Send money from USA to Kenya

Comparing 8 providers for 1,000 USD → KES

✓All providers licensed and regulated

Among the best today

WorldRemit

Fee $0.00 · Rate 129.6682

KES 129,668

your recipient gets

Choose the worst (Western Union) and your recipient getsKES 5,424 less4.4% gap· after fees & margin, 8 compared
Delivery method:
WorldRemitBest available
—
Recipient getsKES 129,668.20
Fee$0.00
Rate129.6682
vs mid0.22%
Delivery & payment details

Receive via: Mobile Money · Debit Card Deposit

Pay with: Bank transfer · Debit card · Credit card · Apple Pay · Google Pay

Send with WorldRemit
Recipient getsKES 129,040.00
Fee$0.00
Rate129.0400
vs mid0.70%
Delivery & payment details

Pay with: Debit card

Send with TapTap Send
Recipient getsKES 128,782.75
Fee$0.00
Rate128.7827
vs mid0.90%
Delivery & payment details

Pay with: Debit card · Credit card · Bank transfer

Send with Paysend
Recipient getsKES 128,616.44
Fee$0.99*
Rate128.7439
vs mid0.93%
Delivery & payment details

Rate shown for: Cash pickup

Pay with: Bank transfer · Debit card · Cash (agent)

Send with Dahabshiil
Recipient getsKES 128,267.88
Fee$0.49
Rate128.3308
vs mid1.25%
Delivery & payment details

Pay with: Debit card · Bank transfer

Send with Sendwave
—
Recipient getsKES 128,208.67
Fee$13.40
Rate129.9500
vs midat mid
Delivery & payment details

Pay with: Bank transfer · Debit card · Credit card · Apple Pay · Google Pay

Send with Wise
Recipient getsKES 125,050.00
Fee$0.00
Rate125.0500
vs mid3.77%
Delivery & payment details

Receive via: Cash pickup · bank deposit · mobile wallet

Pay with: Bank transfer · Debit card · Credit card · Apple Pay

Send with Remitly
Recipient getsKES 124,244.62
Fee$30.03
Rate128.0912
vs mid1.43%
Delivery & payment details

Receive via: Cash pickup · Bank account · Mobile wallet

Pay with: Bank transfer · Debit card · Credit card · Cash (agent)

Send with Western Union
Mid-market: 1 USD = 129.9500 KES · ref: Wise (no official KES rate) — spread is indicative · How we rank
* First transfer free; standard fee shown applies after.
Recipient gets = (send − fee) × rate, at $1,000.00. Fees vary by amount — confirm on the provider's site.
Top 2 are within 0.5% — effectively a tie at this amount. Pick on speed or payout method.

Updated November 4, 2026 at 08:35 AM UTC

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What we've measured on USD → KES

Across 64 days of our own recorded quotes, the gap between the best and worst provider on this corridor has run at a median of 4.4% (widest single day: 4.6%). On a 1,000 USD transfer that is the difference between the best and worst choice.

The leader has not changed once in that window — WorldRemit has topped this corridor every day we have recorded it. That makes it unusually stable, but it is still worth checking before you send.

Provider rates on this corridor are measured against Wise's published mid-market rate. No central bank publishes a rate for KES, so the yardstick here comes from Wise — which we also rank, and which therefore sits exactly at the reference by definition. We disclose this rather than hide it.

Recipients in Kenya can be paid via a mobile wallet, a bank account and cash pickup, based on what the providers above actually price for this corridor.

Figures come from our own append-only rate history, not from provider marketing. See the methodology and rate trends.

Sending USD from the United States

Money transfer companies operating from the United States are registered as Money Services Businesses (MSBs) with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and are licensed as money transmitters at the state level. Senders typically pay by bank account (ACH), debit card or credit card, and larger transfers may require identity verification before they settle.

This page compares providers for the the United States → Kenya corridor specifically, ranked by how much KES your recipient actually receives after fees and the exchange-rate margin — not by the headline fee alone.

USD to KES — Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to send USD to KES?

WorldRemit currently offers the best value for USD → KES, delivering 129,668 KES for 1,000 USD. We rank by the total amount received after fees and exchange-rate markup, updated every 4 hours. It has also led on every one of the 64 days we have recorded this corridor, so the answer here has been stable.

What is the current USD to KES exchange rate?

The best available rate is 1 USD = 129.67 KES via WorldRemit. The reference (mid-market) rate is 129.95, taken from Wise's published mid-market rate. Across 64 days of our own records, the spread between the best and worst provider on this corridor has run at a median of 4.4%. Rates are updated every 4 hours. Always confirm the final rate on the provider's site before sending.

Are there hidden fees when sending USD to KES?

On this corridor the two costs split roughly 0.56% in visible fees and 1.15% in exchange-rate markup, averaged over the 8 providers here that publish a fee — so the markup is the larger part, about 67% of what you pay. 4 of them charge no fee at all on this corridor, which is exactly why fee alone is a poor guide. We rank by the amount your recipient actually receives, which captures both. Learn how fees work →

Can I send USD to a mobile wallet in Kenya?

Yes. Several providers on this page pay out to M-Pesa and Airtel Money in Kenya. Choose your wallet as the delivery method at checkout on the provider's site — the recipient gets the money directly in their mobile-wallet balance, usually within minutes. Rankings above already account for the fee and exchange-rate markup, so the best value applies to wallet payout too.