How fast does the money arrive?

Usually within minutes, straight to MTN MoMo or Airtel Money in Rwanda. Your transfer page shows each step as it happens.

How much does it cost?

3% of your send amount, with a $1 minimum on small transfers. That's it. We use the real mid-market exchange rate, with no hidden FX margin on top.

Which countries can I send from?

Today you can send from Canada (CAD) and the United States (USD). UK and EU are on the roadmap. All transfers arrive in Rwanda as RWF.

How can the recipient receive the money?

MTN Mobile Money (most common) or Airtel Money, straight to the recipient's phone. Bank deposits are on the roadmap.

How do you make money if there's no FX margin?

The 3% fee covers our card processing costs (Stripe takes 2.9% + $0.30) and the cost of paying out to mobile money in Rwanda. We keep what's left.

Card payments go through Stripe (PCI-DSS Level 1), identity verification is handled by Didit, and the money is paid out to MTN MoMo or Airtel Money in Rwanda. Your card details never touch our servers.

Do I have to verify my identity?

Yes, once. We need a government ID and a quick selfie, and it takes about 2 minutes. Canadian and US anti-money-laundering rules require it. After verification you can send up to $2,000 per transfer and $5,000 per month.

Can I track my transfer?

Yes. Every transfer has its own live status page showing each step, from the moment your card is charged to the moment your recipient's phone confirms the money.

Indicative rates

1 CAD = 1,055 RWF

1 USD = 1,460 RWF

About Idembe

We're building a simple, affordable way to send money from Canada and the US to Rwanda. Built by Rwandans abroad, for the diaspora. Idembe means home (murugo) in Kinyarwanda.

Our Mission

Sending money home should be clear and easy to understand. Idembe is being built to help people in the diaspora support family and community in Rwanda.

Why Idembe?

We want transfer costs, exchange rates, and progress to be easier to understand before and after you send money.

What We're Working Toward

Clear Pricing

Review the transfer amount, fee, and exchange rate before confirming.

Transfer Status

Check the latest status of a transfer from your account.

Canada & the US

Send from Canada or the United States to Rwanda.

Mobile Money

Transfers are designed for payout to MTN MoMo and Airtel Money accounts in Rwanda.

Card Payments

Card payments are processed through Stripe.

Diaspora-Led

Built by Rwandans abroad, for the diaspora.

Our Technology

Payments Infrastructure

Card payments are processed through Stripe, and each transfer has a status view in your Idembe account.

Mobile Money Integration

We are building for payouts to MTN MoMo and Airtel Money recipients in Rwanda.

Help Shape Idembe

Join the waitlist for updates as we continue building the service.

Join the Waitlist

Idembe is operated by Idembe Payments Ltd, registered in Rwanda. Idembe itself holds no money services business registration in Canada or the United States today; we are preparing to register with FINTRAC (Canada) and the relevant US authorities.