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🇰🇪 Send Ksh1,000 in Kenya: fees by provider

Sending Ksh1,000 in Kenya costs the same Ksh14.95 at every provider — a regulated/matched tariff, so the choice comes down to the recipient's network and agent availability, not price.

How much does it cost to send Ksh1,000 in Kenya?

Sending Ksh1,000 in Kenya costs the same Ksh14.95 at every provider compared (3). Receiving is free; you pay only the operator's tier fee, with any applicable state taxes included. Verified June 2026.

Cheapest to send Ksh1,000
Ksh14.95· M-Pesa
The cost of sending Ksh1,000

Ksh1,000 is a small everyday sum in Kenya — roughly a couple of matatu rides and airtime. Kenya runs on M-Pesa, Safaricom's near-ubiquitous wallet, with Airtel Money and T-Kash matching the same regulated send tariff band for band.

Send pricing is a national banded tariff identical across operators, so in Kenya the choice is about M-Pesa's agent density and Lipa na M-Pesa acceptance, not the fee. The cheapest (M-Pesa) works out at 1.5%; a flat fee, where it applies, still counts at this size.

At Ksh1,000, this amount falls in a pricing band where a flat Ksh13 fee applies at the reference provider. The next band starts at Ksh1,001, where pricing changes — worth knowing if your amount is near that threshold. Keeping money on the wallet to pay avoids any cash-out fee.

The Kenya send tariff is banded by amount: free Ksh1–Ksh100; flat Ksh7 Ksh101–Ksh500; flat Ksh13 Ksh501–Ksh1,000; flat Ksh23 Ksh1,001–Ksh1,500; flat Ksh33 Ksh1,501–Ksh2,500. That is why the cost depends as much on the amount as on the provider.

Excise Duty (15% on fee): Kenya charges 15% excise duty on the transaction fee itself — not on the transfer amount. For example, a KES 13 M-Pesa fee becomes KES 14.95 total (KES 13 + KES 1.95 excise). The rate was raised from 12% to 15% by the Finance Act 2023. Does NOT apply to Buy Goods (Till number) transactions. The 16% VAT on person-to-person mobile money transfers proposed by the Finance Bill 2026 was DROPPED in the version passed by the National Assembly in June 2026, so no VAT applies on top of this excise.

Compare all providers for Ksh1,000

ProviderFeeLevyTotal
MPSM-PesaCheapest
Ksh13.00Ksh1.95Ksh14.95
AIRAirtelCheapest
Ksh13.00Ksh1.95Ksh14.95
TKST-KashCheapest
Ksh13.00Ksh1.95Ksh14.95

Indicative verified fees; any applicable government levy is included in the total.

Other amounts in Kenya

Ksh100Ksh500Ksh2,000Ksh5,000Ksh10,000Ksh20,000

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to send Ksh1,000 in Kenya?
Ksh14.95 at every provider compared here — a matched tariff at this amount.
Which provider is cheapest to send Ksh1,000?
None is cheaper: all charge Ksh14.95 at this amount. Choose by the recipient's network and agent availability.
Is sending Ksh1,000 free in Kenya?
No — no provider is free at this amount; the cheapest is Ksh14.95.
Is there a government tax on sending Ksh1,000 in Kenya?
Kenya charges 15% excise duty on the transaction fee itself — not on the transfer amount. For example, a KES 13 M-Pesa fee becomes KES 14.95 total (KES 13 + KES 1.95 excise). The rate was raised from 12% to 15% by the Finance Act 2023. Does NOT apply to Buy Goods (Till number) transactions. The 16% VAT on person-to-person mobile money transfers proposed by the Finance Bill 2026 was DROPPED in the version passed by the National Assembly in June 2026, so no VAT applies on top of this excise.