Updated 2 November 2026
The Absa Bank tariff guide in force today is the one effective 1 June 2026. Under it, an Absa One Personal Account and Absa Ignite have no monthly fee, a Prestige Current Account costs KSh 1,500 a month and a Premier Current Account KSh 3,100. Withdrawing at an Absa ATM with a debit card costs KSh 30, a counter withdrawal below KSh 40,000 costs KSh 400, and sending KSh 1,000 from your Absa account to M-Pesa costs KSh 16.50. Below are the main charges by section, worked examples and how to cut what you pay.
Updated November 2026 from the official Absa Bank Kenya tariff guide (effective 1 June 2026) on absabank.co.ke. Excise duty applies on top: 15% on money transfer and agency withdrawal fees and 20% on most other fees, according to the guide.
Absa Bank tariff guide: monthly account fees
| Account | Monthly maintenance fee |
|---|---|
| Absa One Personal Account | Free |
| Absa Ignite | Free |
| Absa Ultimate Account | KSh 710 |
| Prestige Current Account | KSh 1,500 |
| Premier Current Account | KSh 3,100 |
| Premier or Prestige Current Pay As You Go | Free (you pay per transaction) |
| La Riba One Personal / Sultanah Salaried | Free |
| La Riba Prestige Current Account | KSh 1,255 |
| Absa One Biashara and Uwezo (business) | Free |
| Business Flexi | KSh 605 |
| Business Solutions Current Account | KSh 920 |
| Business Bouquet | KSh 1,075 |
| Local Business Club Account | KSh 2,700 |
If you mostly bank on the app and rarely walk into a branch, a free account such as Absa One saves you up to KSh 37,200 a year compared with Premier. Premier and Prestige make sense mainly if you use the lounge access, relationship manager and the bundled free services they come with.
ATM, counter and card charges
- Absa ATM withdrawal (debit card): KSh 30. With a prepaid card it is KSh 50.
- Withdrawal at another bank’s ATM: KSh 220.
- Counter withdrawal: KSh 400 for amounts below KSh 40,000 and KSh 310 for amounts above KSh 40,000.
- Absa ATM mini statement printout: KSh 5. Balance enquiry and mini statement on mobile banking are free.
- New or replacement debit card: KSh 460 (Infinite debit card KSh 1,000).
- Forex mark-up on debit card spend abroad: 3.20%.
- Stop cheque: KSh 500. A cheque returned “refer to drawer” costs KSh 4,000, the single most expensive everyday charge in the guide.
- Banker’s cheque: KSh 600 (KSh 150 for Business Club customers).
Absa to M-Pesa and Airtel Money charges
Bank-to-wallet fees are where most people feel the Absa Bank tariff guide every week. These are the “Bank Direct” bands in the June 2026 guide:
| Amount sent (KSh) | To M-Pesa | To Airtel Money |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 100 | Free | Free |
| 101 – 500 | 11.90 | 12.05 |
| 501 – 1,000 | 16.50 | 14.35 |
| 1,001 – 1,500 | 19.95 | 21.25 |
| 1,501 – 2,500 | 27.40 | 27.85 |
| 2,501 – 3,500 | 38.90 | 39.35 |
| 3,501 – 5,000 | 52.70 | 50.70 |
| 5,001 – 7,500 | 63.90 | 62.05 |
| 7,501 – 20,000 (M-Pesa) / 7,501 – 15,000 (Airtel) | 75.40 | 73.20 |
| Above 20,000 (M-Pesa) / above 15,000 (Airtel) | 78.55 | 73.25 |
Depositing from M-Pesa or Airtel Money into your Absa account is free on Absa’s side, though the wallet’s own paybill charge may apply.
Transfers: PesaLink, EFT, RTGS and SWIFT
| Transfer | Charge |
|---|---|
| Between your own Absa accounts | Free |
| Absa to Absa on mobile or internet banking | KSh 25 (KSh 50 over the counter) |
| PesaLink KSh 10 – 500 | Free |
| PesaLink KSh 501 – 1,000 | KSh 50 |
| PesaLink KSh 1,001 – 5,000 | KSh 60 |
| PesaLink KSh 5,001 – 10,000 | KSh 70 |
| PesaLink KSh 10,001 – 50,000 | KSh 80 |
| PesaLink KSh 50,001 – 100,000 | KSh 120 |
| PesaLink KSh 500,001 – 999,999 | KSh 220 |
| RTGS on mobile or internet banking | KSh 300 (KSh 500 over the counter) |
| EFT started by a teller | KSh 475 |
| International transfer on mobile or internet banking | KSh 1,500 |
| International transfer over the counter | 0.25% of the amount (min USD 25, max USD 65) |
| Incoming international transfer | USD 12 or the KSh equivalent |
Incoming RTGS and PesaLink payments are free. For a large one-off payment, an RTGS on the app (KSh 300) is often cheaper than PesaLink above KSh 100,000; our PesaLink vs RTGS vs EFT comparison explains speed and limits.
Loan, overdraft and credit card fees
- Negotiation or access fee: 3.30% on personal unsecured, personal secured, business and asset finance loans, and on overdrafts; 2% on an Absa home loan.
- Loan amendment or restructuring: 2.5% of the loan amount.
- Absa Digi Loan (short-term): up to 10.5%.
- Timiza 30-day loan: access fee 8.75% of the amount, plus excise duty of 20% of that fee, collected upfront; roll-over fee 10% of outstanding principal.
- Credit card annual fees: Simplicity Classic KSh 1,500, Classic KSh 3,000, Gold KSh 6,000, Platinum and Signature KSh 8,000, Infinite KSh 10,000. Late payment is 10% (minimum KSh 1,000) and a cash advance 6.5% (minimum KSh 100).
Fees are only part of borrowing cost. Check current interest rates in our Absa loan interest rates guide and estimate repayments with the Absa loan calculator.
Worked examples
- Salary earner on Absa One: 4 Absa ATM withdrawals (KSh 120), 6 transfers of KSh 3,000 to M-Pesa (KSh 233.40) and no maintenance fee: about KSh 353 a month before excise duty.
- Same habits on Premier: add KSh 3,100, so about KSh 3,453 a month.
- Paying a supplier KSh 80,000: PesaLink costs KSh 120; RTGS on the app costs KSh 300.
How to pay less at Absa
- Use the app for Absa-to-Absa transfers (KSh 25) instead of the counter (KSh 50).
- Withdraw at Absa ATMs (KSh 30) rather than other banks’ (KSh 220).
- Batch M-Pesa transfers: the fee for KSh 20,000 (KSh 75.40) is far less than four transfers of KSh 5,000 (KSh 210.80).
- Avoid bounced cheques and failed standing orders; an unpaid standing order is KSh 4,000.
Comparing banks? See Absa vs KCB and the Family Bank tariff guide. For contacts and paybill details, see Absa paybill, SWIFT code and customer care.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How much does Absa charge to withdraw at the ATM?
KSh 30 at an Absa ATM with a debit card, KSh 50 with a prepaid card and KSh 220 at another bank’s ATM, under the June 2026 Absa Bank tariff guide, plus excise duty.
How much is Absa to M-Pesa for KSh 1,000?
KSh 16.50. Amounts up to KSh 100 are free and the top band, above KSh 20,000, costs KSh 78.55.
Does the Absa One account have a monthly fee?
No. The Absa One Personal Account and Absa Ignite have no monthly maintenance fee; you pay only for the transactions you make.
What is the Absa counter withdrawal fee?
KSh 400 for withdrawals below KSh 40,000 and KSh 310 for withdrawals above KSh 40,000.
Where can I download the Absa tariff guide?
On the Absa Bank Kenya rates and fees page at absabank.co.ke, which links the current tariff guide PDF and the bank-to-wallet charges.
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