Case Study: United Nations Federal Credit Union achieves fast, low‑cost direct M‑Pesa transfers (3x growth) with Transpay

How UNFCU Partnered With Transpay to Offer Direct Funds Transfer to M-Pesa Accounts in Kenya, Launching a Popular and Fast-Growing New Service for Its Members

The United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) needed a faster, simpler way for its globally distributed members to send funds from U.S. UNFCU accounts to Kenya M‑Pesa wallets—previously a two‑step process that routed money through a local bank and took 3–5 days. UNFCU partnered with Transpay, using Transpay’s API and Local Bank Transfer network to address this cross‑border mobile‑payments challenge.

Transpay implemented a direct-transfer channel so members can send up to 70,000 KES for a $1 USD fee with no hidden costs, and transfers now typically complete within 24 hours. As a result, UNFCU became the first U.S. credit union to offer direct M‑Pesa transfers, saw M‑Pesa transfer volume more than triple (3x) within three months, and has expanded its Transpay partnership to add payments to other countries.

United Nations Federal Credit Union

Bill Thomas

First Vice President of Member Operations