⚠️ Fees change. Mobile money tariffs are revised by MTN and Airtel from time to time, and Uganda's mobile money tax has changed before. The figures below are indicative, based on published tariffs as of early 2026. Always confirm the exact charge — the amount is shown on screen before you confirm any transaction. Do not treat this as a guaranteed price list.
MTN MoMo & Airtel Money sending fees (by amount)
Sending (transfer) charges are tiered by the amount you send. MTN and Airtel publish broadly comparable structures. The bands below are indicative for registered wallet-to-wallet sending:
| Amount sent (UGX) | Indicative sending fee (UGX) |
|---|---|
| 500 – 2,500 | ~ 0 – 100 |
| 2,501 – 5,000 | ~ 100 – 220 |
| 5,001 – 15,000 | ~ 220 – 360 |
| 15,001 – 30,000 | ~ 360 – 460 |
| 30,001 – 60,000 | ~ 460 – 720 |
| 60,001 – 125,000 | ~ 720 – 1,000 |
| 125,001 – 250,000 | ~ 1,000 – 1,450 |
| 250,001 – 500,000 | ~ 1,450 – 2,000 |
| 500,001 – 1,000,000 | ~ 2,000 – 3,200 |
| 1,000,001 – 5,000,000 | ~ 3,200 – 5,000+ |
How mobile money fees work in Uganda
There are three different charges people confuse. Sending money (peer-to-peer transfer) has one fee. Withdrawing cash at an agent has a separate, usually higher fee. And on top of withdrawals, the government charges a 0.5% mobile money tax (the "MoMo levy"), calculated on the amount you withdraw. Sending to a registered wallet is generally cheaper than withdrawing cash, which is why keeping money in the wallet — and paying merchants directly — saves money.
Sending to a registered wallet on the same or another network. Cross-network (MTN↔Airtel) sending uses the sending tariff. Exact fee is shown before you confirm.
Withdrawal (cash-out) fees + the 0.5% tax
Withdrawing cash at an agent costs more than sending, and the 0.5% mobile money tax is added on the withdrawal amount. As a guide, Airtel Money withdrawals start around UGX 330 for very small amounts and rise to roughly UGX 7,500 for amounts above UGX 1 million; MTN MoMo withdrawal fees are broadly similar (often slightly higher than Airtel in the same band).
| Amount withdrawn (UGX) | Indicative withdrawal fee (UGX) | + 0.5% tax (UGX) |
|---|---|---|
| 500 – 5,000 | ~ 330 – 440 | ~ 3 – 25 |
| 5,001 – 15,000 | ~ 440 – 700 | ~ 25 – 75 |
| 15,001 – 45,000 | ~ 700 – 900 | ~ 75 – 225 |
| 45,001 – 125,000 | ~ 900 – 1,800 | ~ 225 – 625 |
| 125,001 – 250,000 | ~ 1,800 – 3,200 | ~ 625 – 1,250 |
| 250,001 – 500,000 | ~ 3,200 – 5,000 | ~ 1,250 – 2,500 |
| 500,001 – 1,000,000 | ~ 5,000 – 7,000 | ~ 2,500 – 5,000 |
| Above 1,000,000 | ~ 7,000 – 7,500 | 0.5% of amount |
🔒 Safety: Both MTN and Airtel deduct fees automatically from your account. Never pay an agent separately for a transaction — if an agent asks for an extra cash fee on top, that is a scam. Your account statement (free in the MoMo and Airtel Money apps) shows every fee charged.
How to pay less in fees
- Keep money in the wallet — pay merchants, bills and other people directly instead of withdrawing cash, which carries the highest fee plus the 0.5% tax.
- Withdraw larger amounts less often — several small withdrawals cost more in total fees than one larger one.
- Use Pay/merchant codes — paying a registered merchant by code is often cheaper than sending then having them withdraw.
- Check the on-screen fee — both networks show the fee before you confirm; if it looks wrong, cancel.
Why fees matter if you pay many people
If you run payroll or pay a group of workers, riders or agents, transfer fees add up fast across dozens of payments — and so does the time spent sending one by one. A bulk payout that loads the wallet once and disburses to everyone is both faster and easier to reconcile, because every fee and payment is recorded in one place.
MTN MoMo & Airtel Money Transfer and Withdrawal Fees in: what you need to know in Uganda
MTN MoMo & Airtel Money Transfer and Withdrawal Fees in is an important consideration for anyone operating in Uganda's business environment. Getting it right requires understanding the local regulatory context, the practical steps involved, and the common pitfalls that catch people out. This guide sets out the essentials clearly, so you can act with confidence rather than guesswork.
Working through it
The practical path for mtn momo & airtel money transfer and withdrawal fees in uganda is simple in principle: know your obligations, prepare your documents, use the official channel, and record each step. Where a process runs through a government portal, keeping your reference numbers protects you if a query arises later — a small habit with outsized value.
What trips people up
People stumble on mtn momo & airtel money transfer and withdrawal fees in uganda for the same few reasons every time: they act before their documents are ready, they miss a deadline, or they trust an intermediary over the official process. Sidestep these three and you have avoided most of the risk.
Why this matters
Beyond the immediate task, handling mtn momo & airtel money transfer and withdrawal fees in uganda properly underpins everything else — access to finance, government tenders, banking facilities and partnerships all depend on a business being demonstrably compliant and well-run. Treating these requirements as foundations rather than obstacles pays off across the life of the business.
How Basket Advisory helps
Basket Advisory advises businesses and organisations across Uganda on mtn momo & airtel money transfer and withdrawal fees in and the wider compliance, payroll and go-to-market challenges of operating locally — practical, hands-on support from a team that works in this market every day.
💬 Paying many people every week?
Basket Payroll's Quick Pay lets you pay staff, riders, agents or casual workers across MTN and Airtel in one batch — with a record of every payment and fee. No registration needed for your first payouts.
Sources: MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda published mobile money tariffs; Uganda 0.5% mobile money tax. Figures indicative as of early 2026 and rounded into bands for guidance — exact charges are shown in-app and at the point of transaction, and may change. Confirm with your provider (MTN 100, Airtel 100).