The short answer
Buy USDC (a digital US dollar) on an exchange where you live, send it on the Avalanche C-Chain network to your recipient's AutoPayKe address, and they cash it out to M-Pesa or their bank in Kenyan shillings. The transfer itself takes seconds; the M-Pesa cash-out usually takes minutes; and they see the exact shilling amount and fee before confirming.
Your recipient signs up free with their Kenyan phone number. You don't need a Kenyan bank account, and they don't need to understand crypto.
Your options for sending money to Kenya
There are three common ways to get money to Kenya from abroad. Each has a place; the right one depends on how fast it must arrive and how much you want to lose to fees and exchange rates along the way.
| Method | Speed | Where it lands | What you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| International bank wire | 1–5 working days | A Kenyan bank account | Sending and receiving bank fees, plus the bank's exchange-rate margin |
| Money transfer apps and agents | Minutes to a day | M-Pesa, a bank or cash pickup | A transfer fee and an exchange-rate margin that varies by provider |
| Stablecoins with AutoPayKe | Seconds to minutes, 24/7 | M-Pesa, 40 banks and SACCOs, or kept in USDC | Your exchange's conversion, plus AutoPayKe's disclosed cash-out fee |
Fees change, so always compare the Kenyan shilling amount your recipient will actually receive.
Step by step: send money to Kenya with AutoPayKe
- 1
Your recipient opens a free AutoPayKe account
They sign up at autopayke.com with their Kenyan phone number and a 6-digit code. A wallet only they control is created automatically, no bank account, no paperwork beyond basic details.
- 2
They share their AutoPayKe address with you
In the app they open Receive and copy their wallet address (it starts with 0x). This is where you'll send the money. You can also send to an address of your own if you have an AutoPayKe account.
- 3
Buy USDC or USDT where you live
On an exchange you trust in your country, buy USDC (or USDT where it's allowed) with your local currency. One USDC is designed to be worth one US dollar.
- 4
Withdraw it on the Avalanche C-Chain network
Send the USDC to your recipient's address and choose Avalanche C-Chain (sometimes shown as AVAX C-Chain) as the network. Sending on any other network means the money won't arrive. Try a small amount first.
- 5
They cash out to M-Pesa or their bank
The money appears in their AutoPayKe balance. They withdraw to their M-Pesa number, to someone else's, or to any of 40 Kenyan banks and SACCOs, seeing the exact Kenyan shilling amount and fee before they confirm.
How your recipient gets the money
- M-Pesa: to their own number or anyone else's, from KES 10 up to KES 150,000 per cash-out. Receipts show the real recipient's number and name.
- Bank: to any of 40 Kenyan banks, microfinance banks and SACCOs over PesaLink. Save the account once, pick it in one tap next time.
- Bills and shops: pay any M-Pesa Till or PayBill number straight from the balance.
- Keep it in dollars: leave it as USDC or USDT in their own wallet and cash out when they choose.
Every cash-out shows live progress in the app, step by step, and they get a push notification when it lands.
Fees and exchange rates, explained
There are two places a fee can appear. First, your exchange charges to convert your local currency into USDC and to withdraw it, check their price before you buy. Second, when the money leaves AutoPayKe for M-Pesa, a bank or a Till, there is a disclosed cash-out fee and the exchange rate to shillings is shown on the review screen.
Nothing is taken without being shown first. Sending between two AutoPayKe users carries only a small flat network fee. Our current published prices are available to anyone at api.autopayke.com/api/v1/fees/published.
Limits and timing
- Minimum cash-out: KES 10.
- M-Pesa: up to KES 150,000 per cash-out, subject to your recipient's own M-Pesa limits.
- Banks over PesaLink: larger amounts per transfer than M-Pesa.
- Timing: transfers and cash-outs run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and public holidays.
Avoid these common mistakes
- Sending on the wrong network. Only Avalanche C-Chain reaches an AutoPayKe address.
- Copying the address by hand. Always paste it, and check the first and last few characters.
- Sending to the wrong phone number on cash-out. There is no recipient-name check yet, so read the number twice.
- Sharing sign-in codes. AutoPayKe will never ask for your code or PIN by phone, SMS or WhatsApp.
- Skipping a test. For a first transfer, send a small amount, confirm it arrived, then send the rest.
Sending from a specific country?
The steps are the same everywhere, but which stablecoin you can buy and who regulates your exchange differ. Pick your country for the details.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to send money to Kenya?
The cheapest route is the one where your recipient ends up with the most Kenyan shillings for what you spend. With AutoPayKe you pay your exchange's conversion into USDC plus a disclosed AutoPayKe cash-out fee when the money leaves for M-Pesa or a bank. There is no correspondent bank in the middle. Compare the final KES amount, not the headline fee.
How long does it take to send money to Kenya?
A stablecoin transfer on Avalanche confirms in seconds. Once it reaches your recipient's balance, an M-Pesa cash-out usually completes within minutes, and the app shows each step live. Your exchange may take its own time to process the purchase and withdrawal.
Can I send money directly to an M-Pesa number from abroad?
The money goes to your recipient's AutoPayKe wallet first, and they move it to M-Pesa in a tap, to their own number or anyone else's. Each M-Pesa cash-out can be from KES 10 up to KES 150,000.
Does my recipient need a smartphone?
To receive from abroad, yes. They use the AutoPayKe web app on any phone browser and can install it like an app. Cooperative members who are paid by their cooperative can use SMS and USSD instead.
Do I need to understand crypto?
You need to know how to buy USDC on an exchange and withdraw it on the right network, the same steps as moving money between two accounts. Your recipient never sees a seed phrase or a gas fee: they see Kenyan shillings.
Is it safe?
Each user's money sits in their own smart contract wallet on Avalanche that AutoPayKe cannot spend from on its own. The main risks are human: sending on the wrong network, or to the wrong address or phone number. There is no recipient-name check on payouts today, so double-check before you confirm.
Can I send money to a Kenyan bank account?
Yes. Your recipient can withdraw to any of 40 Kenyan banks, microfinance banks and SACCOs over PesaLink, including Equity, KCB, Co-operative Bank, NCBA and Absa. They can save the account once and pick it in one tap next time.
Can I pay bills in Kenya directly?
Yes. From the AutoPayKe balance your recipient can pay any M-Pesa Till or PayBill number: rent, school fees, utilities or a shop.
Is AutoPayKe licensed?
AutoPayKe Limited is a Kenyan company. Our payment-service licensing and data-protection registration in Kenya are in progress. We say this plainly rather than claim a status we don't have yet.