Safaricom has just launched M-Pesa Global in partnership with Western Union. This means M-Pesa users can now send and receive money from the USA or anywhere else using a mobile phone—a smart or even a feature phone.
Finally, you can breathe a sigh of relief and say goodbye to cumbersome bank transfer processes and expensive bank conversion rates.
No more calling banks, sending emails to ask for bank SWIFT codes, or waiting for hours because of time zone differences.
M-Pesa Global now allows you to easily send cash up to a maximum of Sh 70,000.
This is how it works:
Using the USSD, type *840#. If you have the mySafaricom App, go to M-Pesa Global within the M-Pesa menu and type in your details.
It will cost you a minimum of Sh 100 for a transaction of up to Sh 5,000 and Sh 500 for remitting offshore more than Sh 35,000.
And there is more. Users can now send money to UAE, Germany, and Britain bank accounts. According to Safaricom, the list of countries will grow in the coming weeks.
How to withdraw money from Western Union to M-Pesa
Go to the Western Union website and sign in first
Click on ‘Get Started Now”
Choose the country of the recipient where you want the money to be sent. If it’s Kenya then scroll down and choose ‘Kenya’
Indicate the amount you want to send or receive money from USA. You can send a maximum of 50,000 USD
Choose how your receiver wishes to receive the money. There are three options listed, cash picks up, bank account, and mobile wallet. Since we are discussing a transfer to the mobile directly you need to choose the ‘mobile wallet’ option
Choose your payment method. There are five options available: Credit/Debit card, Bank account, Wire transfer, Instant bank pay, and Pay in-store. Choose the ‘Bank Account’ option.
MUST READ: How to Transfer Money to Equity Account via Mpesa
You will be able to see the summary of your transaction
A clear view of the exchange rate, transfer amount, transfer fee, and service time will all be disclosed to you
If you have a promo code, you can use it to earn a discount on your transaction. Just click on the ‘I have a promo code tab
You and the receiver will receive a confirmation message to show that the transaction was successful
How to send money from M-Pesa to Western Union
If you are transferring money from M-Pesa to Western Union:
Dial *840#
Accept Terms and Conditions
Follow the prompts to the end
Say you want to send money to a friend in Tanzania from your M-Pesa account. Go to M-Pesa and select Lipa Na M-Pesa. Select Pay Bill and enter business number 255255.
Enter the recipient’s mobile number as the account number in the format 2557XXXXXXXX then Enter the amount, M-Pesa PIN, and confirm the transaction.
You can also go to “M-Pesa Global” under the M-Pesa menu on mySafaricomApp.
Whether you are in Kenya or overseas, M-Pesa goes with you. There is no reason to panic that you do not have cash. Your mobile wallet will sort you out!
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