In this post, we look at different ways to send money to Kenya from different countries using the fastest and least expensive ways available.
Are you looking for easy way to send Money to Kenya fast without incurring too much cost? If yes, check out this guide on reliable ways to send money to the Eastern African country from the US, Europe and other countries.
Sending Money to Kenya: Overview
Sending money to Kenya, or even Africa as a whole should not be the daunting task it was many years ago. Especially with new technologies rolling out every day and spreading even to places that were once considered as remote.
Before deciding which method you want to use, it is important to consider several factors. They include the period the transfer is expected to take, how the receiver will receive the money, where you are sending the money from and the cost of the transaction.
Sending money to Kenya is relatively easy due to the widespread use of mobile money. This means the receiver will not have to wait 3-5 working days for the money to reflect in the bank accounts, as is the case with PayPal.
Most international money transfer services that operate in Kenya have collaborated with at least one of the two leading mobile money services in the country, M-pesa and Airtel Money. This has helped reduce the transfer time and save costs. Most services even support the instant cash service.
Today, most money transfer companies operate online through websites and mobile apps so it should be more convenient for the sender. Use of credit cards and debit cards make it possible to send money to people who are visiting Kenya for short periods.
Kenya currently uses SWIFT, but not IBAN.
Sending Money to Kenya: Costs
As it is with all other countries, sending money to Kenya attracts several types of costs. This depends on how fast the delivery is, where you are sending the money from and exchange rate costs. Charges differ, what you will pay for a bank-to-bank transfer is not the same if you are using a credit or debit card.
Some of the costs associated with sending money to Kenya include transfer fee and exchange rate costs. Most companies also charge a flat fee and or a percentage of the total amount you are sending. Ensure you do your research well to avoid being surprised by hidden costs when it’s too late.
Kenyan Currency and Exchange Rates
The currency used in Kenya is the Kenyan Shilling. Here are the currenct exchange rates for the KES as of April 11, 2019.
1 USD to KES: 101.13 KES.
1 GBP to KES: 132.47 KES.
1 CHF to KES: 101.02 KES.
1 AUD to KES: 72.38 KES.
1 CAD to KES: 75.73 KES.
Sending Money to Kenya: Cheap and Fast Options
The following is our list of the fastest and cheapest ways to send money to Kenya.
Cheapest and Fastest Ways to Send Money to Kenya
XE Money Transfer
XE is a foreign exchange site that also offers money transfers at very low rates. However, this is in exchange for more transfer time.
Click here to visit XE money transfers
TransferWise
TransferWise is an online international money transfer service that you can use to transfer money to Kenya. They have low rates and transfers take 1 business day deliver.
Click here visit TransferWise
World Remit
This is one of the most convenient ways of sending money to Kenya from the US, UK, Sweden and other countries. The service is low cost and fast. The recipients will receive the funds typically within 24 hrs for bank transfers. They also provide direct transfer to M-pesa accounts where the money is received in minutes once approved.
Click here to visit WorldRemit
PayPal
PayPal is one of the most used way of sending money. It has low rates and instead of withdrawing the money to the banks, which takes 3-5 days on average, the recipient can withdraw directly to their M-pesa account which takes about 2 hrs.
Click here to visit PayPal
Azimo
Azimo is another affordable option to send money to Kenya. It transfers money to banks within 24 hrs or within 1 hr to cash pick up locations. Azimo also supports instant mobile wallet cash delivery to M-pesa. Currently it is free for the first two transfers.
Click here to visit Azimo
Western Union
Western Union is one of the oldest international money transfer service provider having been in operation for over a century. It collaborates with M-pesa, the country’s top mobile money service to enable transfer of money to Kenya in minutes. You can now send money directly to the recipient’s mobile phone in Kenya.
Click here to visit Western Union
MoneyGram
MoneyGram isn’t exactly the cheapest option to transfer money to Kenya but it is one of the fastest there is. With over 2000 outlets countrywide, the recipients can pick up cash at the outlets or receive it through M-pesa.
Click here to visit Moneygram
Biggest Banks in Kenya and Swift Codes
Equity Bank – Swift: EQBLKENA
Commercial Bank of Africa – Swift: CBAFKENX
KCB Bank Kenya – Swift: KCBLKENX
Family Bank Kenya – Swift: FABLKENA
The post How to Send Money to Kenya (Cheapest and Fastest Ways) appeared first on Value Nomad.
