Quick answer
Stanbic Bank Kenya charges nothing to send up to KSh 100 to M-Pesa, then KSh 11 to KSh 70 depending on the amount, with a flat KSh 70 for KSh 20,001 to KSh 150,000, according to its pricing guide dated 25 September 2024. Confirm the fee in the Stanbic app or *208# before sending.
Updated 18 October 2026
Sending money from a Stanbic Bank Kenya account to M-Pesa costs nothing for amounts up to KSh 100, then KSh 11 to KSh 70 depending on the amount, with the top fee of KSh 70 covering anything from KSh 20,001 to KSh 150,000. These figures come from the Stanbic Bank Kenya Pricing Guide dated 25 September 2024, which is still the tariff Stanbic publishes on its website (we downloaded and checked it on 18 October 2026). Stanbic has not published a newer 2026 tariff, so treat the table below as the latest official figures and confirm the exact charge on the Stanbic app or *208# before you send.
In this guide
Stanbic to M-Pesa Charges Table 2026
The table is the “M-PESA Mobile Wallet Charges (B2C), Bank to Mobile Wallet” table in the Stanbic pricing guide. The fee depends only on the band your transfer falls into.
| Amount you send (KSh) | Stanbic charge (KSh) |
|---|---|
| 1 to 100 | Free |
| 101 to 500 | 11 |
| 501 to 1,000 | 15 |
| 1,001 to 1,500 | 18 |
| 1,501 to 2,500 | 25 |
| 2,501 to 3,500 | 35 |
| 3,501 to 5,000 | 47 |
| 5,001 to 7,500 | 57 |
| 7,501 to 20,000 | 67 |
| 20,001 to 150,000 | 70 |
Source: Stanbic Bank Kenya Pricing Guide, 25 September 2024 (stanbicbank.co.ke, downloadable files). Confirm in the app: the Stanbic app and *208# show the fee on the confirmation screen before you enter your PIN, so check it there, because the bank can change its tariff at any time.
What about excise duty?
The footnotes of the same pricing guide say “20% Excise duty chargeable on every service fee” and “15% Excise duty only applies on fees charged for money transfer”. The guide does not say whether the M-Pesa fees in the table already include excise duty, so the amount taken from your account may be slightly higher than the figure in the table. The confirmation screen and your statement will show the exact deduction. Our guide on what KRA taxes on M-Pesa, Airtel Money and T-Kash transfers explains how excise duty on transfer fees works.
What the Charges Mean in Practice
The bands reward bigger, less frequent transfers. Sending KSh 20,000 costs KSh 67, while sending the same amount as four transfers of KSh 5,000 costs 4 x KSh 47, which is KSh 188. Above KSh 20,000 the fee is flat at KSh 70, so moving KSh 100,000 to M-Pesa in one go costs the same as moving KSh 20,001.
- KSh 1,000 to M-Pesa: KSh 15 Stanbic fee.
- KSh 3,000 to M-Pesa: KSh 35.
- KSh 7,500 to M-Pesa: KSh 57. One shilling more, KSh 7,501, moves you into the KSh 67 band.
- KSh 50,000 to M-Pesa: KSh 70.
Watch the band edges. A transfer of KSh 2,500 costs KSh 25, but KSh 2,600 costs KSh 35. If you are sending a round figure for rent or school fees, a small adjustment can keep you in the cheaper band.
Do Not Forget the M-Pesa Side
Stanbic’s fee only covers moving the money into the M-Pesa wallet. Receiving money on M-Pesa is free, but if the person then withdraws it as cash at an agent, Safaricom charges its own withdrawal fee. According to Safaricom’s M-Pesa tariff page (last updated 4 August 2026), withdrawing KSh 1,001 to 2,500 at an agent costs KSh 29, KSh 2,501 to 3,500 costs KSh 52, KSh 3,501 to 5,000 costs KSh 69 and KSh 7,501 to 10,000 costs KSh 115. So a KSh 5,000 transfer that is cashed out at an agent costs about KSh 47 at Stanbic plus KSh 69 at M-Pesa, roughly KSh 116 in total before any excise on the bank fee. Use our M-Pesa charges calculator to work out the M-Pesa side for any amount.
Stanbic to Airtel Money and Pesalink Compared
The same pricing guide lists separate tariffs for other ways of moving money out of your account. Airtel Money is cheaper than M-Pesa in every band, and Pesalink to another bank account is free up to KSh 500.
| Amount (KSh) | To M-Pesa (KSh) | To Airtel Money (KSh) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 100 | Free | Free |
| 101 to 500 | 11 | 9 |
| 501 to 1,000 | 15 | 11 |
| 1,001 to 1,500 | 18 | 13 |
| 1,501 to 2,500 | 25 | 21 |
| 2,501 to 3,500 | 35 | 31 |
| 3,501 to 5,000 | 47 | 41 |
| 5,001 to 7,500 | 57 | 53 |
| 7,501 to 20,000 | 67 | 63 |
| 20,001 to 150,000 | 70 | 64 |
Pesalink through mobile banking costs nothing up to KSh 500, KSh 32 from KSh 501 to 5,000, KSh 50 from KSh 5,001 to 10,000, KSh 62 from KSh 10,001 to 30,000 and KSh 72 from KSh 30,001 to 70,000, according to the guide. If the person you are paying has a bank account, Pesalink can be cheaper than M-Pesa once you add the agent withdrawal fee. Paying a business directly from your account is priced differently again: the guide lists bank to M-Pesa Paybill fees from KSh 35 and bank to Buy Goods fees from KSh 20 for KSh 101 to 500.
How to Send Money From Stanbic to M-Pesa
Using *208#
- Dial *208# from the phone number registered with Stanbic. This code is listed by both Stanbic and Safaricom’s mobile banking codes list.
- Enter your mobile banking PIN and choose the funds transfer or mobile money option.
- Select M-Pesa, enter the phone number and the amount.
- Check the name and the fee shown, then confirm.
Using the Stanbic app or internet banking
Log in, choose the M-Pesa payment option, pick the account to debit, enter the number and amount and approve with the one-time password sent to you. Stanbic’s internet banking help page says single M-Pesa payments there have a minimum of KSh 100 and a maximum of KSh 70,000 per transaction, and that you can send up to five M-Pesa payments in one go. Limits on the app and *208# may differ, so check before sending a large amount. On the M-Pesa side, Safaricom caps a single transaction at KSh 250,000 and an M-Pesa balance at KSh 500,000.
Sending Money From M-Pesa to Stanbic
To go the other way, use Lipa na M-Pesa Pay Bill with business number 600100, the Stanbic paybill on Safaricom’s mobile banking codes list, and enter the Stanbic account number as the account. Stanbic’s *208# page lists “Free M-Pesa to Account” among its services, and refers to its pricing guide for the M-Pesa to account charge. Any M-Pesa paybill fee shows on your phone before you enter your PIN. For step by step help see how to pay a paybill with M-Pesa and our list of bank paybill numbers in Kenya.
Ways to Pay Less
- Send once, not many times. The flat KSh 70 fee above KSh 20,000 makes one large transfer far cheaper than several small ones.
- Stay just under a band edge when the exact amount does not matter.
- Use Pesalink for bank to bank payments and Airtel Money where the recipient uses it.
- Keep savings where they earn. Money sitting in M-Pesa earns no interest. If you are moving cash to save it, compare the Stanbic money market fund and other money market funds in Kenya.
Stanbic customer care is on 0711 068 888, 0732 113 888 and 020 3268 888, according to the pricing guide. Call them if a transfer leaves your account but does not reach M-Pesa.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Stanbic charge to send KSh 1,000 to M-Pesa?
KSh 15, under the Stanbic pricing guide dated 25 September 2024. Confirm the fee on the app or *208# before sending.
Is it free to send money from Stanbic to M-Pesa?
Only for amounts up to KSh 100. Above that the fee runs from KSh 11 to KSh 70.
What is the highest Stanbic to M-Pesa charge?
KSh 70, for any amount from KSh 20,001 to KSh 150,000.
What is the Stanbic USSD code for M-Pesa transfers?
*208#. Dial it from the phone number registered with your Stanbic account.
What is the Stanbic paybill number?
600100. Use your Stanbic account number as the account number.
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