Safaricom reduced Pochi la Biashara charges from 1 August 2026, but only until 31 October 2026. Two other changes that took effect on 7 August have no stated end date: Buy Goods tills became free for the business on sales up to KSh 500, and the cost of moving money out of a till roughly halved.
Until the end of October, a customer paying into a Pochi pays nothing on amounts of KSh 200 or less, and never more than KSh 50 on larger payments. A shop using a Buy Goods till pays nothing on any sale of KSh 500 or less.
Pochi la Biashara Charges (1 August to 31 October 2026)
On Pochi la Biashara the customer pays the fee and the trader receives the full amount. The temporary rates made payments of KSh 101 to 200 free and capped everything above KSh 2,500 at KSh 50. Amounts between KSh 201 and KSh 2,500 stayed the same as before.
| Payment (KSh) | Before 1 August | 1 Aug to 31 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 100 | 0 | 0 |
| 101 to 200 | 7 | 0 |
| 201 to 500 | 7 | 7 |
| 501 to 1,000 | 13 | 13 |
| 1,001 to 1,500 | 23 | 23 |
| 1,501 to 2,500 | 33 | 33 |
| 2,501 to 3,500 | 53 | 50 |
| 3,501 to 5,000 | 57 | 50 |
| 5,001 to 7,500 | 78 | 50 |
| 7,501 to 10,000 | 90 | 50 |
| 10,001 to 15,000 | 100 | 50 |
| 15,001 to 20,000 | 105 | 50 |
| 20,001 to 250,000 | 108 | 50 |
Receiving money into a Pochi remains free for the trader. Normal withdrawal charges apply when you cash out.
Buy Goods Till Charges from 7 August 2026
On a Buy Goods till the customer usually pays nothing and the business pays a collection fee. From 7 August the business pays nothing on any sale of KSh 500 or less (previously free only up to KSh 200). This change has no announced end date.
| Sale (KSh) | Before 7 August | From 7 August |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 200 | Free | Free |
| 201 to 500 | 0.55% | Free |
| 501 to 36,363 | 0.55% | 0.55% |
| Above 36,363 | KSh 200 | KSh 200 |
Moving Money Out of a Till
From 7 August the fee for transferring money from a till to a phone or to a Paybill was roughly halved. Transfers of KSh 100 or less remain free. This change also has no announced end date.
| Transfer (KSh) | Till to phone (before) | Till to phone (now) | Till to Paybill (before) | Till to Paybill (now) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 to 500 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| 501 to 1,000 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 5 |
| 1,001 to 1,500 | 23 | 12 | 15 | 8 |
| 1,501 to 2,500 | 33 | 17 | 20 | 10 |
| 2,501 to 3,500 | 53 | 27 | 25 | 13 |
| 3,501 to 5,000 | 57 | 29 | 34 | 17 |
| 5,001 to 7,500 | 78 | 39 | 42 | 21 |
| 7,501 to 10,000 | 90 | 45 | 48 | 24 |
| 10,001 to 15,000 | 100 | 50 | 57 | 29 |
| 15,001 to 20,000 | 105 | 53 | 62 | 31 |
| 20,001 to 25,000 | 108 | 54 | 67 | 34 |
| 25,001 to 30,000 | 108 | 54 | 72 | 36 |
| 30,001 to 35,000 | 108 | 54 | 83 | 42 |
| 35,001 to 40,000 | 108 | 54 | 99 | 50 |
| 40,001 to 45,000 | 108 | 54 | 103 | 52 |
| 45,001 to 250,000 | 108 | 54 | 108 | 54 |
Comparing Pochi and Till on One Payment
| Payment (KSh) | Customer pays (Pochi) | Customer pays (Till) | Business pays (Till) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 400 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1,200 | 23 | 0 | ~6.60 |
| 3,000 | 50 | 0 | ~16.50 |
| 10,000 | 50 | 0 | 55 |
What Happens After 31 October
As of early October 2026 Safaricom had not announced whether the Pochi rates would be extended, made permanent, or allowed to expire. If the temporary rates end, Pochi payments would return to the previous (higher) schedule. The Buy Goods free band up to KSh 500 and the reduced till transfer fees have no stated end date.
Common Questions
Is Pochi free now?
Only for payments of KSh 200 or less, and only until 31 October 2026. Above that the customer pays between KSh 7 and KSh 50. The trader does not pay to receive.
Do I need to do anything to get the new rates?
No. They apply automatically.
Do these rates apply to ordinary send money?
No. Person-to-person transfers still use the standard send-money tariff. The temporary rates only cover payments into a Pochi.
Did customer Paybill fees change?
The August changes reduced the fee a business pays when moving money from a till to a Paybill. Customer fees for paying into a Paybill were not part of the announcement and still depend on the business’s chosen tariff.
Do fuel stations still charge customers?
Yes. Buy Goods payments at petrol stations still carry a customer fee.
That covers the temporary Pochi rates and the other August 2026 changes to Buy Goods and till transfers. Always confirm the fee shown on your confirmation screen, and check Safaricom’s official updates for any extension or change after 31 October.
