Kenya

[trevwmitchell (TWM)]

Hi guys, will my card work in kenya ?

[Jackcrwhitney (Jack)]

Hi @trevwmitchell ,

Just found this thread which may help to you.
If not feel free to ask there.

Monzo in Kenya

Recently been travelling to Kenya (in the Central and East Coast regions) with my Monzo card with a fair amount of success - some key things to note: The only ATMs I tried which accepted the Monzo card were the KCB Bank ATMs (Chip and Pin); however, these are fairly wide-spread and not particularly difficult to find. The KCB ATMs seem to have a limit of 40000Ksh that can be withdrawn in a single day. The card could not be used for payment at local shops, accommodation transport ect. So I solel…

It seems the user had a fair amount of success overall. Bare in mind his post was back in 2016 and Monzo have since moved over to the current account where things should have improved further.
I hope you enjoy your trip!

[anon95680666]

the thread that Jack posted was from Dec 16 - on the pre paid card - you could be the trail blazer for Monzo current accounts , let us know how you get on

[nanos]

From a Kenyan friend I understand that card payments are virtually unheard of in Kenya, though ATMs do exist, and should largely accept mastercards without problem.

Be aware of the charges for ATM withdrawals.

[jones.jammin (Benjamin)]

Hi everyone!

I’m currently in Kenya and would like to share a few tips for using your Monzo card here and withdrawing money from ATM’s.

Firstly, Monzo does work in Kenya. Many shops accept card payments and I have tested it and can confirm that you won’t be charged any additional fees for using your card to pay for items in shops. I’ve used it at several coffee shops and supermarkets in Nairobi and I assume that as long as they accept MasterCard it will work.

Secondly, using ATM’s in Kenya. The first couple times I withdrew money from ATM’s I was being charged approximately 400ksh ($4) per transaction. These fees are charged by the local bank, not Monzo! However, I discovered today that if you withdraw money from I&M Bank you won’t be charged any fees!!! The one catch is that I had to activate the magstripe in your Monzo settings for it to function with their ATM machine.

Hope this information helps and you’re able to withdraw money without any cost, just remember that Monzo has a £200 limit over 30 days where they won’t charge any fees. If you go over this, I believe you get charged 3% per ATM withdrawal.

[Qubits (Vijay)]

Hi All
I have just got back from Kenya in August 2018.
I was in Nairobi (Parklands/Westlands area) mainly and Maasai Mara. I was able to withdraw the money from a DTB (Diamond Trust Bank) ATM in Diamond Plaza, Parklands for no charge.
As Benjamin says, you get charged from others (I&M and KCB included) a local fee of 400Kenyan Shillings & Monzo charges 3% per ATM Withdrawal over the £200 limit per month. It would be nice to get this set higher (£600?).

At DTB, I think that I used the ‘credit’ option for withdrawal - not sure it made a difference. (sorry - forgot to note that)

I also used in the Monzo restaurants and food halls & in the majority, I had no issues and the conversion rate was great. Issues usually arose due to lack of balance in the main - so I would transfer monies from my ‘holiday’ pot.

As a test, My wife enabled the magnetic strip from settings on her Monzo and I did not. It did not seem to make a difference. Sometimes the ATM failed and it usually turned out that there will less money in the ATM then requested.

However, I also carried another card, from a building society that does not charge sterling conversion fees, as a backup. Suggest you always have a plan B.

Enjoy it if you go & stay safe!

[trevwmitchell (TWM)]

Thanks for the advice guys, I am leaving on Saturday with my local scout group… I’ll let you know how I get on… If I don’t get eaten by a …

[CTE]

I have had no problems in Nairobi, though never tried in rural parts. I default to monzo in Kenya as I had more issues with HSBC wrt to acceptance.

In Zambia, was in the bush, had to pay for a round at a bar about an hour out of Lusaka and monzo was the only card that worked. Got me out of a spot as I had no Kwacha, dollars or euros on me!

Have an awesome time @trevwmitchell!

[trevwmitchell (TWM)]

Cheers mate, that’s helpful as I am going way into the middle of nowhere, a wee place called ekalakala and planning on monzo being my main / almost only method to spend…

[CTE]

Ah awesome!

Definitely carry cash as a back up, and look out for your nearest StanChart, KCB or I&M ATMs as your first preference in case you can’t use your card for transactions.

Bear in mind that you could have patchy phone service too, so this might create an admin headache when trying authorise the magstripe, or if you need to contact support. Safaricom and Airtel are the most popular networks so if you’re going to be there for a significant period, defo pick up a local sim.