Safaricom, Kenya’s dominant telecommunications giant, has opted to keep fees for its flagship M-Pesa mobile-money service unchanged heading into 2026, providing continuity for the more than 34 million users who rely on the platform for everyday transactions in one of Africa’s most advanced digital economies.
Launched in 2007, M-Pesa has revolutionized financial inclusion in the country, allowing users to send money, pay bills, and access credit with little more than a basic mobile phone.
The service, which processes billions of dollars annually, remains a cornerstone of Safaricom’s business, even as competition from rivals like Airtel Money intensifies.
The decision to maintain existing tariffs comes as no surprise, with no official announcements of adjustments from Safaricom.
M-Pesa withdrawal charges 2026
Here is a table of what you will be charged when going to withdraw your money at any M-Pesa shops and select Safaricom stores countrywide in 2026:
| Withdrawal amount | Mpesa charges 2026 |
| Ksh1–Ksh49 | N/A |
| Ksh50–Ksh100 | Ksh11 |
| Ksh101–Ksh500 | Ksh29 |
| Ksh501–Ksh1,000 | Ksh29 |
| Ksh1,001–Ksh1,500 | Ksh29 |
| Ksh1,501–Ksh2,500 | Ksh29 |
| Ksh2,501–Ksh3,500 | Ksh52 |
| Ksh3,501–Ksh5,000 | Ksh69 |
| Ksh5,001–Ksh7,500 | Ksh87 |
| Ksh7,501–Ksh10,000 | Ksh115 |
| Ksh10,001–Ksh15,000 | Ksh167 |
| Ksh15,001–Ksh20,000 | Ksh185 |
| Ksh20,001–Ksh35,000 | Ksh197 |
| Ksh35,001–Ksh50,000 | Ksh278 |
| Ksh50,001–Ksh250,000 | Ksh309 |
The maximum per-transaction limit remains 250,000 Kenyan shillings, with a daily cap of 500,000 shillings and a maximum wallet balance of 500,000 shillings. Withdrawals below 50 shillings are not permitted at agents.
Sending money fees for M-Pesa 2026
A key development in recent years has been the harmonisation of fees for transfers to other networks, such as Airtel Money and T-Kash, aligning them with Safaricom-to-Safaricom rates. Transfers to unregistered users remain disabled, a measure introduced to combat fraud and money laundering.
Withdrawal charges, however, are notably higher than sending fees, encouraging digital transactions over cash-outs. Here are the send money charges for M-Pesa in 2026;
| Amounts to send | Mpesa transaction cost | Airtel Money/ Telkom cost |
| Ksh1 to Ksh49 | Free | Free |
| Ksh50 to Ksh100 | Free | Free |
| Ksh101 to Ksh500 | Ksh7 | Ksh7 |
| Ksh501 to Ksh1,000 | Ksh13 | Ksh13 |
| Ksh1,001 to Ksh1,500 | Ksh23 | Ksh23 |
| Ksh1,501 to Ksh2,500 | Ksh33 | Ksh33 |
| Ksh2,501 to Ksh3,500 | Ksh53 | Ksh53 |
| Ksh3,501 to Ksh5,000 | Ksh57 | Ksh57 |
| Ksh5,001 to Ksh7,500 | Ksh78 | Ksh78 |
| Ksh7,501 to Ksh10,000 | Ksh90 | Ksh90 |
| Ksh10,001 to Ksh15,000 | Ksh100 | Ksh100 |
| Ksh15,001 to Ksh20,000 | Ksh105 | Ksh105 |
| Ksh20,001 to Ksh35,000 | Ksh108 | Ksh108 |
| Ksh35,001 to Ksh50,000 | Ksh108 | Ksh108 |
| Ksh50,001 to Ksh250,000 | Ksh108 | Ksh108 |
Deposits into M-Pesa accounts remain free, as do airtime purchases and registration for the service.
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