Before you put money into escrow, you deserve to know exactly what it costs. Here is the honest, complete breakdown of escrow pricing in Kenya — our own fee table, worked examples, and how it compares with the alternatives.
The short answer
Kenya Escrow charges a single service fee added to the amount the seller receives — roughly 2% to 10% of the deal size, with fees shrinking as amounts grow. The exact total is always shown before you pay. There are no M-Pesa transaction fees for users (we absorb paybill costs) and no withdrawal fees for sellers.
The full Kenya Escrow fee table
| Seller receives (KSh) | Fee rule | Example total fee |
|---|---|---|
| 50 – 100 | 10% + KSh 10 | KSh 100 → KSh 20 |
| 101 – 500 | 10% + KSh 19 | KSh 500 → KSh 69 |
| 501 – 1,000 | 6% + KSh 40 | KSh 1,000 → KSh 100 |
| 1,001 – 5,000 | 5.4% + KSh 46 | KSh 5,000 → KSh 316 |
| 5,001 – 10,000 | 4.7% + KSh 81 | KSh 10,000 → KSh 551 |
| 10,001 – 25,000 | 4% + KSh 151 | KSh 25,000 → KSh 1,151 |
| 25,001 – 50,000 | 3.7% + KSh 226 | KSh 50,000 → KSh 2,076 |
| 50,001 – 100,000 | 3.3% + KSh 440 | KSh 100,000 → KSh 3,740 |
| 100,001 – 150,000 | 2.8% + KSh 955 | KSh 150,000 → KSh 5,155 |
| 150,001 – 200,000 | 2.65% + KSh 1,190 | KSh 200,000 → KSh 6,490 |
| 200,001 – 240,000 | 0.3% + KSh 5,905 | KSh 240,000 → KSh 6,625 |
Try your own amount on the live fee calculator — the fee and your total update as you type.
What the fee actually pays for
- Secure fund holding — your payment is segregated in escrow, not spendable by anyone.
- M-Pesa paybill costs — we absorb the Safaricom transaction fees; you never see them.
- SMS + WhatsApp notifications — instant alerts to both parties at every step.
- Human dispute resolution — if a deal goes wrong, a real person reviews evidence and decides.
- Instant payout infrastructure — B2C release to the seller's M-Pesa in seconds.
How it compares to the alternatives
Lawyers and bank escrow accounts
Traditional escrow through a law firm or a bank escrow account typically costs KSh 5,000–50,000+ in fees, needs paperwork, physical visits and days of setup — sensible for land purchases, impractical for a KSh 20,000 phone deal. Kenya Escrow gives similar structural protection in under a minute for a fraction of the cost.
Other escrow platforms
Kenyan escrow platforms generally charge between 1% and 3% commission plus payout charges. Watch the extras: registration requirements, withdrawal deductions, M-Pesa charges passed to you, and release delays of 24–72 hours. Kenya Escrow's all-in fee is shown before you pay, withdrawal is free, and release is instant.
"Free" direct M-Pesa
Sending money directly to a stranger costs nothing — until it costs you everything. There is no dispute process, no fund holding, and no way back once the money lands in their till.
Tips to keep costs down
- Batch when it makes sense — percentage fees drop as amounts grow; one KSh 50,000 escrow is cheaper per shilling than five KSh 10,000 ones.
- Use the calculator first — agree the fee into your price negotiation so nobody is surprised.
- Split huge deals into milestones — stay under the KSh 240,000 per-transaction cap.
Start a transaction — the fee shows upfront before you authorize anything.
