How to Get Paid Instantly on Mpesa as a Freelancer

Some links in this post are affiliate links, I may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase. Read the disclosure for more information.

A lot is going on in the freelancing world. Technology is changing by the second, governments are starting to recognize freelancers, and money is changing hands more easily.

Mobile money is changing the way freelancers work in Kenya and around the world at a whole new level and Mpesa at the forefront of this revolution. Did you know that you could get paid instantly on Mpesa?

Lest I forget, nightmares do visit freelancers in all sizes, shapes, and forms. MONEY is one of the biggest contributors especially if you are dealing with direct clients.

Many freelancers only know of the standard payment methods (Skrill, Paypal, Payoneer, bank transfer, etc., ). The payment methods available are excellent at what they do but, they tend to take some chunk of money from the transactions. Other options are time limiting in that you have to wait a couple of business days before your payments are approved and not forgetting the permanent account closures and re-verifications required.

Enter, Mpesa.

Mpesa is a Mobile Money Transfer Service from Vodafone.  M stands for mobile and Pesa is the Swahili word for money. Mpesa is a dream to many in the world, but other countries are following suit in the footsteps of Mpesa in Kenya, a revolutionary way that serves more than 30 Million Kenyans.

A year ago I did an Mpesa transaction in front of a foreigner to a friend that was seated next to me. The foreigner was amazed by how easy, fast and convinient Mpesa is. She had to confirm that the balance on either phone was a true reflection of the amount sent. It was!

In this blog post, I want to focus on how freelancers can receive money instantly on Mpesa as payment for services rendered to clients around the world.

  1. Skrill to Mpesa
    For close to three years now, Skrill has been offering seamlessly easy, fast and convenient transactions on Mpesa.If you have direct clients that own Skrill accounts, they don’t have to send money to your Skrill account. Just let them know that they can send it to your Mpesa.The video below is a simple walkthrough on how to withdraw (if you have money on Skrill) or send (for your client) money from Skrill to Mpesa.You can always show this video to your client for them to know how it works and what is required of them. Sending money to Kenya has never been this easy.

     

  2. Wave to Mpesa
    Wave is a mobile money app service that is available both on iOS and Android platforms. It boasts of a safe and secure platform for easy, instant transactions that require no fees to send. Where is the catch?Wave only makes money from the exchange rates of the day.Is this too good to be true? See for yourself:

     

    A Kenyan freelancer recently received a transaction from a client in the U.S. via the Wave App and couldn’t hide his joy, and this is evident in the image below.

    wave-to-mpesa

    Sending money from Wave to Mpesa is available for clients both in U.S. and U.K.

  3. Xoom to Mpesa
    With Xoom, you can now send money from PayPal to Mpesa in seconds. Well, this is the case for U.S. residents that have a PayPal accounts only. (At the time of this writing)Xoom is PayPal’s sister as far as international money transfers are concerned.It is without a doubt going to be a game changer when it comes to mobile money transfers and transacting money online.Since Xoom is integrated into the PayPal accounts of U.S. customers and they can send money to whatever part of the world right from PayPal via Xoom. Therefore, if you have U.S. clients, they do not have to send money to your PayPal account only for transaction fees to be applied, let them know that they can send you money instantly on Mpesa.

     

    Here’s the video to show client how to send money from PayPal via Xoom to Mpesa:

    Xoom is boasting of being the easiest way to send money to Kenya with attractive exchange rates. See the fees and exchange rates below. Be the judge.

    Xoom to Mpesa - fees and exchange rates

  4. WorldRemit to Mpesa
    WorldRemit is another excellent money transfer service that supports the sending of money to Mpesa. With WorldRemit you can send money online anytime, anywhere. It is a trusted service that is simple to use, with fast transactions and costs less.Whether your clients are in the U.S.  or the Philippines, they can send you money directly on Mpesa without any delays. Look at the screenshot below for a sample of how the transaction appears.
    WorldRemit to Mpesa instantly

    The exchange rates are favorable on WorldRemit, and I bet this is another good way to get clients to pay you.
  5. MoneyGram to Mpesa
    MoneyGram is an international money transfer service based in the United States with its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. It is the second-largest provider of money transfers in the world.It is no wonder MoneyGram would not resist being left behind in the “scramble for Mpesa.”Back in the day, you had to visit a bank to get money from MoneyGram but with the recent changes in the monetary space, let your clients know that they can send you the money directly on Mpesa.
    moneygram-to-mpesa-instantly

     

    Here are the estimated fees.

  6. WesternUnion
    Finally, the good old WesternUnion is another good option to recommend to clients. WesternUnion supports Mpesa transactions, and it works worldwide.
    WesternUnion is a leader in money transfer and without a doubt one of the most used services. Their addition of sending money to Mpesa is a more than welcome move.You can check out their rates when performing the transaction.Their fees are a little on the upper end.
    WesternUnion - Instantly send money to Mpesa

Working with direct clients around the world entails one to be conversant with the basics, especially how to get paid. Next time, avoid other payment options and try the ways above. You could save yourself loads of cash in transaction fees and the time. Get paid directly on Mpesa for work done online quickly.

Your thoughts are welcome in the comments section.

Get Free Email Updates!

Signup now and receive an email once I publish new content.

I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information )

I will never give away, trade or sell your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time.

3 thoughts on “How to Get Paid Instantly on Mpesa as a Freelancer”

  1. Thanks for the instructions and various options of money transfer methods across the world, indeed it is a village. Mpesa interlinkings with other operators is a game changer. Freelancers and offshores jobs will change life’s in job creation across the world. God bless , Paul

    Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.