Coinepay Global Remittance supports transfers to Ethiopia. You can prepare a transfer in the Coinepay app or self-service dashboard, review the exchange rate and fees before confirming, and track its status afterward. The details you need depend on whether your recipient will receive a bank deposit, a mobile-wallet payment or cash pickup.
What you need before sending
Register for Coinepay and complete identity verification before starting a transfer. Have your recipient’s full legal name exactly as it appears on their bank or wallet records, or on the identity document they will use for cash pickup. Ask the recipient to confirm their details directly rather than copying an old payment instruction.
- For bank deposit: Obtain the recipient’s bank name, account number, branch name and address, and the bank’s SWIFT/BIC. Ask the receiving bank whether it requires any additional branch or correspondent-bank information for this payment.
- For mobile wallet: Obtain the recipient’s registered name, mobile number and wallet provider. Confirm that the wallet is active and can receive an international remittance through the route shown when you set up the transfer.
- For cash pickup: Use the recipient’s legal name and any other information requested during setup. Make sure the recipient can reach the available pickup location and has an accepted identity document.
Coinepay sends transfers to every country and region except jurisdictions under comprehensive sanctions. Transfers are subject to identity verification, sanctions screening and local regulations. Coinepay may request documents showing, for example, the purpose of a transfer or the source of funds. It does not serve sanctioned persons.
Choose how the recipient will receive money in Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s local currency is the Ethiopian birr (ETB). Ethiopian remittance rules provide for payment to a beneficiary in birr, or a foreign-currency credit if the beneficiary maintains an eligible foreign-currency account. Check the currency and payout options displayed for your particular transfer before proceeding; a recipient should not assume that an ordinary birr account can receive a foreign-currency credit.
Bank deposit
Choose bank deposit if the recipient wants the funds credited to an Ethiopian bank account. Enter the account number supplied by the recipient and the receiving bank’s requested details. Ethiopia has no nationally registered IBAN format, so do not make up an Ethiopian IBAN or substitute one for the recipient’s account number. There is no single account-number length you should assume applies to every Ethiopian bank.
A bank SWIFT/BIC is typically 8 or 11 characters. Get the correct one from the recipient or their bank: CBETETAA, for example, is Commercial Bank of Ethiopia’s published SWIFT code, not a code for every bank in Ethiopia. If the transfer form requests a local bank code, branch code or intermediary information, ask the receiving bank which details apply. Do not enter a code copied from another bank or country.
The recipient should confirm that the account is active, that their name matches the bank’s records, and that the bank can receive the intended remittance. A receiving bank may ask the recipient for identification or information about the incoming payment.
Mobile wallet
A wallet payout uses the recipient’s mobile-number-linked account rather than a bank account. telebirr receives international remittances into eligible wallets, with wallet receipts denominated in ETB. M-PESA Safaricom Ethiopia also describes international remittance receipts through its partner service. These are distinct providers: select the recipient’s actual wallet provider if it appears among the payout choices for your route, and enter the mobile number registered to that wallet.
Ask the recipient to verify that their wallet is active, correctly registered in their legal name and able to accept the incoming payment. Wallet availability and applicable wallet conditions can depend on the provider and transfer route. Do not select one wallet as a substitute for another merely because the phone number is the same.
Cash pickup
Cash pickup lets the recipient collect funds at an available payout location rather than waiting for a bank or wallet credit. Check the pickup option and location shown for your transfer. The recipient will generally need an accepted identity document whose name matches the transfer details, along with any collection reference or instructions you are given after sending. Share those details securely with the intended recipient only. The payout provider may carry out its own identification checks before releasing cash.
Bank deposit, mobile wallet and cash pickup are supported payout categories, but the choices shown for a particular Ethiopia transfer can depend on the sending route and local payout arrangements. Use the options displayed in Coinepay rather than assuming that every named bank, wallet or pickup point is available on every transfer.
How to send money to Ethiopia step by step
- Sign in to a verified account. Open the Coinepay app or 24/7 self-service dashboard. If you are new, register and complete the required identity verification first.
- Start a Global Remittance transfer. Choose Ethiopia as the destination, then select the sending and receiving currencies available for your transfer. Check that the intended payout currency matches what the recipient can receive.
- Select a payout method. Choose an available bank-deposit, mobile-wallet or cash-pickup option. Enter the recipient’s real legal name and the details requested for that method. Check account numbers, wallet numbers and bank codes character by character.
- Review before confirming. Coinepay shows the exchange rate and fees before you confirm the transfer. Check the amount the recipient is expected to receive, the currency, payout method and recipient information. If anything is wrong, correct it before continuing.
- Confirm and track. Confirm the transfer only when the review details are correct. Use the transfer’s status tracking in the app or dashboard to follow its progress, and keep the transfer reference for any support request.
For access on your phone, use the Coinepay app for iOS or Android. If a requested payout method does not appear during setup, do not enter a different method’s details into the form; check the available alternatives or contact Coinepay support.
Recipient-side checks in Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s National Bank requires use of licensed remittance channels and imposes customer-identification and anti-money-laundering obligations on remittance representatives. The recipient may therefore need to provide identification or answer questions from the receiving bank, wallet provider or cash-pickup agent. A provider may also need to complete its processing and settlement steps before making a payout available.
Before you send, ask the recipient to confirm the name on their receiving account or identity document, the payout currency they expect, and whether their chosen bank, wallet or pickup location has any requirements they need to meet. Ethiopian rules require remittance providers to keep records and report remittance activity to the National Bank of Ethiopia; that provider reporting should not be confused with an automatic filing instruction for every recipient. If the recipient has questions about their own obligations, they should ask their receiving provider or an appropriate local adviser.
Troubleshooting an Ethiopia transfer
- Recipient details are wrong: A misspelled legal name, incorrect account or mobile number, or wrong SWIFT/BIC may delay, reject or misdirect a payment. If you have not confirmed, edit the details. If you have confirmed, contact Coinepay support promptly with the transfer reference. Do not assume details can be changed after submission.
- The transfer is under review: Respond through the appropriate Coinepay channel if asked for identification, the payment purpose or source-of-funds documents. The receiving provider may conduct checks too. Do not try to avoid checks by changing the named recipient or splitting a payment.
- The recipient has not received it: Check the tracked status first. Receiving-bank or intermediary processing, local cutoffs, weekends, holidays and payout-provider checks can affect progress. Ask the recipient to check their bank or wallet records, or confirm cash-pickup instructions, before reporting it missing.
- The transfer was returned or rejected: Ask support for the recorded reason and next steps. Correct the underlying bank, wallet or identity details before attempting another transfer. If a return is being processed, follow its status with support rather than assuming when or how the funds will be available again.
For help with a specific transfer, contact Coinepay support and provide its reference and the status you see. Share sensitive recipient information only through an appropriate support channel.
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FAQ
Does an Ethiopian bank account need an IBAN?
Ethiopia has no nationally registered IBAN format. Use the recipient’s actual bank account number and obtain the correct SWIFT/BIC and any additional details requested by their bank.
Can I send money to telebirr or M-PESA in Ethiopia?
Mobile-wallet payouts are a supported category. Check which providers are offered for your transfer; if telebirr or M-PESA Safaricom Ethiopia appears, use the recipient’s registered wallet name and mobile number.
What currency will the recipient receive?
Ethiopia’s local currency is ETB. Check the payout currency shown before confirming. A foreign-currency credit depends on the recipient having an eligible foreign-currency account.
What should I do if I entered the wrong account or wallet number?
Correct it before confirming if possible. If you already confirmed, contact Coinepay support promptly with the transfer reference; a submitted transfer may not be editable.
