Hold and convert KES easily with a Wise account. Send to 160 countries, and hold and spend in 40 different currencies with no hidden fees.
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Kenyan shilling bank account vs Wise account
If you need to send, receive, and hold KES you may be able to open a Kenyan shilling bank account with your normal bank. That means you can transact in Kenyan shillings from wherever you call home, without needing a local address overseas.
Hold your funds in Kenyan shillings or 40 other currencies in your Wise account, send payments to 160 countries with fair and transparent fees.
The number of currencies you can receive money in depends on your location. Check which currencies you can receive.
Wise doesn’t accept cash or cheque payments. Read more about which types of transfers you can receive.
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Available for you in the UK
Here are the products Wise offers:
How to open Kenyan shilling account alternative with Wise
- 1
Create your Wise account.
Register for an account for free in minutes.
- 2
Get verified.
Get verified with your ID by our team.
- 3
Take on the world with Wise.
Add money in Kenyan shillings or any of the other supported currencies you want.
Get local account details in 9 currencies
A single Wise account lets you receive money with local account details and IBANs for 9 currencies. Perfect if you live internationally, get paid by an employer overseas, or if you’re just lucky enough to have people abroad who want to send you money.
With a Wise account in the UK, you can get:
- Australian account number and BSB code
- Canadian account number and transit number
- European IBAN
- British account number, branch code (sort code), IBAN
- Hungarian account number, bank code
- New Zealand account number
- Romanian account number, bank code
- Singapore account number, bank code
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Spend in British pounds sterling with ease.
Use your Wise debit card for payments and withdrawals when you travel or when you shop online with international retailers.
- It’s free to spend currencies you hold in your account.
- Make 2 withdrawals of up to 200 British pound sterling each month for free per account.*
- Automatically convert your money at the mid-market rate with a small conversion fee — typically between 0.35% and 2%.
- Spend safely online in 40 different currencies with a digital card.
*Wise will not charge you for these withdrawals, but some additional charges may occur from independent ATM networks.
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Open Kenyan shilling business bank account alternatives
Make it easier for clients to pay from overseas, and cheaper to get paid in foreign currencies by PSPs like Stripe and marketplaces like Amazon. With Wise for business you can get your own unique account details for 9+ currencies — USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, AUD and more.
Add your local account details to invoices, or use them to withdraw funds from PSPs and marketplaces. Your customers can pay in the currency of their choice - and you can keep more of your money in the end. Everyone wins.
The number of currencies you can receive money in depends on your location. Check which currencies you can receive
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FAQ
Whether or not you can open a Kenyan shilling account in the UK will depend on the specific bank or provider you pick. Factors like your citizenship and residency may also make a difference, so do remember to read all the eligibility requirements carefully before you apply.
Wise is available in most countries around the world. However, there are a handful of places where Wise can’t offer services right now. Learn more
How to open a Kenyan shilling account in the UK will depend on the specific bank or provider you pick. Most banks or providers require a verification process, in which you submit some documents to confirm your identity, or attend in-person interviews.
Opening a Wise currency balance is similar, in a couple of simple steps:
- Go to Home on the website or app.
- Choose which currencies you’d like to hold money in by clicking Open a balance.
- You’ll need to add some money and verify your identity first to keep your account safe.
To get your first set of account details, we'll ask you to:
- add 20 GBP to your account (or the equivalent in your currency)
- verify your identity
If you're getting USD or EUR account details, you'll need to upload a photo of yourself holding your ID as part of verifying your identity. *Learn more.* Wise may request additional documents to verify a customer's identity.
Create your Wise account online or with your smart device, and complete the Wise verification step to get started. You’ll need to enter your email, Facebook, Google or Apple ID, and create a password. Tell us a bit about yourself, and enter a phone number for 2-factor authentication. For a personal account, you can sign up with just your legal name, date of birth and address, and get verified with your normal proof of ID and address. Learn more about how to open a Wise account.
Opening a Wise account is free for personal customers. Holding a currency balance, and getting local account details are also normally free, but you'll need to add money to your account first for personal use. Business customers pay a one-time setup fee to get full account features. Learn more about the fees for opening the Wise account.
If you open an account in Kenyan shillings - or any other foreign currency - here in the UK, you’ll usually be able to use it to send and receive payments, and in some cases spend with a debit card. So far, so much like your normal bank account. Where foreign currency accounts can differ from regular current accounts is in the fees you pay. You may find there’s a high minimum balance, plus hefty international fees - and often, no opportunity to earn interest either.
