Every M-PESA transaction has a cost. Most Kenyans never stop to add them up.
M-PESA charges are the fees Safaricom takes when you send money, withdraw cash at an agent or borrow with Fuliza. If you send money a few times a week, withdraw cash twice, and use Fuliza occasionally, you could easily be spending hundreds of shillings every month in transaction fees.
This guide lists the 2026 M-PESA charges in Kenya: send money fees, withdrawal charges, Paybill and Buy Goods fees, and Fuliza charges.
- Send KSh 1,000: KSh 13 fee
- Send KSh 1–100: free
- Withdraw KSh 5,000 at an agent: KSh 69 fee
- Pay a Buy Goods till: free for customers
Tariffs last checked against Safaricom's published rates: 4 November 2026.
How much does it cost to send money on M-PESA in 2026?
The cost of sending money through M-PESA depends on the amount you send. For registered M-PESA users, the current fee bands are below.
| Amount (KSh) | M-PESA Fee (KSh) |
|---|---|
| 1 – 100 | Free |
| 101 – 500 | 7 |
| 501 – 1,000 | 13 |
| 1,001 – 1,500 | 23 |
| 1,501 – 2,500 | 33 |
| 2,501 – 3,500 | 53 |
| 3,501 – 5,000 | 57 |
| 5,001 – 7,500 | 78 |
| 7,501 – 10,000 | 90 |
| 10,001 – 15,000 | 100 |
| 15,001 – 20,000 | 105 |
| 20,001 and above | 108 |
Important: Sending money to an unregistered M-PESA user can cost significantly more. Confirm the recipient has an active M-PESA account before sending.
Know the fee. Then know your total.
A table tells you what one transaction costs. Ten sends a month at KSh 33 each is KSh 330 in fees before you withdraw a shilling. Shmoney shows what you personally paid over the last 30 days.
- See your total M-PESA transaction fees
- See which days cost you the most
- Break fees down by transaction category
- See fees as a percentage of your spending
- Track your spending patterns over time
Here's what a month of M-PESA fees looks like inside Shmoney:
See what I paid in fees last month
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How much are M-PESA withdrawal charges in 2026?
Withdrawal fees depend on the amount withdrawn. These are the typical agent withdrawal fee bands:
| Withdrawal Amount (KSh) | Fee (KSh) |
|---|---|
| 50 – 100 | 11 |
| 101 – 2,500 | 29 |
| 2,501 – 3,500 | 52 |
| 3,501 – 5,000 | 69 |
| 5,001 – 7,500 | 87 |
| 7,501 – 10,000 | 115 |
| 10,001 – 15,000 | 167 |
| 15,001 – 20,000 | 185 |
| 20,001 – 35,000 | 197 |
| 35,001 – 50,000 | 278 |
| 50,001 and above | 309 |
If you withdraw cash often, these charges add up quickly. Paying a till directly (below) avoids them altogether.
Are Paybill and Buy Goods payments free on M-PESA?
Not every M-PESA transaction has a customer fee.
- Buy Goods / Till payments: free for customers.
- Paybill payments: generally free for customers, although the service provider may have its own terms.
Whenever you can pay a merchant through a till number instead of sending money to a personal M-PESA number, you avoid the send-money charge.
How much does Fuliza cost in 2026?
Fuliza has three cost parts:
- Access fee: a one-off 1% of the amount you borrow.
- Daily maintenance fee: charged on the outstanding balance from midnight the next day. It depends on your balance band: no daily fee for KSh 1–100, and KSh 25 a day for KSh 2,501–70,000 after Safaricom's June 2026 revision (down from KSh 30).
- Excise duty: 20% on the daily maintenance fee.
Example (illustrative): borrow KSh 5,000 and repay after 3 days. You pay a KSh 50 access fee, 3 daily fees of KSh 25 (KSh 75) and KSh 15 excise duty: about KSh 140 in total.
If you use Fuliza regularly, look at the total fees you pay over a month, not just the amount you borrow. See every band in our full Fuliza charges guide, and confirm current terms on Safaricom's website .
What does your total monthly M-PESA fee spend look like?
Enter your own numbers to estimate your monthly send and withdrawal fees.
Sends per month Average amount sent (KSh) Cash withdrawals per month Average amount withdrawn (KSh)
Send fees: KSh 230 •
Withdrawal fees: KSh 208
KSh 438 a month
(about KSh 5,256 a year)
Estimate for registered recipients. Fuliza and sends to unregistered numbers are not included. Your real total is in your M-PESA messages.
Example: a typical month
Consider a hypothetical M-PESA user who sends money regularly, withdraws cash several times and uses Fuliza occasionally.
| Transaction Type | Frequency | Average Fee | Monthly Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Send money (KSh 1,000–2,500) | 10× | KSh 33 | KSh 330 |
| Cash withdrawal (KSh 1,000–3,500) | 6× | ~KSh 40 | KSh 240 |
| Fuliza | 2× | Example | KSh 50* |
| Example total | KSh 620/month* |
*Illustrative example only. Actual fees depend on your transaction amounts, frequency and applicable tariffs.
How much did you pay in M-PESA fees last month?
You could go through hundreds of M-PESA messages and add everything up yourself (or get your M-PESA statement and do it in a spreadsheet). Or let Shmoney do it automatically.
Why does Shmoney need access to your SMS?
Shmoney reads your M-PESA confirmation messages to work out your fees and spending. It doesn't need your M-PESA PIN. Read how your data is handled in the privacy policy.
Download Shmoney on Google Play
Tracks fees, spending and budgets from your M-PESA messages • Android
What Shmoney does beyond tracking M-PESA fees
M-PESA fees are one part of your mobile-money spending. Shmoney turns your M-PESA transaction history into a complete spending picture.
Track M-PESA fees
See how much you spend on transaction charges instead of guessing from individual SMS messages.
Automatic categorisation
Organise transactions into categories such as food, transport, shopping, bills and other expenses.
Track your budgets
Set spending limits and see how your actual spending compares with your budget.
Spending insights
See which days you spend most, which categories are growing and how your spending changes from month to month.
Track Fuliza
Keep an eye on your Fuliza activity and understand how borrowing contributes to your overall mobile-money costs.
Generate statements
Generate spending reports for different periods directly from your transaction history.
4 quick ways to reduce your M-PESA fees
- Withdraw larger amounts less often. One larger withdrawal can cost less than several smaller ones: three KSh 1,000 withdrawals cost KSh 87 (3 × KSh 29), while one KSh 3,000 withdrawal costs KSh 52. Check the bands first, though. Two KSh 2,500 withdrawals (KSh 58) cost less than one KSh 5,000 withdrawal (KSh 69).
- Use Buy Goods / Till payments when appropriate. Customer payments through a merchant till are generally free.
- Repay Fuliza as quickly as possible. Where daily fees apply, every extra day on your balance adds to the total cost.
- Think about the number of separate sends. Multiple small transfers can cost more in total than fewer larger transfers, depending on the fee bands.
Frequently asked questions about M-PESA charges
How much does it cost to send money through M-PESA?
Sending money to a registered M-PESA user costs between KSh 0 and KSh 108, depending on the amount. Transfers of KSh 1–100 are free, KSh 501–1,000 costs KSh 13, KSh 1,501–2,500 costs KSh 33, and the fee stops rising at KSh 108. See the send-money table above for every band.
Is sending KSh 100 through M-PESA free?
Yes. Sending KSh 1 to KSh 100 to a registered M-PESA user is free. From KSh 101 the fee starts at KSh 7. Sending to an unregistered number costs more, so check the recipient is registered first. Safaricom can change tariffs, so check its current rates for large transactions.
How much does it cost to withdraw KSh 5,000 from M-PESA?
Withdrawing KSh 5,000 at an M-PESA agent costs KSh 69, the fee for amounts from KSh 3,501 to KSh 5,000. Withdrawals of KSh 101–2,500 cost KSh 29, and fees rise to KSh 309 for the largest amounts. Withdrawing larger amounts less often can cost less in total.
Is withdrawing money from M-PESA free?
No. Agent withdrawals carry a fee that depends on the amount, from KSh 11 for KSh 50–100 up to KSh 309 for the largest withdrawals. The withdrawal table above lists every band.
What is the maximum M-PESA send-money fee?
For registered users the send-money fee is capped at KSh 108, which applies to transfers of KSh 20,001 and above. Several small transfers can cost more in total than one larger transfer.
Is Lipa Na M-PESA Buy Goods free for customers?
Yes. Customers do not pay a fee when paying a merchant through a Buy Goods till; the merchant pays the merchant tariff. Paybill payments are generally free for customers too, although the service provider may charge its own fee.
How much does Fuliza cost?
Fuliza costs a one-off 1% access fee when you borrow, a daily maintenance fee on the outstanding balance, and 20% excise duty on that daily fee. Balances of KSh 1–100 pay no daily fee, while balances of KSh 2,501–70,000 pay KSh 25 a day. Repaying quickly keeps the total low.
Read the full Fuliza charges guide
Can I see all my M-PESA fees in one place?
Yes. Shmoney reads your M-PESA confirmation messages and adds up your transaction fees, so you can see your total fee spend, which days cost the most, and how fees compare with your overall spending.
How can I track my M-PESA spending?
You can review your M-PESA statements by hand, or use an expense tracker such as Shmoney to organise your transactions, categorise spending and analyse your transaction costs automatically.
Track my M-PESA spending with Shmoney
Do M-PESA charges change every year?
They can. Safaricom reviews its tariffs from time to time; for example, it revised Fuliza daily fees in June 2026. Check the date at the top of this guide and Safaricom's website before relying on a figure.
Find out what your M-PESA fees really cost you
Don't spend another month guessing. Let Shmoney analyse your transactions and show you where your mobile-money costs go.
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