How to send money to Kenya from US with the best USD-KES rate
Compare the best deals on transfers from the United States to Kenya. Explore the cheapest, fastest, and most reliable providers with the best USD to KES exchange rates.
Read on for the insights and in-depth analysis, and all you need to send money to Kenya from United States.
Transferring the other way? Send KES from Kenya to United States instead.
"Over 16 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."
"Over 16 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."
"Key Currency offers a personal service with a dedicated account manager. There are no transfer limits or fees which is perfect for larger send amounts."
"Key Currency offers a personal service with a dedicated account manager. There are no transfer limits or fees which is perfect for larger send amounts."
"Key Currency offers a personal service with a dedicated account manager. There are no transfer limits or fees which is perfect for larger send amounts."
"Key Currency offers a personal service with a dedicated account manager. There are no transfer limits or fees which is perfect for larger send amounts."
"Sendwave is trusted by over 1 million users across the US, UK, Canada and EU. 24/7 support is available online and via the app."
"Sendwave is trusted by over 1 million users across the US, UK, Canada and EU. 24/7 support is available online and via the app."
"Over 16 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."
"Over 16 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."
"Remitly focuses on sending money to friends and family in Asia, Africa and South America. Wide coverage and well-suited to regular transfers home."
"Remitly focuses on sending money to friends and family in Asia, Africa and South America. Wide coverage and well-suited to regular transfers home."
"Over 16 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."
"Over 16 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."
"Key Currency offers a personal service with a dedicated account manager. There are no transfer limits or fees which is perfect for larger send amounts."
"Key Currency offers a personal service with a dedicated account manager. There are no transfer limits or fees which is perfect for larger send amounts."
Overall best way: Wise
We tested & reviewed 9 transfer providers, and Wise scored highly.
Sending 7,000 USD to KES will cost you $78.91 in fees, and you will get 894,205 KES. The delivery time is same day, but it depends on the day you make the transfer.
So for a great mix of cost, speed & features, make your United States to Kenya transfer using Wise.
How to compare deals on your United States to Kenya transfer
Always compare rates
Don't pay more than you have to. Use our live comparison tool to make sure get best exchange rates on transfers from the United States to Kenya.
Choose a provider
Select the provider that offers you the best value & service for your needs.
Click, sign up & send
Follow the steps & make your transfer. Your funds will soon be on their way to Kenya from the United States.
Summary of recent searches
Considerations for money transfers from United States to Kenya
Comparing providers offering services between the United States and Kenya, based on your specific needs is the best way to send money with confidence.
Our comparison includes 9 companies that provide the ability to send US Dollar to Kenya.
This ensures you get the best options for transfers to Kenya from the United States, based on the amount you want to send.
Cheapest way to transfer money to Kenya from the United States: Key Currency
Of the 9 providers compared, data shows that Key Currency is 0.11% cheaper than the second-best option.
The is cost is made up of USD-KES exchange rate that is 0.25% different to the mid-market rate and the a of 0 USD.
If you want to secure the best rates on a USD to Kenya transfer, Key Currency will result in the most Kenyan Shilling received.
Fastest way to send money to Kenya from the United States: Wise
The transfer time is same day with Wise for a $7,000 transfer, but it will depend on the time, day of the week, and the amount you send.
A USD-Kenyan Shilling transfer through Wise comes with a 78.91 USD fee (based on a $7,000 transfer).
To ensure Wise was the 'fastest' option we compared 9 providers. This comparison was for overall speed of sending money from the United States to Kenya and is a combination of depositing US Dollar, transfer times to Kenya and withdrawal timeframes where applicable.
When speed is a priority, Wise is the top choice for sending into Kenya from the United States.
The best apps to send USD to Kenya from United States
Most money transfer companies have apps you can use to send money abroad.
We've compared and analyzed over 9 apps & companies for USD/KES transfers and these are the best apps we found. All these apps are available on iOS and Android for free.
App | Rating | Mobile wallet |
|---|---|---|
iOS: 4.9 / 2.3M reviews Android: 4.8 / 1.29M reviews | Yes (Remitly One) | |
iOS: 4.7 / 73.2K reviews Android: 4.7 / 117K reviews | No | |
iOS: 4.8 / 158K reviews Android: 4.8 / 1.52M reviews | Yes (40+ currencies) |
Send large sums of money abroad with Currencies Direct
From the 9 options we compared, Currencies Direct offers the strongest all-round option for large transfers to Kenya from the United States.
Whatever the reason, sending large sums of money can be expensive if you get a bad exchange rate from Kenyan Shillings to Kenyan Shilling.
As such, we recommend Currencies Direct for large Kenya transfers.
Understanding the cost of sending money to Kenya from United States
The cost of sending money from Kenya to Kenya, is made-up of a combination of fees and exchange rates:
The Mid-Market and Exchange Rates: The mid-market rate determines a mid-price for buying currency. The current mid-market rate from USD-KES is 129.1892 KES per US Dollar.
Finding a provider offering an exchange as close to 129.1892 as possible will ensure more Kenyan Shilling received when transferring.
For context, the USD-KES mid-market rate for the past week has averaged 129.2987 KES per US Dollar. This includes a high of 129.3522, and low of 129.2029.
Wise currently offers the best exchange rate on transfers from the United States to Kenya.
For the most part the USD-KES exchange rate you receive is the biggest factor impacting the cost of sending USD to Kenya.
Fees: Outside of exchange rates, you may need to pay a fee to send. Key Currency currently offers the lowest fees on transfers to Kenya from the United States, costing 0 USD per transfer. Although this does include large transfers as well, we recommend searching for your exact send amount for an exact fee.
Amount Received: The amount received in Kenyan Shilling is the amount you started with, minus the amount you paid in the exchange and fees.
The better deal you get on exchanging US Dollars to KES, paired with a low fee, means a higher total amount received in Kenya.
Finding the best exchange rate for US Dollar to Kenyan Shilling
Timing is essential for sending money between USD and KES. The exchange rate you secure impacts how much KES you get for your USD.
Over the last week, here’s what we’ve seen:
The exchange rate from USD to KES averaged 129.2987 KES.
The highest value recorded was 129.3522 KES, while the lowest was 129.2029 KES.
There are currently 9 providers offering transfers between the United States and Kenya close to this rate
Want to secure the best USD-Kenyan Shilling exchange rates?
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Payment options for United States to Kenya money transfers
Bank transfers
Bank transfers are usually the best and easiest way to send money from the United States to Kenya.
By using a money transfer company such as Key Currency for transfers from the United States to Kenya, you can send money via a bank transfer while benefitting from lower fees and more favorable exchange rates than you would get from a traditional bank.
Key Currency is the cheapest money transfer company for bank transfers from the 9 we compared for transfers from USD into Kenya.
With a fee of 0 USD to send money from the United States to Kenya, Key Currency offers a strong combination of competitive exchange rates and lower fees.
Debit cards and prepaid options
Sending money from the United States to Kenya with a debit or a prepaid card is available through Remitly.
Remitly is one of the cheaper options for debit card payments for transfers from the United States to Kenya. This cost is against a total of 9 money transfer companies offering this option.
Credit cards
When it comes to credit card transfers from the United States to Kenya, we to get the best deal.
Be aware of fees: using a credit card to transfer money often results in a fee being charged by your card issuer. Where possible, we recommend a bank transfer or debit card payment.
How we analyze the market
We track the cost, speed, and product offerings of the leading money transfer services available between Kenya and United States.
Our comparison engine and algorithms evaluate providers based on over 25 factors, including transfer fees, ease of use, exchange rates, mobile apps, transfer times & customer support.
We also consider how these services are rated on platforms like TrustPilot, AppStore, and Google Play, giving you a comprehensive view of what to expect.
This thorough analysis helps you get the best available deal - every time you want to move money from United States to Kenya.
We also provide unbiased and detailed reviews of all the top money transfer companies. You can use these reviews to send USD to KES.
For a deeper understanding of our commitment to integrity and transparency, we invite you to read our editorial policy and review methodology.
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