Union locations globally
- Paypal: Access funds quickly and shop around the world with PayPal mobile money service with M-Pesa
M-PESA Global partners
Safaricom and a number of money transfer services have partnered to ensure that it will not cost you a cent to receive money from any place globally. These partners are:
- mHits
- Post Finance
- Skrill
- SkyForex
- Western Union
- WorldRemit
- XendPay
- Xpress Money
- MoneyGram
- Azimo
- Transfer Galaxy
- Vodacom Tanzania
- MTN Rwanda
- MTN Uganda
- Dahabshiil
What you need to know about M-Pesa Global
Before using the M-Pesa Global service, there are some things you should know.
- The minimum amount to send is Ksh 101 and maximum of Ksh 70,000
- The recipient will receive funds in their country’s currency
- Zero charges, prevailing Forex Rates apply for the service
- This service is available in all countries except sanctioned countries e.g. North Korea and Syria
- When sending funds to some countries the sender is required to input a secret word. The recipient will be required to have the secret word details at the collection point to receive the funds
- For all customer care queries, kindly call 100 or 200 using your Safaricom line
How to opt in M-Pesa Global
To opt in the M-Pesa Global service, follow this procedure.
a. USSD
- Dial *840#
- Select ‘Opt in’
- Read Terms and Conditions
- Accept/Decline
- Enter Mpesa PIN
- Then wait for confirmation SMS
b. MySafaricom app
- Launch the app
- If you don’t have the app, download it from Play Store or App Store
- Once you have downloaded it, open the app and enter your phone number to generate a One Time Password (OTP) that will be sent as an SMS and you will use to log into the app
- Tap ‘M-Pesa’
- Select ‘M-Pesa Global’
- Enter region
- Read and accept Terms and Conditions
- Tap ‘Opt in’
- Enter Mpesa PIN
- Wait for confirmation SMS
How to send money abroad
Sending money abroad from Mpesa varies depending on the service you’re using.
a. How to send money via Western Union
To learn how to send or withdraw money on Western Union with M-Pesa follow this link.
b. How to send money to Uganda (MTN subscriber)
- Dial *840#
- Enter your preferred PIN
- Select ‘Send Money’
- Enter recipient phone number in the international format e.g. 256xxxxxxxxx
- Enter amount and confirm
c. How to send money to Rwanda (MTN subscriber)
- Dial *840#
- Enter your preferred PIN
- Select ‘Send Money’
- Enter recipient phone number in the international format e.g. 250xxxxxxxxx
- Enter amount and confirm
d. How to send money to Tanzania (Vodacom subscriber)
- Go to Mpesa menu
- Select ‘Lipa na Mpesa’
- Select ‘Pay Bill’
- Enter business number 255255
- Enter recipient phone number in the international format e.g. 255xxxxxxxxx
- Enter the amount you want to send
- Enter your Mpesa PIN
- Confirm and send
M-Pesa charges for sending money abroad
a. Cost of sending money through Western Union
Minimum | Maximum | Tariff |
Ksh 101 | Ksh 5,000 | Ksh 100 |
Ksh 5,001 | Ksh 15,000 | Ksh 250 |
Ksh 15,001 | Ksh 35,000 | Ksh 350 |
Ksh 35,001 | Ksh 70,000 | Ksh 500 |
b. Cost of sending money to Uganda
Minimum | Maximum | Tariff |
Ksh 100 | Ksh 999 | Ksh 22 |
Ksh 1,000 | Ksh 2,499 | Ksh 33 |
Ksh 2,500 | Ksh 4,999 | Ksh 55 |
Ksh 5,000 | Ksh 9,999 | Ksh 83 |
Ksh 10,000 | Ksh 34,999 | Ksh 110 |
Ksh 35,000 | Ksh 49,999 | Ksh 198 |
Ksh 50,000 | Ksh 70,000 | Ksh 220 |
c. Cost of sending money to Rwanda
Minimum | Maximum | Tariff |
Ksh 100 | Ksh 999 | Ksh 22 |
Ksh 1,000 | Ksh 2,499 | Ksh 33 |
Ksh 2,500 | Ksh 4,999 | Ksh 55 |
Ksh 5,000 | Ksh 9,999 | Ksh 83 |
Ksh 10,000 | Ksh 34,999 | Ksh 110 |
Ksh 35,000 | Ksh 49,999 | Ksh 198 |
Ksh 50,000 | Ksh 70,000 | Ksh 220 |
d. Cost of sending money to Tanzania
Mpesa charges for sending money to Tanzania range from Ksh 3 to Ksh 220 depending on amount being sent.
