How to send money form M-Pesa to Airtel Money
Safaricom has recently made it possible for M-Pesa subscribers to send money from Airtel money, Telkom and other mobile operators via the M-Pesa Tuma Popote service.
In addition to that, Safaricom M-Pesa customers can send and receive money directly from other mobile money customers registered on Airtel or Telkom mobile directly from other money customers registered on Airtel or Telkom mobile networks via the M-pesa USSD code *334#.
It is important to note that the only way you can transfer money from M-Pesa to Airtel money is through USSD code *334# you cannot use the M-Pesa STK menu.
This method might not be as straight forward as expected since the service is only available via USSD and is not embedded within the SIM Toolkit thus sending money from M-Pesa to Airtel money will require you to remember some certain codes and it’s not as easy as just accessing the money menu on your SIM toolkit.
Any M-Pesa customer can transfer funds to Airtel customer who is registered on Airtel money or a Telkom user registered on Telkom Kenya.
The minimum amount you can send to Airtel Money users is a minimum of Ksh.101 and a maximum of daily limit Ksh.300, 000.
To transfer money from M-Pesa to Airtel money follow the simple steps below:
- Dial *334# from your M-Pesa registered line
- Next, select send money
- Select send to other Network
- Enter the Airtel mobile number or other network users number you want to transfer money to
- Enter amount
- Next enter your M-Pesa PIN
- Confirm the details and complete the transaction
- You will receive a confirmation message from M-Pesa for a successful transaction
The money will be deposited to the Airtel Money wallet of the recipient and can be withdrawn normally at Airtel Money Agents through the Airtel money STK menu.
In case you accidentally send money to the wrong number, immediately call Safaricom Customer care on 100 to initiate the reversal.
The service enables its users to:
- deposit and withdraw local currency
- transfer currencies to other users
- pay bills
- purchase airtime
- save currency in a virtual account (M-Shwari)
- transfer currencies between the service and, in some markets like Kenya, a bank account
- borrow money to complete a transaction when short on cash (Fuliza)
Airtel Money to M-pesa Transaction Charges
| Minimum Amount (Ksh.) | Maximum Amount (Ksh.) | Transaction Charges (Ksh.) |
| 1 | 100 | 0 |
| 101 | 500 | 7 |
| 501 | 1, 000 | 9 |
| 1, 001 | 1, 500 | 15 |
| 1, 501 | 2, 500 | 24 |
| 2, 501 | 3, 500 | 33 |
| 3, 501 | 5, 000 | 36 |
| 5, 001 | 7, 500 | 45 |
| 7, 501 | 10, 000 | 51 |
| 10, 001 | 15, 000 | 57 |
| 15, 001 | 20, 000 | 60 |
| 20, 001 | 70, 000 | 66 |
M-Pesa to Airtel Money Transaction Charges
| Minimum Amount (Ksh.) | Maximum Amount (Ksh.) | Transaction Charges (Ksh.) |
| 101 | 500 | 11 |
| 501 | 1, 000 | 15 |
| 1, 001 | 1, 500 | 26 |
| 1, 501 | 2, 500 | 41 |
| 2, 501 | 3, 500 | 56 |
| 3, 501 | 5, 000 | 61 |
| 5, 001 | 7, 500 | 77 |
| 7, 501 | 10, 000 | 87 |
| 10, 001 | 15, 000 | 97 |
| 15, 001 | 20, 000 | 102 |
| 20, 001 | 70, 000 | 105 |
It is also important to note that Airtel Money users can only withdraw from Airtel Money agents and not M-Pesa agent, the rule applies to M-Pesa users as well.
Conclusion
M-Pesa was launched first by Safaricom a Kenyan mobile network in March 2007. It quickly acquired a significant market share for cash transfers, and attained up to 17 million subscribers by December 2011 in Kenya.
The growth of the service forced formal banking institutions to take note of the new venture. In December 2008, a group of banks reportedly influenced the Kenyan finance minister to audit M-Pesa, in an effort to at least slow the growth of the service.
On 19 November 2014, Safaricom launched a companion Android app Safaricom M-Ledger for its M-Pesa users. The application, currently available only on Android, gives M-Pesa users a historical view of all their transactions. Many other companies’ business models rely on the M-Pesa system in Kenya, such SportPesa, M-Kopa etc.
Today Safaricom, has crossed over 30 million customers using the service every month in Kenya.
The milestone comes a few days after M-PESA marked its 15th year since its launch on 6th March 2007.
Kenya remains M-PESA’s most active market accounting for more than 30 million of the service’s 51 million customers across Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Lesotho, Ghana and Egypt.
