M-Pesa charges for sending money abroad 2026

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.

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 No. 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.