A lot of people keep an Airtel line for cheap calls and data but still need to pay someone who only uses M-Pesa. The good news is that you do not need to withdraw cash first. Airtel Money lets you send straight to an M-Pesa number, and the money lands in the other person’s M-Pesa wallet within seconds.
How to send from Airtel Money to M-Pesa
- Dial *334# on your Airtel line, or open the My Airtel app.
- Choose Send Money.
- Pick the option for sending to other networks and select M-Pesa.
- Enter the Safaricom number you are sending to.
- Type the amount.
- Check the name and the fee on the confirmation screen, then enter your Airtel Money PIN.
You will get an SMS from Airtel, and the receiver gets a normal M-Pesa confirmation message. If the name shown does not match the person you meant to pay, cancel before entering your PIN. Reversing a wrong cross-network transfer is slower than reversing one within the same network.
How much it costs
These are the fees Airtel Kenya publishes for transfers to other networks.
| Amount (KSh) | Fee (KSh) |
|---|---|
| 10 to 100 | Not available |
| 101 to 500 | 7 |
| 501 to 1,000 | 13 |
| 1,001 to 1,500 | 23 |
| 1,501 to 2,500 | 33 |
| 2,501 to 3,500 | 53 |
| 3,501 to 5,000 | 57 |
| 5,001 to 7,500 | 78 |
| 7,501 to 10,000 | 90 |
| 10,001 to 15,000 | 100 |
| 15,001 to 20,000 | 105 |
| 20,001 to 250,000 | 108 |
Airtel’s tariff does not list a cross-network fee for amounts of KSh 100 and below, so expect small transfers under KSh 101 to M-Pesa not to go through. If you only need to send a small amount, top it up to at least KSh 101.
The fees are exactly the same as what M-Pesa charges its own users to send money, so you are not paying a penalty for crossing networks. The only real saving you miss is Airtel’s free Airtel to Airtel transfers.
Check any amount here:
Limits to know
| Limit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Per transaction | KSh 250,000 |
| Per day | KSh 500,000 |
| Wallet balance | KSh 500,000 |
These apply on both sides, so the M-Pesa wallet you are sending to must also have room under its KSh 500,000 balance cap or the transfer will fail.
When it makes sense
- Paying a shop or person who only has M-Pesa. The fee is the same as an M-Pesa send, so there is no reason to withdraw and redeposit, which would cost you a withdrawal fee on top.
- Moving your own money. If you have cash in Airtel Money and need it in M-Pesa for Fuliza, a paybill or a Lipa na M-Pesa till, send it to your own Safaricom number.
For a side by side look at both wallets, see our M-Pesa vs Airtel Money comparison.
