In downtown Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu most international hotels and stores in larger shopping malls will accept payments by international debit and credit cards.

However most banks in Kenya charge a fee to use international cards. The fee can be as high as 430 shillings.

Outside of the main cities in Kenya, international card payments are less widely accepted. Buying and selling in Kenya is still largely dominated by cash payments, as well as by mobile phone-based payments using M-Pesa.

Be aware of currency conversion fees: British banks may charge heavily for international card payments made in Kenya. In addition, your bank’s KES to GBP exchange rate may not be so good. This is how banks make money. Before using your bank card for payments in Kenya, it’s certainly a good idea to contact your bank. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.

Yes. Cash is still an important payment method in Kenya, especially for tourists. Locals are making great use of local mobile phone-based payment solutions such as M-Pesa, PesaPal and JamboPay. But these apps aren’t accessible if you don’t have a Kenyan bank account and/or phone number.

International card payments aren’t offered by many vendors in Kenya, and the ones that do offer card payments often have connection problems that result in card payments being voided. For this reason we strongly recommend taking cash with you on your trip to Kenya.

A coffee will cost around 250-300 KES but prices may be more expensive in highbrow areas of Nairobi and Mombasa. For a three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant expect to pay around 1500-2000 KES.

The overall cost of living in Kenya is around 38% lower than the cost of living in the UK.

Tipping in Kenya is generally expected if you are a tourist visiting the country. Waiting staff earn low wages and tips are an important part of their earnings. You are recommended to leave a tip of 10% or more if you’re happy about the service.