Are you looking for the most cost-effective and reliable ways to send money to Kenya? Someone in Kenya may be a friend or family of yours, or you might be a freelancer searching for a secure, reliable, and fast means to collect cash from your clients.
Personally, I have used over 10 ways to receive money from clients across the world. And in today’s article, I’m going to reveal some of the best ways to receive or send money to Kenya from abroad.
How to Send Money to Kenya: 6 Reliable Ways
1. Wise Transfer
Wise Transfer (formerly known as Transferwise) is among the most reliable methods to send money to Kenya. Oftentimes I have to use Wise to receive money from my clients who are mostly located in Canada, USA, UK, and Ukraine.
If you are a freelancer who wants to receive payment for a project from your client, the Wise transfer is an ideal option.
To send money to Kenya using Wise, you need to create a free account with them. From there you can send money to a recipient in Kenya to their local bank account or Mpesa account. Usually, the money sent should arrive the same day it was sent.
To send money to Mpesa using Wise, you just need a few details about the recipient. That is, their Mpesa registered phone number usually starts with 254 country code names, names as they appear in their ID, and their address.
2. PayPal
Paypal is a common online money transfer platform. Paypal has been in the online financial industry for quite a long time. And due to their longtime establishment, it means they pretty much know all the in’s and out’s of money transfer services. When it comes to sending money to Kenya, Paypal is one great platform. It’s widely accepted among Kenyans.
To send money to Kenya using Paypal, you need to have an active Paypal account. A Paypal account is free to create. Then from there, you need to link your PayPal account to your bank account. To transfer funds to Kenya using Paypal you will need your recipient’s PayPal registered email address. The funds are accredited to their Paypal account.
Usually, transfers using Paypal are very quick. The money should arrive in the recipient’s account within 24hours. From there the recipient can withdraw money to their local bank account or to Mpesa. If you are in Kenya and you are new to Paypal, follow these steps to use Paypal Kenya to receive money from abroad.
3. WorldRemit
WorldRemit is a global money transfer network that has over 4 million members from all over the world. The company’s platform functions similarly to Transferwise, with the exception that you may send funds to a local agent in Kenya for cash collection. It is one of the most efficient methods of sending money to Kenya.
With WordRemit, you can send money to Kenya’s local banks or to their Mpesa account. And what’s surprising is that the recipient doesn’t need to have a Worrldremit account. Money is directly credited to their Mpesa account.
To send money using Worldremit to Kenya Mpesa, you just need to create an account with Worldremit. Then from the homepage, you can select Kenya and use “mobile money” as the preferred service. After that, you need to enter the recipient Mpesa’s registered phone number. The recipient in Kenya will receive a message confirming the funds have been accredited to their Mpesa account.
Worldremit is among the best ways to send money to Kenya. They have great exchange rates, they are cheap and they are very fast. Usually, the funds will take less than thirty minutes to arrive at your recipient M Pesa account. So if you are thinking of sending money to Kenya I would advise that you consider Worldremit.
4. Western Union
Western Union is among the more popular ways of sending money to Kenya. Western Union is a multi-billion dollar company estimated to be worth more than 8$ billion. If you are searching for the best ways to send money to Kenya, Western Union is among the best options.
To send money to Kenya using Western Union, your recipient can receive money by visiting one of the Western Union agents and picking the cash. Usually, Western Union branches are located all over Kenyan towns so it’s a common way to receive money to Kenya. For the recipient to collect cash at a cash pick-up agent, you need to share with them your MTCN number that the agents will use to release the funds.
You can also send money directly to your recipient’s bank account or even to their Mpesa account.
Western Union is an effective way to send money to Kenya since it has fewer barriers. They have thousands of branches, they are fast, and also the recipient in Kenya does not need to have a bank account to receive money from abroad. If you are looking for the best Western Union alternative, Moneygram is. They work similarly to Western Union.
5. Xe Money Transfer
Xe is another reliable way to send money to Kenya. The company was established back in 1993 as one of the Internet’s first currency exchange rate providers.
XE focuses on transferring money, both for personal and business purposes. Transparency is key: all relevant information is presented upfront and the transfer process is free of hidden charges. The currency exchange solutions are not just cost-effective, they also work in a pleasantly intuitive manner.
The process of sending money via XE Money Transfer is very simple and includes just four steps:
- Sign up for a free account
- Enter the transfer amount, the currency, and the recipient
- Confirm your transaction and send the money to XE
- XE will transfer the money to the designated recipient, a process you can track online 24/7
6. Remitly
This list wouldn’t be complete without Remitly. They are affordable and are among the highest-rated online money transfer platforms. You can send money to Kenya using Remitly to Kenyan local bank accounts. Among the local banks in Kenya that Remitly support includes:
- Equity Bank
- KCB
- Co-Operative Bank
- DTB
- Family Bank
- ABSA
- Standard Chartered
- Ecobank
- Postbank
- Sidian Bank
Also, you can send money to Kenya and the recipient through cash pick stations.
What’s interesting is that you can send money to an M-Pesa user located in Kenya. What you need to do is to select the “mobile money” option under the delivery method. That way, the funds are deposited directly to your recipient’s Mpesa account in just minutes.
If you are looking for fast and cheapest ways to send money to Kenya, Remitly is an option that I have no doubts about recommending.
Concluding
Choosing the right method to send money in Kenya does not have to be complicated. There are over 20 ways you can send funds to your family member, friend, business, or a person in need located in Kenya. We did our best to list some of the methods that we trust.
