Money in Kenya: M-Pesa, cards and cash, explained for visitors

Three things to sort before you fly

• Tell your bank you are travelling, and bring two cards on different networks, kept in different places.
• Check what your card charges for foreign payments and cash withdrawals.
• Decide on your phone: a Safaricom line gives you calls, data and M-Pesa; a travel eSIM gives you data only. The sister site's SIM or eSIM guide compares the two.

The Kenyan shilling

Kenya's currency is the Kenyan shilling (KES, often written KSh). Notes come in 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 shillings, and coins up to 40 shillings. The Central Bank of Kenya publishes a daily indicative rate; your bank's app shows the rate you will actually get.

Cards

• Cards are widely accepted in the cities and popular tourist areas, but not in remote places.
• Ask for the card machine to come to you, and keep your card in sight.
• Parks run by the Kenya Wildlife Service don't take cash at the gate. Pay by M-Pesa or card, and check the current payment options before you go.
• Ride-hailing apps take cards, but not always every card brand. Add a second card or M-Pesa in the app before you land.

Cash

You will want shillings for tips, markets, small shops, roadside stops and anywhere upcountry. A few US dollars make a useful backup, but bring relatively new notes in good condition: banks in Kenya have been known to refuse older ones. Change money at a bank or a bureau licensed by the Central Bank, never on the street. Large sums of cash must be declared when you arrive and when you leave: check the Kenya Revenue Authority's passenger guide before you fly.

Cash machines

• Use machines inside banks, malls or hotels, in daylight.
• Cover the keypad, and don't use a machine with anything loose or bulky around the card slot.
• Don't take out large amounts at once: people have been followed after withdrawing cash.

M-Pesa for visitors, step by step

• At a Safaricom shop, buy a line and register it in your name with your passport. SIM cards are also sold in the arrivals area at JKIA.
• Ask the shop to register M-Pesa too. A text brings a temporary PIN: open the M-Pesa menu, choose Activate, enter that PIN, create your own secret PIN, then enter the ID number you registered with.
• Top up by handing cash to any M-Pesa agent, with your phone and ID. They send it to your M-Pesa.

Then there are three ways to pay:

• Buy Goods, for shops and restaurants with a till number: Lipa na M-Pesa, Buy Goods, the till number, the amount, your PIN.
• Pay Bill, for bigger businesses: Lipa na M-Pesa, Pay Bill, the business number, the account number they give you, the amount, your PIN.
• Send Money, for paying a person, such as a guide: Send Money, their phone number, the amount, your PIN.

Before you confirm, check the name on the screen. A text confirms every payment; show it to the seller. If you send money to the wrong number, forward the M-Pesa message to 456 to ask for a reversal.

If you can't get M-Pesa

Use cards in hotels, malls and restaurants, and cash for the rest. We can help you arrange transport and stays before you arrive, so fewer payments are left for the trip.

Coming home: your old line

If you kept your Kenyan line, check it is still active before you fly, so M-Pesa works when you land. Safaricom's Daima service keeps a prepaid line active for six months to two years while you are away. If a line has gone inactive but the number hasn't been given to someone else, Safaricom can recreate it, and customers abroad can ask by email with a scan of their ID or passport. See our homecoming guide.

Tipping

Tipping is appreciated for good service, never compulsory. Safari guides, drivers and hotel staff are usually thanked at the end of a stay, often in an envelope or a shared staff box. Ask us what is usual for your trip.

Money safety

• Never share your M-Pesa PIN, even with someone who says they are from Safaricom. Safaricom says it only calls from 0722 000 000.
• "I sent you money by mistake" is a common scam. Check your real balance before sending anything back: genuine M-Pesa messages come from M-PESA, never from a person's number. Forward suspicious texts to 333.
• Keep most of your cash in the safe, and count your change.

Our safety guide covers other scams to know about.

Paying for bookings from abroad

Booking transport with our sister company? Its guides explain paying from abroad and the car hire security deposit. For everything else on your first trip, read our first-timer's guide and the eTA checklist, read our guide to getting around Kenya, or plan your trip with us.