EcoCash Charges Calculator

When you send money to a registered user, the recipient has an active EcoCash wallet. The fees are lower because the money stays within the EcoCash system. When you send to an unregistered number, the recipient doesn't have an EcoCash wallet — they receive an SMS with a voucher code and must visit an EcoCash agent to collect the cash. This costs more because it involves agent handling.

EcoCash wants to encourage people to keep money in their wallets and use mobile payments. Making deposits (cash in) free removes any barrier to loading money. Cash out fees discourage withdrawals and help EcoCash earn revenue from the cash-handling process, which involves paying agents for their service.

IMT stands for Intermediated Money Transfer Tax, a government tax on all electronic money transfers in Zimbabwe. For USD transactions of $5 and above, EcoCash charges a 2% IMT tax on top of the EcoCash service fee. Transactions under $5 are exempt from IMT. This tax applies to send money transactions and is collected by EcoCash on behalf of ZIMRA.

EcoCash limits depend on the transaction type:

• Person to Person (P2P): $500 per transaction, $1,000 per month
• Person to Business (P2B): $1,000 per transaction, $3,000 per month

If you need to send more than $500 to a person, you'll need to split it into two transactions — but remember the monthly P2P cap is $1,000, so the most you can send to individuals in any given month is $1,000 across all transactions. Each transaction incurs its own fees separately.

For send money, the recipient gets the full amount you specify. The charges are deducted separately from your wallet on top of the send amount. For example, to send $200, you need about $207 in your wallet — $200 goes to the recipient and ~$6.60 covers fees and tax. For cash out, the fee is deducted from the withdrawal amount — you get less cash than your wallet balance shows. For merchant payments, the fee is typically added on top of the purchase amount.

Bill payments (ZESA tokens, EcoSure, church donations, school fees) are free — no charges to the customer. Merchant payments do carry a small fee of approximately 1.4% which may be absorbed by the merchant or passed on to you, depending on the merchant's arrangement with EcoCash.

This calculator covers USD transactions only. ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold) transactions have key differences:

• Lower IMTT: 1.5% on ZiG transfers (vs 2% for USD)
• Higher limits: P2P up to ZiG 13,000 per transaction, ZiG 50,000 per month. P2B also ZiG 13,000 per transaction, ZiG 50,000 per month
• EcoCash fees may differ from USD rates

Check the EcoCash tariff page for current ZiG fee percentages.

If you sent money to the wrong number, you can reverse the transaction only if the recipient hasn't collected or used the funds. Dial *151# and follow the reversal menu, or call EcoCash customer care. Reversals are free but must be done quickly. Once the recipient uses or withdraws the money, a reversal is no longer possible — you'd need to contact them directly.

When someone sends money to an unregistered number, the sender already pays a higher fee (3% vs 1.3%). This higher sending fee covers the cost of the cash-out process. So the unregistered recipient collects the full amount at the agent — the fees were already deducted from the sender's side.

EcoCash can update their tariffs at any time, though changes typically happen after regulatory announcements or budget statements. The IMT tax rate is set by the government and usually changes with the national budget (announced around November each year). We update this calculator as soon as new rates are published — check the date at the bottom for when rates were last confirmed.

EcoCash offers both a virtual Mastercard and a physical debit card that draw funds directly from your EcoCash USD wallet.

• Virtual card: Dial *153# → enter PIN → Wallet Services → EcoCash Debit Card → Mastercard Virtual. Or use the EcoCash app under Card Services. Costs about $0.50 to generate and is valid for one year.
• Physical card: Visit an Econet or EcoCash shop with your ID and $5. Can be used for POS purchases, online payments, and ATM withdrawals.

Yes — the EcoCash virtual Mastercard works on most international websites including Netflix, Spotify, YouTube Premium, Google Play, and many online shops. However, some merchants may reject cards issued from Zimbabwe. Make sure your EcoCash wallet has enough funds before attempting the payment. Note that since January 2026, a 15% Digital Services Tax is added to payments for foreign digital services, plus the standard 2% IMT — so budget roughly 20% extra on top of the listed price.

• Card generation: ~$0.50 (virtual), $5 (physical)
• Monthly maintenance: None
• Transaction fees: ~$1 flat for small transactions, ~2.5% for larger ones
• Transaction limit: $5,000 per transaction
• Daily limit: $5,000
• Monthly limit: $10,000

Cross-border payments may incur small additional currency conversion fees. Refunds for failed transactions can take time to process — check your balance before retrying a payment to avoid double charges.