What changed
MTN MoMo Benin published an updated withdrawal tariff in October 2025 that reshapes the fee bands between XOF 5,000 and XOF 100,000 — the bracket that covers most everyday agent cash-outs. The new grid removes two of the previous step-changes, producing a smoother effective rate on medium amounts.
The send-money tariff was left unchanged, and the WAEMU PI-SPI free zero-fee individual transfer rules continue to apply for cross-border XOF transfers between Benin and the other seven UEMOA states.
Old vs new — the tier-by-tier picture
The pre-update Benin grid charged a flat XOF 100 on withdrawals from XOF 501 up to XOF 5,000, then jumped to XOF 175 on the XOF 5,001 - 10,000 band. The new grid lifts the smallest-tier fee to XOF 125, removes the XOF 175 jump entirely, and applies a single XOF 200 fee on the XOF 5,001 - 25,000 band. For a typical XOF 25,000 cash-out, the new MTN MoMo grid lands roughly 8% cheaper than the previous one; for the smallest band (XOF 501 - 5,000), the user pays slightly more.
Why MTN raised the smallest tier
The XOF 100 → XOF 125 increase on the smallest tier is small in absolute terms but politically visible — small-amount withdrawals are disproportionately used by lower-income segments. MTN MoMo's ARCEP filing context cites rising agent commissions as the operational justification: as agent networks have densified, agent compensation per transaction has risen, and the operator passes a fraction of that to the consumer.
How this compares to Moov Money and Wave Benin
On the same XOF 25,000 cash-out, Moov Money Benin charges roughly XOF 250 and Wave Benin charges XOF 175. MTN MoMo's new XOF 200 lands competitively in the middle of that range — a deliberate positioning ahead of expected price moves from Moov in 2026.
Withdrawal vs send
On the Benin country page you can see the full updated MTN MoMo withdrawal grid alongside Moov Money and Celtiis. For a XOF 25,000 cash-out, the new MTN MoMo grid lands roughly 8% cheaper than the previous one; the gap narrows for very small (XOF < 5,000) and very large (XOF > 100,000) amounts.
Cross-border note
Benin is part of the WAEMU zone and benefits from PI-SPI free individual transfers since 30 September 2025. The Benin withdrawal-tariff update does not affect PI-SPI inbound transfers — those remain free at the operator level, with no levy applied. PI-SPI does not cover withdrawals from the wallet, so the new MTN MoMo grid is what users will see when cashing out PI-SPI-received funds at an agent.
Why
The change appears to be a competitive response to Wave and to the new PI-SPI environment — even though PI-SPI does not cover withdrawals, the broader pricing pressure across WAEMU has pushed traditional MoMo operators to defend the agent cash-out economics.