What Ethiopian transfers really cost
Every provider's fee schedule, reconstructed from 207,097 real transaction SMS and receipts: group messages by the exact fee charged, then read off the amount range that fee covers. Ranges show where most messages fall (the middle 90%); hover anything for the full picture.
| Median fee (ETB) | Internal | Cross-prov. | ≤100 | 100–500 | 500–1K | 1K–2.5K | 2.5K–5K | 5K–10K | 10K–25K | 25K–50K | 50K+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Telebirr 99,299 msgs | 2.00 0.8% | 3.00 0.75% | 1.00 2.5% 1.00 | 2.00 1% 2.00 | 4.00 0.57% 4.00 | 5.75 0.37% 4.00 | 6.00 0.2% 6.00 | 8.00 0.13% 8.00 | 8.00 0.08% 8.00 | 15.00 0.04% 8.00 | 15.00 0.03% 8.00 |
CBE 83,292 msgs | 0.61 0.23% | 11.50 2.3% | 0.61 1.5% 0.61 | 0.61 0.4% 0.61 | 0.61 0.12% 0.61 | 4.03 0.4% 1.15 | 1.20 0.05% 1.20 | 2.40 0.04% 2.30 | 3.45 0.02% 3.45 | 3.60 0.01% 3.60 | 6.00 0.01% 6.00 |
BOA 9,800 msgs | 0.00 0% | 11.50 1.4% | 0.00 0% 0.00 | 1.15 0.57% 0.00 | 3.11 0.58% 0.00 | 10.35 0.57% 0.00 | 11.50 0.44% 0.00 | 11.50 0.2% 0.00 | 12.25 0.12% 0.00 | 17.25 0.06% 0.00 | 0.00 0% 0.00 |
Awash Bank 6,714 msgs | 2.59 0.4% | 2.30 0.1% | 0.08 0.12% 1.00 | 1.00 0.41% 1.00 | 2.30 0.4% 2.01 | 2.30 0.23% 5.18 | 2.70 0.09% 12.08 | 4.59 0.07% 3.00 | 8.58 0.07% 3.00 | 11.50 0.04% 3.00 | 12.00 0.01% 6.00 |
CBE Birr 2,514 msgs | · | 1.28 0.5% | 0.23 0.5% | 0.70 0.35% | 1.93 0.35% | 4.20 0.35% | 10.68 0.35% | 55.00 1.1% | 26.88 0.25% | · | · |
Zemen Bank 2,254 msgs | · | 0.00 0% | 0.00 0% | 1.15 0.48% | 2.88 0.46% | 0.00 0% | 12.00 0.46% | 23.00 0.29% | 0.00 0% | 61.44 0.18% | 92.00 0.18% |
M-PESA 1,214 msgs | 7.00 2% | 0.17 0.1% | 0.22 1% | 0.18 0.1% 7.00 | 0.77 0.1% | 1.23 0.1% | 3.61 0.1% | 1.00 0.01% | 5.00 0.03% | 5.00 0.02% | 5.00 2 msgs |
Dashen Bank 1,069 msgs | 0.00 0% | 5.75 0.46% | 0.20 0.46% | 1.40 0.46% 0.48 | 4.44 0.52% 0.00 | 5.75 0.46% 0.00 | 11.50 0.46% 11.50 | 11.50 0.19% 20.15 | 27.60 0.28% 0.00 | 36.23 0.13% 0.00 | 92.00 0.18% 0.00 |
Nib Bank 848 msgs | · | · | 0.08 0.24% | 0.49 0.4% | 2.00 0.4% | 1.57 0.1% | 12.00 0.4% | 19.60 0.24% | 49.09 0.41% | 100.63 0.33% | 165.00 0.14% |
Amhara Bank 77 msgs | · | · | · | 6.00 3 msgs | 9.92 2 msgs | 11.40 2 msgs | 6.00 1 msgs | 6.00 2 msgs | · | 3.60 2 msgs | 36.00 0.01% |
Berhan Bank 16 msgs | · | · | · | 0.08 2 msgs | 0.40 1 msgs | 1.00 2 msgs | · | 17.48 2 msgs | · | 67.16 0.18% | 92.00 4 msgs |
Ahadu Bank | no fees stated in its SMS, so nothing to reconstruct (fees are charged silently or as separate untied debits) | ||||||||||
Apollo | |||||||||||
Enat Bank | |||||||||||
Hibret Bank | |||||||||||
Hijra Bank | |||||||||||
Internal / Cross-prov. cover attributable transfers only (all amounts blended); the amount columns blend every fee-bearing message type (transfers, ATM, bills). Color = median fee as % of amount: ≤0.3% · 0.3–1% · 1–2.5% · >2.5%. Cell tint = cheapest / priciest provider in the band (≥5 msgs). "int" sub-value = the provider's internal-route median in that band. The gap to the main number is how much it favors its own network.
Transfer routes: internal & provider→provider fees
| Telebirr92,318 msgs · 18 routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Msgs | Med amt | Med fee | % |
| → internal | 70,267 | 230 | 2.00 | 0.8% |
| → CBE | 15,742 | 300 | 3.00 | 1% |
| → BOA | 4,005 | 400 | 2.87 | 0.57% |
| → Awash | 1,299 | 500 | 3.00 | 0.57% |
| → Dashen | 441 | 600 | 3.00 | 0.6% |
| → Zemen | 139 | 1,790 | 9.00 | 0.36% |
| → Berhan | 97 | 1,500 | 6.00 | 0.45% |
| → Hibret | 74 | 500 | 3.00 | 0.43% |
| → ZamZam | 56 | 500 | 1.00 | 0.1% |
| → Amhara | 41 | 4,000 | 7.83 | 0.2% |
| → Abay | 38 | 1,000 | 2.20 | 0.13% |
| → Coop | 35 | 750 | 6.00 | 0.6% |
| → Siket | 31 | 25 | 1.00 | 4% |
| → Bunna | 24 | 1,113 | 6.00 | 0.19% |
| → Nib | 21 | 200 | 1.00 | 0.92% |
| → Ahadu | 4 | 600 | 5.22 | 0.87% |
| → Enat | 2 | 5,393 | 13.04 | 0.24% |
| → Hijra | 2 | 250 | 2.61 | 1.1% |
| CBE62,539 msgs · 3 routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Msgs | Med amt | Med fee | % |
| → internal | 49,512 | 254 | 0.61 | 0.23% |
| → Telebirr | 11,179 | 600 | 11.50 | 2% |
| → M-PESA | 1,848 | 100 | 11.50 | 6.7% |
Bank transfers cost the same wherever they go. Neither the SMS nor the receipt names the receiving bank, so internal and interbank blend into one row. Wallet top-ups are the exception: receipts name the settlement account, splitting out Telebirr and M-PESA at the standard flat 11.50 (10 + VAT). | ||||
| CBE Birr56 msgs · 8 routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Msgs | Med amt | Med fee | % |
| → BOA | 14 | 185 | 0.93 | 0.5% |
| → Awash | 13 | 45 | 0.23 | 0.5% |
| → M-PESA | 9 | 500 | 2.50 | 0.5% |
| → Berhan | 7 | 1,000 | 5.00 | 0.5% |
| → Dashen | 6 | 215 | 1.08 | 0.5% |
| → Hibret | 3 | 600 | 3.00 | 0.5% |
| → Bunna | 3 | 10,000 | 25.00 | 0.25% |
| → Zemen | 1 | 10 | 0.05 | 0.5% |
| Awash6,336 msgs · 9 routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Msgs | Med amt | Med fee | % |
| → internal | 1,366 | 1,000 | 2.59 | 0.4% |
| → Telebirr | 2,410 | 600 | 2.30 | 0.46% |
| → CBE | 2,308 | 400 | 0.43 | 0.09% |
| → BOA | 133 | 500 | 0.90 | 0.09% |
| → M-PESA | 82 | 200 | 0.30 | 0.15% |
| → Dashen | 25 | 5,000 | 4.50 | 0.09% |
| → Zemen | 10 | 14,000 | 9.24 | 0.07% |
| → Berhan | 1 | 12,000 | 7.92 | 0.07% |
| → Hibret | 1 | 500 | 0.45 | 0.09% |
| BOA3,499 msgs · 3 routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Msgs | Med amt | Med fee | % |
| → internal | 1,297 | 1,000 | 0.00 | 0% |
| → Telebirr | 2,034 | 800 | 11.50 | 1.4% |
| → M-PESA | 168 | 103 | 11.50 | 1.6% |
BOA SMS never state fees. These come from fetched onlineSlip receipts. Wallet top-ups (Telebirr, M-PESA) cost a flat 11.50 (10 + VAT) at any amount. Internal and USSD transfers are free. "Other bank transfer" fees exist, but the receipt never names the bank, so they stay unrouted. | ||||
| Zemen1,220 msgs · 7 routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Msgs | Med amt | Med fee | % |
| → Telebirr | 841 | 1,000 | 0.00 | 0% |
| → CBE | 310 | 2,725 | 12.90 | 0.46% |
| → BOA | 42 | 1,500 | 6.90 | 0.46% |
| → Awash | 17 | 5,000 | 23.00 | 0.46% |
| → Dashen | 6 | 3,000 | 13.80 | 0.46% |
| → Hibret | 2 | 300 | 1.38 | 0.46% |
| → CBE Birr | 2 | 450 | 2.16 | 0.48% |
Zemen SMS never state fees. These come from fetched receipts (service charge + VAT + disaster levy). Transfers to Telebirr and internet-banking transfers are genuinely free. ATM withdrawals and interbank debits carry charges. | ||||
| Dashen970 msgs · 9 routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Msgs | Med amt | Med fee | % |
| → internal | 234 | 2,000 | 0.00 | 0% |
| → Telebirr | 379 | 1,000 | 5.75 | 0.6% |
| → CBE | 244 | 580 | 2.67 | 0.46% |
| → M-PESA | 47 | 200 | 5.75 | 1.9% |
| → BOA | 34 | 1,000 | 4.60 | 0.46% |
| → Awash | 27 | 5,000 | 23.00 | 0.46% |
| → Zemen | 3 | 205 | 0.94 | 0.46% |
| → Nib | 1 | 130 | 0.60 | 0.46% |
| → Hijra | 1 | 800 | 3.68 | 0.46% |
Dashen SMS state neither fees nor destinations. Both come from fetched PDF receipts. Interbank (IPS) is a uniform 0.46% of the amount, whatever the receiving bank. Internal transfers are free. Wallet transfers price higher (Telebirr 0.6%, M-PESA more). | ||||
| M-PESA530 msgs · 4 routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Msgs | Med amt | Med fee | % |
| → internal | 16 | 475 | 7.00 | 2% |
| → CBE | 495 | 120 | 0.17 | 0.1% |
| → BOA | 17 | 150 | 0.20 | 0.1% |
| → Berhan | 2 | 27,250 | 136.25 | 0.5% |
Arrow points at the destination; a provider's self-loop is its internal transfer. Arc and ribbon size follow message volume on a compressed (log) scale, so small routes stay visible next to Telebirr/CBE. Ribbon color = median fee as % of amount, same scale as the matrix above. Click a route (row or ribbon) to unfold its fee schedule. 14 routes under 5 msgs listed in the table only.