M-PESA International Money Transfer
M-PESA International Money Transfer (IMT) is an innovative way to send from abroad to someone in Kenya. The money is sent directly in to the Receiver’s Mobile phone, to the M-PESA Account, and can then be used in various ways. The money transfer is received close to instantly (time of an SMS text message). Both the Sender & Receiver are sent a confirmation SMS text message from M-PESA.
Western Union and M-PESA International Money Transfer Service
Frequently Asked Questions
/
What’s happening? On March 31st 2011, Western Union and Safaricom announced the global expansion of their international mobile money transfer service. The service was previously offered by Western Union and Safaricom between the UK and Kenya via 12,000 Western Union Agent locations and westernunion.co.uk.
The service will allow people to send funds from more than 80,000 Western Union Agent locations in 45 countries and territories directly to Safaricom M-PESA subscribers in Kenya.
The service will allow people to send funds from more than 80,000 Western Union Agent locations in 45 countries and territories directly to Safaricom M-PESA subscribers in Kenya.
What is mobile money transfer? MMT is Mobile Money Transfer and is the generic name applied to mobile-enabled money transfer services – both domestic and cross-border. Essentially, it’s sending and/or receiving money with your mobile phone.
How does it work? This service will allow anyone in 45 countries and territories to visit a participating Western Union Agent location and send money to an M-PESA mobile phone in Kenya. The transaction is similar to a traditional cash-to-cash money transfer, except the sender specifies the recipient’s mobile phone number at the time the funds are sent. Recipients in Kenya must subscribe to the M-PESA service through Safaricom to access the service.
Does the sender have to have a mobile phone? The sender does not have to have a mobile phone, but he or she will need to provide a contact number in case of an issue with the transaction. The sender will also be given a paper receipt from the Western Union Agent once the money is sent. If the sender provides a valid mobile phone number, Western Union will send him or her a text message to when the funds have been sent.
Who are the partners with this service? The service is offered by Western Union and Safaricom.
Where will the service be offered? Click here to locate agents
The list of countries will be updated as more countries are made active on the service.
| 1 | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | 24 | BURKINA FASO |
| 2 | CANADA | 25 | UGANDA |
| 3 | UNITED KINGDOM | 26 | KUWAIT |
| 4 | SWITZERLAND | 27 | OMAN |
| 5 | ITALY | 28 | ZAMBIA |
| 6 | NETHERLANDS | 29 | NIGER |
| 7 | TANZANIA | 30 | SAUDI ARABIA |
| 8 | DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO | 31 | SWEDEN |
| 9 | GUAM | 32 | IRELAND |
| 10 | NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS | 33 | SPAIN |
| 11 | AMERICAN SAMOA | 34 | DENMARK |
| 12 | MALAYSIA | 35 | BELGIUM |
| 13 | HONG KONG | 36 | RUSSIA |
| 14 | SINGAPORE | 37 | FINLAND |
| 15 | GREECE | 38 | NORWAY |
| 16 | SENEGAL | 39 | FRANCE |
| 17 | UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | 40 | LEBANON |
| 18 | CAMEROON | 41 | RWANDA |
| 19 | JORDAN | 42 | QATAR |
| 20 | YEMEN | 43 | BAHRAIN |
| 21 | COTE D’IVOIRE | 44 | BOTSWANA |
| 22 | MALI | 45 | PAKISTAN |
| 23 | BENIN |
How do I find an M-PESA location in Kenya? Please log onto www.safaricom.co.ke and look for the tab M-PESA Agents tabin the M-PESA section for details of current agent locations. This list is regularly updated.
Who can use the M-PESA International Money Transfer service? The sender does not have to be a registered M-PESA customer to send money on this service.
Any person registered for M-PESA can receive money via IMT. If you do not have an M-PESA account, please visit any of M-PESA Agent outlets countrywide and you will be advised on how to register and activate your account. You will need your Identification Documents and your Safaricom line.
Any person registered for M-PESA can receive money via IMT. If you do not have an M-PESA account, please visit any of M-PESA Agent outlets countrywide and you will be advised on how to register and activate your account. You will need your Identification Documents and your Safaricom line.
Does the recipient need to be a Safaricom M-PESA customer? Yes – the recipient must be a Safaricom M-PESA customer to receive IMT. This is because the money being sent to you shall be credited to your M-PESA account.
What do I require in order to use M-PESA international Money Transfer Service? - The recipient must be a Safaricom subscriber to receive funds through M-PESA IMT.
- If the recipient is not registered on M-PESA, he gets an SMS confirming that (s)he has received funds and (s)he needs to register within 21 days to access the funds.
Where in Kenya can I receive money sent to my M-PESA account via IMT? You can go to any M-PESA agent countrywide to withdraw your funds, just the same as if they were sent by another M-PESA customer. Alternatively, you can use the money to pay bills, buy airtime or send money to other subscribers in Kenya.
How much money can I receive? The maximum amount that can be sent at any one time via M-PESA is approximately KShs. 35,000. The limits per day, per month or per year shall depend on the country the money is sent from. The sender shall be advised at the Western Union Agent outlet (s)he uses.
What is the cost of sending money via M-PESA International Money Transfer? Charges for sending money via M-PESA vary depending on the amount sent, the country from which it is being sent and the agent at which the money is being sent from. The Western Union Agent will advise the sender of all fees before the funds are sent.
What exchange rate will be used at the time the money is being sent? Conversion will be done when the funds are sent. The sender will be advised by the Western Union Agent of the prevailing exchange rate, and the equivalent amount the customer in Kenya will receive on his or her M-PESA account.
Will I be charged for receiving money? There is no charge to the recipient for receiving IMT via M-PESA, but all normal M-PESA charges will subsequently apply i.e. to send money to another M-PESA subscriber, withdraw cash etc.
Can I send money to other countries using M-PESA from Kenya? No, currently, the service only allows one-way transfer of funds to Kenya.
Will any network coverage affect my collection of money sent to me from the UK? Money will be received into your M-PESA account, even if it is sent to you when you are out of coverage area. You can always check your current balance on M-PESA as per normal.
How much time does it take for money sent to reach me in Kenya? The funds should reach you immediately once the money has been sent. Normally, it will take just a few seconds for you to receive the SMS confirmation of the transaction. Note that if your friend sends you money from a Western Union location but you are not registered, you will receive the notification immediately but will need to register for M-PESA to access your money.
Will I get a message to notify me that I have received money ? As with any other M-PESA transaction, you will receive an SMS notifying you of the transaction details, including receipt number, amount in KShs, Balance, time stamp, sender and senders’ location. Sample SMS’ are:
- Sent via Western Union to a registered M-PESA customer: G68EG702 confirmed. You have received Ksh5, 000 from Julia Njeri via Western Union on 24/4/09 at 3:56PM. New M-PESA balance is Ksh10, 500.
- Sent via Western Union to a non-registered M-PESA customer: G68EG702 Confirmed. Ksh5, 000 was sent to you via Western Union and M-PESA. You must register at an M-PESA Agent within 21 days to access these funds. Receipt G68EG702 on 24/4/09 at 3:58PM. Please call customer care on 234
What are the benefits of using M-PESA in Kenya? M-PESA allows you to make transactions quickly, safely and affordably by using SMS technology. This has many benefits to customers in terms of convenience, security and ease of use. The service is affordably priced, and receivers can access funds at over 24,000 agent outlets across Kenya.
Can I use M-PESA if my line is expired? The M-PESA service uses the Safaricom network for sending and receiving SMS to your phone. Your Safaricom line will need to be active for you to use M-PESA. If your Safaricom line is expired, the one transaction you will be able to do is to use M-PESA to top-up your line. Topping up will make your line active again!
What is the difference between a registered M-PESA customer and an unregistered customer? An M-PESA customer’s SIM-Card has M-PESA active menu on it and access to all M-PESA services. An unregistered customer is one that can only receive money from an M-PESA customer and it can be Safaricom or any other mobile network. An unregistered customer can withdraw money sent to him by an M-PESA customer in Kenya from any Agent within 7 days, but cannot carry out other M-PESA transactions. Registered customers can also withdraw cash from participating ATM networks. Unregistered customers will have to register within 21 days to receive funds via the IMT service.
For IMT transactions using Western Union, what happens if the receiver isn’t registered for M-PESA (but is has a Safaricom line)? As long as the recipient is on the Safaricom network, when a Mobile Money Transfer is sent, Safaricom will send an SMS to the receiver. They will be invited to register within 21 days. If they choose not to, or the 21 days elapses, the receiver can contact the sender for further transaction details (i.e. MTCN) and collect the money transfer through a Western Union Agent as per standard process.
What Anti Money Laundering (AML) controls are there to guard against money laundering? No.
All Agents are registered with their respective regulatory authorities for AML compliance. They are therefore required to undertake certain due diligence on the remitters in compliance with the respective countries laws and regulations. Safaricom, together with Western Union, also carry out screening of senders and receivers as required by law. Moreover, in many countries, senders will be required to provide proof of ID to the Agent before they can complete a transaction. Western Union and Safaricom also monitor transactions to detect suspicious activity and take action appropriately as per the laws and regulations.
All Agents are registered with their respective regulatory authorities for AML compliance. They are therefore required to undertake certain due diligence on the remitters in compliance with the respective countries laws and regulations. Safaricom, together with Western Union, also carry out screening of senders and receivers as required by law. Moreover, in many countries, senders will be required to provide proof of ID to the Agent before they can complete a transaction. Western Union and Safaricom also monitor transactions to detect suspicious activity and take action appropriately as per the laws and regulations.
Safaricom and Western Union launched international money transfer in 2008. Why has it taken so long to expand the IMT service? Safaricom and Western Union began with tests of the technical aspects of the service and to ensure a smooth customer experience for both the sender and the receiver. We have also worked closely with the relevant regulatory authorities to ensure that the service meets all requirements and international best practice.
We have offered the service from the UK since August of 2009, beginning with select Western Union locations in the UK and expanding over the next few months to all of the Western Union agents in the UK and the westernunion.com website in the UK.
We have offered the service from the UK since August of 2009, beginning with select Western Union locations in the UK and expanding over the next few months to all of the Western Union agents in the UK and the westernunion.com website in the UK.
What involvement have the Regulatory Authorities had with the M-PESA IMT launch? Safaricom and Western Union have since the inception of M-PESA worked closely with Central Bank of Kenya(CBK), which has always been facilitative. Safaricom was authorized on 3rd August 2009 to transact foreign-exchange business, having satisfied the CBK that the required controls and legal compliance are being met. Our partners have all been authorized by the relevant regulatory authority in the countries they operate in to transact international remittances.
If I want to be an Agent to do M-PESA IMT transactions, what do I require? To be an Agent providing M-PESA IMT transactions you will need to comply with the laws and regulation in the country where funds are being remitted from. However, please note that Safaricom is not actively seeking new Agents at this time. For more information, please send a request to m-pesa@safaricom.co.ke
