telebirr Charges
🇪🇹 ETB (Br) · Including all taxes
telebirr is one of the leading mobile money services in Ethiopia, serving millions of users. Sending carries no operator fee up to Br50, then banded fees apply above. Use the fee tables below to see all charges including government taxes.
How much does telebirr charge per transaction in 2026?
On telebirr in Ethiopia, receiving is free. Sending money is free up to Br50, then Br51–Br5,000 costs 0.1%, up to Br5 on larger amounts. Cashing out is free up to Br50, then Br51–Br100 costs Br1, up to Br23 on larger amounts. No state tax stacks on top. Tariffs verified against the operator source (June 2026).
telebirr Send Money Fee Tiers in Ethiopia
| Range | Fee |
|---|---|
| Free | Free Free up to ETB 50 |
| Br51 - Br5,000 | 0.1% 0.1% |
| Br5,001+ | Br5 Flat ETB 5 max |
telebirr Withdrawal (Cash-Out) Fee Tiers in Ethiopia
| Range | Fee |
|---|---|
| Br1 - Br50 | Br0 Free |
| Br51 - Br100 | Br1 ETB 1 |
| Br101 - Br500 | Br3 ETB 3 |
| Br501 - Br1,000 | Br5 ETB 5 |
| Br1,001 - Br5,000 | Br10 ETB 10 |
| Br5,001 - Br10,000 | Br15 ETB 15 |
| Br10,001 - Br35,000 | Br20 ETB 20 |
| Br35,001+ | Br23 ETB 23 |
What is the telebirr transaction limit per day?
| Limit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Person-to-person transfer, per day | up to Br75,000 |
| Merchant / QR payments, per day | up to Br250,000 |
| All transactions combined, per day | up to Br300,000 |
| Wallet balance — full KYC | up to Br150,000 |
| Wallet balance — Level 1 (basic) | Br5,000 |
| Maximum single transaction | Br550,000 |
Limits depend on your KYC level: a basic (Level 1) account caps the wallet at Br5,000, while a fully verified account reaches the ceilings above. Any transaction over Br5,000 needs two-factor confirmation. Verify your own tier in the telebirr app (dial *127#).
Source: National Bank of Ethiopia mobile-money directive + Ethio Telecom
telebirr agent commission
telebirr agents earn a commission from Ethio Telecom on each cash transaction they process — the reason agents are willing to handle your cash-in and cash-out. Ethio Telecom publishes the commission alongside the customer tariff.
| Transaction | Agent earns |
|---|---|
| Cash-in, cash-out or airtime top-up (per successful transaction) | Br15 bonus |
| Airtime / package sales | 9% commission |
Reported agent rates — Ethio Telecom revises commission bands periodically; confirm the current chart on the telebirr pricing page before relying on it for an agent business.
Ethiopia Mobile Money Levies & Taxes
No Mobile Money Levy
Levy abolishedEthiopia does not currently impose a specific government levy on mobile money transactions.
About telebirr in Ethiopia
Ethiopia's market is young and state-shaped: Telebirr (Ethio Telecom) dominates, with Safaricom's M-Pesa the challenger. Telebirr digitised payments at huge scale in just a few years; M-Pesa's competition is only beginning to move pricing.
On pricing, here is how telebirr structures its fees. Sending is priced by band : free Br1–Br50; 0.1% Br51–Br5,000; flat Br5 above Br5,001. Cash-out is priced by band : free Br1–Br50; flat Br1 Br51–Br100; flat Br3 Br101–Br500; flat Br5 Br501–Br1,000. Receiving money is free; the cost sits at sending and at cashing out to physical cash.
Government levy. There is currently no specific state mobile-money tax in Ethiopia: you pay only the operator's fee.
How to use it. You manage telebirr via the mobile app, the operator's USSD menu (no internet needed), or an authorised agent to deposit and withdraw cash. Fees are identical on every channel — the schedule above applies with no per-channel surcharge, and an agent should never charge cash on top of the fee deducted from your balance.
To compare telebirr with the other operators in Ethiopia for your exact amount, use the calculator at the top of this page or open the Ethiopia page. Tariffs rendered from our database, verified in 2026.
telebirr vs Other Providers in Ethiopia: Fee Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does telebirr charge to send money in Ethiopia?
telebirr carries no operator fee up to Br50 in Ethiopia, then banded fees apply above.
What are the telebirr withdrawal fees in Ethiopia?
telebirr withdrawal fees in Ethiopia are Br0 per transaction.
Is there a government levy on telebirr transactions in Ethiopia?
No. There is currently no government levy on mobile money transactions in Ethiopia.
What is the telebirr USSD code in Ethiopia?
Use the telebirr mobile app or visit an authorized agent in Ethiopia.
Is telebirr the cheapest mobile money provider in Ethiopia?
It depends on the amount. Use the MomoCalc calculator on the Ethiopia page to compare all providers for your specific amount.