KCB Bank Kenya has reduced its Pesalink transaction fee to a flat KShs. 20 for transfers between KShs. 1,000 and KShs. 999,999, while making transactions below KShs. 1,000 entirely free. The changes apply across KCB’s mobile and internet banking channels.
The move aligns with the industry-wide “Tuma Direct na 20/-” campaign, a coordinated push by Kenyan banks and the Integrated Payment Services Limited to standardise and reduce the cost of real-time interbank transfers through the Pesalink infrastructure.
KCB Bank Kenya Managing Director Annastacia Kimtai said the flat fee structure was designed to eliminate uncertainty around transfer costs. “By standardising Pesalink transaction fees at KShs. 20, we are eliminating price ambiguity and offering a clear, predictable cost for bank-to-bank transfers. This positions Pesalink as a practical and affordable option for individuals and businesses,” she said.
Kimtai added that the initiative is aligned with KCB’s broader digital transformation strategy, with a particular focus on MSMEs that depend on efficient, low-cost payment infrastructure to manage cash flow.
IPSL CEO Gituku Kirika framed the move in terms of systemic adoption. “Tuma Direct na 20/- is a rallying call for banks and customers to move to the simpler Pesalink pricing. We are lowering costs and accelerating the adoption of instant bank-to-bank payments across the economy,” he said.
The fee reduction comes as KCB’s digital channels process 99% of all transactions across its touchpoints, with consistent annual growth of over 20% in both transaction value and volume over recent years.
Pesalink enables real-time interbank transfers across Kenya’s banking system and has become a central rail within the country’s digital payments infrastructure. Wider adoption of standardised, low-cost pricing is expected to accelerate its use among individuals and small businesses that have historically defaulted to mobile money for everyday transfers.
Go to TECHTRENDSKE.co.ke for more tech and business news from the African continent and across the world.
Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to editorial@techtrendsmedia.co.ke
