In this article, we’ve analyzed the current M-pesa charges for paybill, M-pesa charges for withdrawals, M-pesa paybill for KPLC, M-pesa paybill for airtel airtime, and more.
M-Pesa Paybill Services allows people to buy goods (from supermarkets, gas stations, and so on), deposit money into their bank accounts, and pay utility bills (such as electricity, hospital bills, and school bills, among others) from the comfort of their mobile phones.
However, to use paybill services, you must incur some charges, which vary depending on the amount of money transacted.
For a long time, M-PESA paybills were subject to high transaction fees, but that has now changed, thanks partly to the Central Bank of Kenya. Safaricom reduced paybill charges by nearly half as of January 1, 2023.
This decision was made to ensure customer affordability and mitigate the current economic challenges.
Now, let’s take a look at the current M-pesa charges for paybill.
M-pesa charges for paybill
The current M-Pesa paybill charges are 61% lower than the previous rates.
Furthermore, M-Pesa to bank transactions was reduced by 47% on average.
Paybills that used to attract up to Kshs. 23 (that is, between Kshs. 100 and Kshs. 500) are now attracting as little as Kshs. 4. Transactions under Kshs. 100, on the other hand, remains to be zero-rated.
The following are the current paybill charges, which went into effect on January 1, 2023:
| MIN (Kshs.) | MAX (Kshs.) | CHARGES (Kshs.) | CHARGES (Kshs.) |
| M-pesa to Business Tariff | Business to M-pesa Tariff | ||
| 1 | 49 | 0 | 0 |
| 50 | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| 101 | 500 | 4 | 4 |
| 501 | 1,000 | 9 | 4 |
| 1;001 | 1,500 | 14 | 4 |
| 1,501 | 2,500 | 19 | 8 |
| 2,501 | 3,500 | 24 | 8 |
| 3,501 | 5,000 | 33 | 8 |
| 5,001 | 7,500 | 40 | 10 |
| 7,500 | 10,000 | 46 | 10 |
| 10,001 | 15,000 | 55 | 10 |
| 15,001 | 20,000 | 60 | 10 |
| 20,001 | 25,000 | 65 | 12 |
| 25001 | 30,000 | 70 | 12 |
| 30001 | 35,000 | 80 | 12 |
| 35001 | 40,000 | 96 | 12 |
| 40001 | 45,000 | 100 | 12 |
| 45001 | 50,000 | 105 | 12 |
| 50001 | 70,000 | 105 | 12 |
| 70001 | 150,000 | 105 | 12 |
The M-Pesa to Business Tariff is where you pay your bills from your M-Pesa account using the company’s business number. The customer incurs all the transaction fees. For example, when using Pay Bill services to deposit money into bank accounts or to your pay bills.
Business-to-M-pesa paybill charges, on the other hand, are the fees you or the business will incur when depositing money into M-pesa from business accounts. When you withdraw money from a bank into your M-Pesa account, for example, you are charged some fees.
In addition to the M-pesa charges for paybill, there are now transfer charges from your M-PESA to bank accounts based on the amount of money transferred. The same also applies when transferring funds from your bank to your M-Pesa account.
Each bank has specified the fees that are to be incurred.
M-pesa charges for withdrawal
When withdrawing money from M-PESA agent outlets, you will be charged M-PESA fees based on the amount of money you withdraw.
The following fees are incurred when withdrawing cash from M-Pesa agent outlets or ATMs:
i. Withdrawal charges from M-PESA Agent 2023
| Min (Kshs.) | Max (Kshs.) | M-pesa charges (Kshs.) |
| 1 | 49 | N/A |
| 50 | 100 | 10 |
| 101 | 500 | 27 |
| 501 | 2,500 | 28 |
| 2,501 | 3,500 | 50 |
| 3,501 | 5,000 | 67 |
| 5,001 | 7,500 | 84 |
| 7,500 | 10,000 | 112 |
| 10,001 | 15,000 | 162 |
| 15,000 | 20,000 | 180 |
| 20,001 | 35,000 | 191 |
| 35,001 | 50,000 | 270 |
| 50,001 | 150,000 | 300 |
Pro-tip: As you can see from the table above, withdrawals between Kshs. 1 and Kshs. 49 are not applicable because Safaricom limits the amount you can withdraw.
You cannot withdraw less than Kshs. 50, but you can transact up to Kshs. 300,000 per day with a maximum of Kshs. 150,000 at a time.
ii. ATM withdrawal charges 2023
| Min (Kshs.) | Max (Kshs.) | M-pesa charges |
| 200 | 2500 | 34 |
| 2501 | 5000 | 67 |
| 5001 | 10000 | 112 |
| 10001 | 20000 | 197 |
Just so you know, the maximum amount you can withdraw from an ATM is Kshs. 70,000 per day with a withdrawable amount of Kshs. 20,000 per transaction.
M-pesa paybill for KPLC
KPLC provides power to more than 80% of Kenya’s population, but the power is paid for.
The most popular method of paying KPLC bills is through M-Pesa Paybill on your mobile phone. It is extremely quick, safe, and convenient.
Furthermore, the channel charges customers transaction fees. The paybill fees, on the other hand, vary depending on the amount you’re transacting.
For post-paid and pre-paid bill payments, the KPLC paybill numbers are 888888 and 888880, respectively.
To pay your KPLC bill using M-Pesa Paybill, follow the steps below:
- Go to M-pesa menu, then to Lipa na M-pesa.
- Choose Pay Bill.
- Enter your KPLC paybill number (that is 888888 for postpaid customers or 888880 for the prepaid customers).
- Enter your complete KPLC account number.
- Enter the Amount you want to pay.
- Enter your M-pesa PIN then send it, and wait for a confirmation message.
M-pesa paybill for Airtel airtime
You can buy Airtel airtime for your Airtel line through Safaricom’s M-Pesa paybill.
The following are the steps to take when purchasing Airtel airtime via M-Pesa:
- Navigate to the M-Pesa menu.
- Select “Pay Bill” from the “Lipa na M-Pesa” menu.
- Enter Business No. 220220
- Enter Account No. 07xxxxxxxx (where 07xxxxxxxx is the airtel mobile number)
- Enter the amount of money you want to spend.
- Enter your M-Pesa pin and press Send.
Please keep in mind that M-pesa paybill charges will apply.
M-pesa paybill for DSTV
Do you want to use M-Pesa to pay for your DStv monthly subscription? All you need is your smartcard number and the paybill number, which is 444900.
Here’s how to make an M-Pesa payment:
- Go to your M-pesa Menu and then to Lipa na M-pesa
- Choose Pay Bill.
- Enter 444900 as the company’s business number.
- Enter your DStv smartcard number as the account number.
- Enter the amount to be paid.
- Enter your M-Pesa pin and click Send. M-Pesa and the DStv Company will then send you a confirmation message.
M-Pesa paybill charges will also be applied once more.
M-pesa charges for paybill – FAQs
Does paybill have charges?
Yes, there are charges on paybills. When using M-Pesa paybill services, you will be charged a fee based on the amount of money you spend. Any paybill transaction under Kshs. 100, however, is free of charge.
How do I check my paybill charges?
You use the USSD code *234# as follows:
- Dial *234# and then choose option 5 for My M-pesa information, followed by option 2 for Tariff Query.
- Go to option 5 for Lipa na M-Pesa.
- Enter the paybill or merchant till number for which you want to know the charges.
- Enter the amount you want to pay with paybill.
- The M-Pesa paybill charges will then appear on the screen of your phone.
Wrap up on M-pesa Charges for Paybill
Finally, Safaricom M-PESA paybills now support both single transactions and bulk payments. Paybills allow you to conduct transactions anytime while incurring low transaction costs.
So, use Paybill to simplify your financial transactions today.
Also Read:
Here are the M-pesa Charges for Sending Money and Withdrawal 2023