M-Pesa allows registered M-Pesa users to send and receive funds from relatives and friends abroad through the M-Pesa Global service, to millions of Bank accounts and over 500,000 Western Union locations globally.
With M-Pesa Global you can send a minimum amount of Ksh 101 and a maximum of Ksh 70,000 to any country recognized by Safaricom.
The person you are sending money to will receive the funds in their country’s currency.
See also: How to Deposit Money from Mpesa to Equity Bank
There are no charges for sending money to other countries, however, the Prevailing Forex Rates will apply.
How to Register for M-Pesa Global Service
From your M-Pesa registered line:
- Dial *840#
- Enter your physical location
- Accept terms and conditions to Opt in
- Enter your M-Pesa PIN
- After a short while, you will receive a notification welcoming you to M-Pesa Global services.
How to Send Money from M-Pesa Global to Western Union
After successfully opting in for the M-Pesa Global service you can send money by following these steps:
- Dial *840#
- Select Western Union Location
- Choose New Recipient
- Enter recipient’s First, Last and Middle names
- Enter the amount you wish to transfer
- Select the Destination
- Type the two letter destination country ISO code (if you selected Other). Get the ISO code here: International Country Codes (ISO) and Calling Codes.
- State Purpose of the funds
- State Source of the funds
- Confirm transaction details and charges
- Enter your M-Pesa PIN and Send
- You will receive M-Pesa SMS and another SMS with the MTCN from M-PESA Global which should be shared with the Recipient.
You can also use the mySafaricom app to conveniently send to Western Union in other countries:
- From mySafaricom app select M-Pesa
- Select M-Pesa Global
- Accept terms and conditions to Opt in
- Select Western Union
- Enter Recipients details (must match those on ID)
- Select Country
- Now, Select Currency
- Enter Amount and select Source & Purpose of Funds
- If you select Other, then type the source
- Click Send
- Confirm transactions and complete by entering your M-Pesa PIN.
Note: When sending funds to South Africa through M-Pesa Global, you may be required to enter a “secret word” which you can share only with the person receiving the funds in South Africa.