M-Pesa Tanzania Charges: Withdrawal Fees, Reversals and Sending to Kenya

On M-Pesa Tanzania, it's taking cash out that costs you, not sending. Small transfers to another M-Pesa user start at TZS 10, while withdrawing at an agent runs from TZS 185 on small amounts to TZS 12,000 on very large ones.

Sent money to the wrong number? Call Vodacom free on 100 (Swahili) or 101 (English) straight away. The fees below come from Vodacom's official tariff poster, checked October 2026, and our Tanzania mobile money charges calculator works out any amount for you.

How much does M-Pesa Tanzania charge to send money?

Vodacom prices sending money by how much you send and where it's going: to another M-Pesa customer, to a customer on another network, or to a bank account. All three are cheaper than withdrawing the same amount in cash. Here's the current fee for a selection of common amounts, from Vodacom's own tariff sheet:

Source: Vodacom M-Pesa tariff poster, effective 1 July 2025. The poster notes these fees already include excise duty and VAT, so what's on the screen before you confirm is what you pay.

Receiving money, from inside Tanzania or from abroad, is always free. You only pay when you move the money again: withdraw it, send it on, or pay a bill with it.

How much does it cost to withdraw cash from an M-Pesa agent?

Withdrawals cost more than sending, because on top of Vodacom's own fee, the government adds a mobile money transaction levy that applies only to cash-out. The two add up to the total you pay at the till:

Source: Vodacom M-Pesa tariff poster, effective 1 July 2025. The levy rises with the amount, which is why a withdrawal of TZS 600,000 or more costs noticeably more per shilling than one of TZS 50,000. Zambia charges its mobile money levy the other way round, on sends rather than withdrawals. If you're regularly cashing out large sums, it's often cheaper to send money to a bank account instead and withdraw it there, or to pay bills and buy goods directly from your M-Pesa balance rather than taking out cash first.

Dial *150*00# or open the M-Pesa app any time to see the exact fee for your transaction before you confirm it; Vodacom updates the tariff from time to time, most recently in July 2025. Every one of those fees also pays the agent behind the till; if running one of those kiosks interests you, see it alongside five other options in our best businesses to start in Tanzania in 2026.

How does M-Pesa Tanzania compare with Mixx by Yas and Airtel Money?

Mixx by Yas (the money service formerly called Tigo Pesa, renamed when Tigo Tanzania rebranded to Yas) runs on almost the same cost structure as M-Pesa: the same government mobile money levy on every cash withdrawal, and provider fees that match on sending and cashing out but differ once you send to a bank account. Airtel Money Tanzania also runs mobile money on a similar tiered structure, dialled on *150*60#, but Airtel doesn't publish a public tariff poster the way Vodacom and Yas do, so check the fee Airtel shows you on screen before you confirm any transaction.

Here's how the two providers compare on a TZS 100,000 transaction:

Sources: Vodacom M-Pesa tariff poster; Yas sending tariffs and Yas ATM cash-out tariffs. Cashing out costs the same on both, because the government levy is the same for every provider and, at this amount, so is each provider's own fee. The difference only appears when you send to a bank account, where Yas charges almost double M-Pesa's fee.

How do you send money from M-Pesa Tanzania to someone's M-Pesa Kenya?

Vodacom's "Send Money Abroad" service covers Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Africa and several other countries. Once money lands in Rwanda, moving it between local wallets and banks now costs at most Rwf 20; see MoMo charges in Rwanda. For Kenya:

1. Dial *150*00# to open the M-Pesa menu.
2. Select 1. Send Money.
3. Select 2. International Transfers.
4. Select 1. Mobile wallets.
5. Enter the recipient's Safaricom number in international format, starting 254 (for example 2547XXXXXXXX).
6. Enter the amount in Tanzanian shillings.
7. Enter your M-Pesa PIN, then confirm the recipient's name before you finalise.

Vodacom says "the fees for sending money to other countries are similar to those of sending money locally" (Vodacom M-Pesa International Money Transfer FAQs), so use the sending table above as your guide, plus the exchange rate, which the menu shows before you confirm. If you type a number that isn't registered with the network shown on the menu, the payment is declined rather than sent to the wrong place.

How do you send money from M-Pesa Kenya to someone in Tanzania?

If you're on the Kenyan side instead, Safaricom uses Lipa na M-Pesa for this corridor, not the *840# menu it uses for Uganda and Rwanda:

1. Go to the M-Pesa menu and select Lipa na M-Pesa.
2. Select Pay Bill and enter business number 255255.
3. Enter the recipient's mobile number as the account number, in the format 2557XXXXXXXX.
4. Enter the amount, your M-Pesa PIN, and confirm.

Safaricom says the charge for sending to Tanzania this way "ranges from Kshs. 3 to Kshs. 220 depending on amount to be sent", and that the person receiving pays nothing, though normal M-Pesa charges apply when they withdraw, send on or spend the money (Safaricom M-Pesa IMT East Africa FAQs). If you don't see Lipa na M-Pesa on your menu, go to M-PESA, select My Account and update your menu. Safaricom sends the new menu free. Work out the fee for your amount with our M-Pesa charges calculator, and if you're sending from outside Africa, compare it with the cheapest ways to send money to Africa from the UK or US.

Can a Kenyan traveller withdraw M-Pesa cash from a Vodacom agent in Tanzania?

Yes. This is "Roaming Pickup", and it's different from sending money across the border. It lets a Kenyan M-Pesa customer who is in Tanzania cash out their Kenyan M-Pesa balance at any Vodacom agent, in Tanzanian shillings, without opening a Tanzanian account.

On the M-Pesa app: Transact → Global → Roaming Pickup → enter the Vodacom agent's number → enter the amount (minimum TSh 2,400) → confirm with your PIN. On a basic phone, dial *334#, select Send Money → M-Pesa Global → option 2 (Roaming pick up), then follow the same steps.

Source: Safaricom M-Pesa Global Roaming Pickup, last updated May 2024. The minimum withdrawal is KSh 101 and the maximum KSh 70,000 (about TSh 2,400 to TSh 1.6 million at the rate on the day); the "forex" charge is the cost of converting Kenyan shillings to Tanzanian shillings and is on top of the fixed fee shown.

How do you reverse an M-Pesa transaction sent to the wrong number in Tanzania?

Call Vodacom's customer care straight away: dial 100 for Swahili or 101 for English (both free), or send an SMS to 100. Have the transaction confirmation message ready (amount, date, time and the recipient's number) and ask the agent to initiate a reversal.

Vodacom's complaints process says this service is free, and that queries are usually resolved within 12 to 48 hours, depending on the type of complaint (Vodacom Tanzania customer complaints process). As with any mobile money system, your best chance is before the person who received it withdraws the cash. Once it's out, Vodacom usually needs their co-operation to get it back, so report the mistake as soon as you notice it.

If Vodacom hasn't sorted out a mobile money complaint to your satisfaction within 21 days, you can take it to the Bank of Tanzania's SEMA NA BOT service: call the free line 0800 1111 00, email complaints-desk@bot.go.tz, or use the SEMA NA BOT portal (same source as above). If you're in Kenya and the mistake was on a paybill or till number, the process is different: see how to reverse M-Pesa sent to the wrong paybill or till.

M-Pesa Tanzania transaction and balance limits

Your KYC tier decides how much you can move. These are the limits the Bank of Tanzania sets under the National Payment Systems Act, as published by Vodacom:

Source: Vodacom M-Pesa Customer Transaction Limits. If you run a shop or side hustle and keep hitting your wallet limit, moving up a tier usually just means visiting a Vodacom shop with your ID. Tier 3 also needs a TRA TIN certificate and a business licence. If your business is in a sector that now has to accept electronic payment (hotels, filling stations, shopping malls and more), moving up a tier also helps you comply: see Tanzania's mandatory electronic payments order for the full list and the 31 December 2026 deadline. If you pay staff from this wallet, you'll need to register them for NSSF Tanzania too. Money in a wallet earns nothing, so if you're holding more than you need for the next few weeks, you can move it into a unit trust from the same Lipa na M-Pesa menu: see how to open a UTT AMIS account and invest via M-Pesa.

Scams and mistakes to avoid

• Fake "reversal" calls. Scammers call pretending to be Vodacom, say they're reversing a payment you never sent, and talk you into reading out your PIN or a code "to confirm". Vodacom will never ask for your PIN on the phone. Hang up and call 100 or 101 yourself.
• Confirm the name before you confirm the PIN. Every send shows you the recipient's registered name on screen. If it doesn't match who you think you're paying, cancel.
• Large withdrawals cost more than they look like they should. The government levy on cash-out climbs steeply above TZS 500,000, so splitting one big withdrawal into several smaller ones over a few days, or using a bank transfer instead, can save real money.
• Lost or stolen phone. Call 100/101 immediately to have your line blocked for M-Pesa, so whoever has your SIM can't empty your wallet.

Comparing wallets? See HaloPesa charges, which are often cheaper for cash-outs.

Frequently asked questions

How much does M-Pesa Tanzania charge to send TZS 10,000?

To another M-Pesa customer it's TZS 350; to a customer on another network, TZS 495; to a bank account, TZS 1,000 (Vodacom tariff, effective July 2025).

Is it free to receive money on M-Pesa Tanzania?

Yes. Receiving is always free, whether the money comes from inside Tanzania, from M-Pesa Kenya, or from another of Vodacom's international partners. You only pay when you withdraw, send on, or spend it.

What number do I call to reverse an M-Pesa Tanzania transaction?

Dial 100 for Swahili or 101 for English, both free from a Vodacom line, or send an SMS to 100. Report it immediately, with the transaction details, for the best chance of getting it back.

Can I send money from M-Pesa Kenya directly to an M-Pesa Tanzania number?

Yes, via Lipa na M-Pesa, Pay Bill number 255255, with the recipient's Tanzanian number as the account number. Safaricom charges the sender KSh 3 to KSh 220 depending on the amount; the Tanzanian recipient pays nothing to receive it.

Why is my M-Pesa withdrawal more expensive than sending the same amount?

Withdrawals carry a government mobile money levy that sending doesn't, on top of Vodacom's own fee. That's why cashing out TZS 100,000 costs TZS 4,357 in total, while sending the same amount to another M-Pesa customer costs only TZS 1,000.

Does Mixx by Yas (Tigo Pesa) charge the same fees as M-Pesa Tanzania?

Mostly, yes, for sending and cashing out. The government levy on withdrawals is the same for both, and the two companies' own fees match on most amounts. Sending to a bank account is the exception: Yas charges noticeably more than M-Pesa for the same amount, so compare before you choose.

How much can I hold in my M-Pesa Tanzania wallet?

It depends on your KYC tier: TZS 2,000,000 on the default tier, rising to TZS 10,000,000 with a photo ID (NIDA) upgrade and TZS 50,000,000 on full Tier 3 (ID, business licence and TIN certificate).