KES payouts · arrive from real time to three business days
Send USD to Kenya, at the mid-market rate.
Pay out to a bank account in Kenyan shillings (KES) from a US-dollar account in your own name. You see the fee and the exact amount your recipient gets before you send.
See the 46 banks we pay out to ↓
Reviewed · Estimated rate, as of Oct 16, 2026, 09:23 AM UTC · by Joyce Chin, Chief Operating Officer & Compliance Officer
Estimate a payout
estimate
They receive
≈ KES 128,747.26
- AED — UAE dirham
- ARS — Argentine peso
- AUD — Australian dollar
- BDT — Bangladeshi taka
- BOB — Bolivian boliviano
- BRL — Brazilian real
- CAD — Canadian dollar
- CHF — Swiss franc
- CLP — Chilean peso
- CNY — Chinese yuan
- COP — Colombian peso
- CRC — Costa Rican colón
- CZK — Czech koruna
- DKK — Danish krone
- DOP — Dominican peso
- EGP — Egyptian pound
- EUR — euro
- GBP — British pound
- GHS — Ghanaian cedi
- GTQ — Guatemalan quetzal
- HKD — Hong Kong dollar
- HNL — Honduran lempira
- IDR — Indonesian rupiah
- ILS — Israeli new shekel
- INR — Indian rupee
- JMD — Jamaican dollar
- JOD — Jordanian dinar
- JPY — Japanese yen
- KES — Kenyan shilling
- KRW — South Korean won
- LKR — Sri Lankan rupee
- MXN — Mexican peso
- MYR — Malaysian ringgit
- NGN — Nigerian naira
- NOK — Norwegian krone
- PEN — Peruvian sol
- PHP — Philippine peso
- PKR — Pakistani rupee
- PLN — Polish zloty
- QAR — Qatari riyal
- RON — Romanian leu
- SAR — Saudi riyal
- SEK — Swedish krona
- SGD — Singapore dollar
- THB — Thai baht
- TRY — Turkish lira
- TZS — Tanzanian shilling
- VND — Vietnamese dong
- ZAR — South African rand
No matches
1 USD = 129.851 KES
Estimated mid-market rate, as of Oct 16, 2026, 09:23 AM UTC. The fee comes out of the amount you send, so the recipient gets the rest. The exact amount is shown before you confirm.
Exchange rate
129.851
KES per US dollar — the mid-market rate with no markup, shown before you send.
Estimated · as of Oct 16, 2026, 09:23 AM UTC
1%
personal + $1.00 fixed
0.75%
business + $1.00 fixed
46
banks we pay out to
$1.02
minimum · up to KES 999,999,999 (about $7,700,000) per transfer
// worked example
Sending $1,000.00 to Kenya
You send
$1,000.00
Poplin fee (business)
−$8.50
0.75% + $1.00 fixed
They receive
≈ KES 128,747.26
1 USD ≈ 129.851 KES · mid-market, no markup
You send
$1,000.00
Poplin fee (personal)
−$11.00
1% + $1.00 fixed
They receive
≈ KES 128,422.63
1 USD ≈ 129.851 KES · mid-market, no markup
Sending $1,000.00 to Kenya on a business account costs $8.50 and delivers ≈KES 128,747.26 at the mid-market rate; on a personal account it costs $11.00 and delivers ≈KES 128,422.63.
Estimated at the mid-market rate as of Oct 16, 2026, 09:23 AM UTC; the exact amount your recipient receives is shown before you confirm.
// Rate history
How the USD → KES rate has moved
Between 15 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026, captured hourly, the rate ranged from a low of 129.7512 to a high of 130.1707 KES per US dollar; the latest recorded rate, 129.8513, sits in the lower third of that range.
Between 9 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026, captured hourly, the rate ranged from a low of 129.4113 to a high of 130.1707 KES per US dollar; the latest recorded rate, 129.8513, sits in the middle of that range.
Between 17 Sept 2026 – 16 Oct 2026, captured daily, the rate ranged from a low of 128.2419 to a high of 129.9107 KES per US dollar; the latest recorded rate, 129.8513, sits in the upper third of that range.
Between 31 Jul 2026 – 16 Oct 2026, captured daily, the rate ranged from a low of 128.2419 to a high of 130.1237 KES per US dollar; the latest recorded rate, 129.8513, sits in the upper third of that range.
Mid-market rate, no markup · captured hourly captured hourly captured daily captured daily · as of Oct 16, 2026, 09:04 AM UTC
// the details
Sending USD to Kenya: the details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Payout currency | Kenyan shilling (KES) |
| Delivery method | Bank transfer over PesaLink |
| Delivery time | From real time to three business days over PesaLink. Occasionally a banking or payment partner pauses a transfer for a short compliance check. |
| Transfer size | $1.02 minimum · up to KES 999,999,999 (about $7,700,000) per transfer |
| Exchange rate | Mid-market, no markup (1 USD ≈ 129.851 KES) |
| What you need | Your recipient’s bank details in Kenya — the account name, account number, and any local routing code. |
Every way we pay out to Kenya
Each network runs on its own schedule. Which one a payout uses depends on the bank details your recipient has.
| Currency | Paid over | Delivery time | Min | Limit | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KES | PesaLink · local | real time to 3 days | $1.02 | Up to KES 999,999,999 | 1% + $1.00 |
| USD | SWIFT | 1–4 days | $35.36 | No limit | 1% + $35.00 |
Fees shown for a personal account.
Days are business days — a Saturday delays a same-day or next-day payout. These are ceilings, not typical times: within the window, how fast the money lands depends on the receiving bank.
We also pay out to Kenya in USD over SWIFT (1% + $35.00 on a personal account, 0.5% + $35.00 on business).
You can also open a Poplin account from Kenya — see every country you can open one from.
How to send USD to Kenya
- 1
Open your Poplin account
Sign up and verify your identity. Opening a US-dollar account is free and takes a few minutes.
- 2
Add your recipient in Kenya
Enter the amount in US dollars and your recipient’s bank details in Kenya.
- 3
Confirm and send
Review the fee and the amount they’ll receive — both shown upfront — then confirm with your passkey.
Sending USD to Kenya — FAQ
Speed
How long does it take to send USD to Kenya?
Payments between Poplin accounts land in seconds, and bank payouts arrive from real time to three business days over PesaLink. Occasionally a banking or payment partner pauses a transfer for a short compliance check. Poplin tells you when that happens.
Rate
How has the USD to KES rate moved over this period?
Between 17 Sept 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 the mid-market rate rose 0.14%, with a low of 128.2419 and a high of 129.9107 KES per US dollar. The rate is captured daily and shown at the mid-market rate with no markup.
Cost
How much does it cost to send money to Kenya?
A payout to Kenya in Kenyan shillings (KES) costs 1% plus a $1.00 fixed fee on a personal account, or 0.75% plus $1.00 on a business account. Currency conversion uses the mid-market rate with no markup, and every fee is shown before you confirm.
Sending USD
Can I send US dollars to a bank account in Kenya?
Yes, over SWIFT. The fee is 1% + $35.00 on a personal account, 0.5% + $35.00 on business — a payout in Kenyan shillings (KES) costs 1% plus a $1.00 fixed fee instead, so a recipient with an account in Kenyan shillings usually pays less. Your recipient’s account must accept US dollars.
Safety
Is my money safe while the transfer is processing?
Yes. Your funds sit in your own account and only move when you confirm a transfer with your passkey. Poplin can’t spend, move, or freeze your balance. Occasionally a banking or payment partner pauses a transfer for a short compliance check. A review delays a transfer — it never takes your money.
Banks
Which banks in Kenya can I send money to?
Poplin pays out to 46 banks in Kenya. Your recipient needs an account in their own name; enter their bank details when you add them. The list is the one Poplin’s payout provider states and can change.
Account
Can I open a Poplin account in Kenya?
Yes. Kenya is one of the countries Poplin can open an account from, so you can both hold US dollars and send to Kenya. Identity verification applies, and some countries need additional checks; Poplin lists every country it can open an account from on its supported-countries page.
Send USD to other countries
All 191 payout countries →- ARS Argentina
- AUD Australia 1% + $1.00 · same or next day
- BDT Bangladesh 1% + $1.00 · next day
- BOB Bolivia 1% + $1.00 · same day
- BRL Brazil 1% + $1.00 · real time
- CAD Canada 1% + $1.00 · next day
- CLP Chile 1% + $1.00 · next day
- CNY China
- COP Colombia 1.4% + $1.00 · next day
- CRC Costa Rica 1% + $1.00 · real time
- CZK Czechia 1% + $1.00 · same day
- DKK Denmark 1% + $1.00 · same day
- DOP Dominican Republic 1% + $1.00 · same day
- USD Ecuador 1% + $1.00 · same day
- EGP Egypt 1% + $1.00 · same day
- USD El Salvador 1% + $1.00 · same day
- EUR Eurozone 1% + $1.00 · real time to next day
- GHS Ghana 1% + $1.00 · real time
- GTQ Guatemala 1% + $1.00 · same day
- HNL Honduras 1% + $1.00 · same day
- HKD Hong Kong SAR China 1% + $10.00 · real time
- INR India 1% + $1.00 · real time
- IDR Indonesia 1% + $1.00 · real time
- ILS Israel 1% + $1.00 · next day
- JMD Jamaica 1% + $1.00 · next day
- JPY Japan 1% + $1.00 · same day
- JOD Jordan 1% + $1.00 · next day
- MYR Malaysia 1% + $1.00 · real time to next day
- MXN Mexico 1% + $1.00 · real time
- NGN Nigeria 1% + $1.00 · real time
- NOK Norway 1% + $1.00 · same day
- PKR Pakistan 1% + $1.00 · real time
- PEN Peru 1% + $1.00 · next day
- PHP Philippines 1% + $1.00 · real time
- PLN Poland 1% + $1.00 · same day
- QAR Qatar 1% + $1.00 · next day
- RON Romania 1% + $1.00 · same day
- SAR Saudi Arabia 1% + $1.00 · same day
- SGD Singapore 1% + $1.00 · real time
- ZAR South Africa 1% + $1.00 · next day
- KRW South Korea 1% + $1.00 · real time
- LKR Sri Lanka 1% + $1.00 · same day
- SEK Sweden 1% + $1.00 · next day
- CHF Switzerland 1% + $1.00 · next day
- TZS Tanzania 1% + $1.00 · 2 days
- THB Thailand 1% + $1.00 · real time to next day
- TRY Türkiye 1% + $1.00 · real time
- AED United Arab Emirates 1% + $5.00 · real time
- GBP United Kingdom 1% + $1.00 · real time
- USD United States 1% + $0.50–$20.00 · same day
- VND Vietnam 1% + $1.00 · real time
Personal-account fee and the fastest delivery time — each page lists the networks that country is reached over, the personal and business fee, and, where we list them, the banks we pay out to.
// banks
Banks we pay out to in Kenya
We can send Kenyan shillings to accounts at these 46 banks in Kenya. The list comes from our payout provider and can change; if your recipient’s bank isn’t here, it may still be reachable — the account details you enter decide the rail.
No banks match that search. These are registered legal names as our payout provider lists them, so a brand or an abbreviation may not appear — try part of the bank’s full name. Your recipient’s bank may also be reachable even if it isn’t listed; the account details you enter decide the rail.
- ABSA Bank
- African Banking Corp. Bank Ltd
- Bank of Africa Kenya Limited
- Bank of Baroda (Kenya Limited)
- Bank of India
- Central Bank of Kenya
- Citibank N A
- Co-operative Bank of Kenya Limited
- Consolidated Bank of Kenya Limited
- Credit Bank Limited
- Development Bank of Kenya Limited
- Diamond Trust Bank Limited
- DIB Bank Kenya Limited
- Dubai Bank Kenya Limited
- ECO Bank Limited
- Equity Bank Limited
- Family Bank Ltd
- First Community Bank
- Giro Commercial Bank Limited
- Guaranty Trust Bank ( Kenya) Ltd.
- Guardian Bank Limited
- Gulf African Bank Ltd
- Habib Bank A G Zurich
- Habib Bank Limited
- Housing Finance Bank
- I&M Bank Limited
- Imperial Bank Limited
- Jamii Bora Bank
- Kenya Commercial Bank Limited
- KENYA WOMEN MICROFINANCE BANK LT
- Kingdom Bank
- M-Oriental Bank Limited
- Middle East Bank Kenya Limited
- National Bank of Kenya Limited
- NCBA Bank Kenya
- NIC Bank Limited
- Paramount Universal Bank Limited
- Prime Bank Limited
- SBM Bank Ltd.
- Sidian Bank Limited
- Spire Bank Ltd
- Stanbic Bank Kenya Limited
- Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Limited
- Trans-National Bank Limited
- UBA Kenya Bank Ltd
- Victoria Commercial Bank Limited
as of September 26, 2026