How to pay your deposit
To help make our Safari/Tour prices easier to understand for travelers all over the world, The website has specified the currency for each tourWhen making a booking, we can work in US Dollars (US$), or Kenyan Shillings (KES). Tell us which of these currencies is best for you and we’ll send your quotes in that currency. Then, when we make a booking for you, we’ll agree a price in that currency. This currency and price will remain fixed regardless of how the world’s exchange rates vary. Thus you always have the peace of mind of knowing exactly how much your trip costs in your currency.Your deposit depends on how soon you are going to travel:
- If your trip is more than 4 weeks away, then you only need to pay the deposit when you book. Your balance can be paid separately, later: it needs to reach us (cleared in our bank) at least ten weeks before you travel.
- If you are due to travel within 1 weeks of booking, then you need to pay for the whole trip when you confirm the booking. In this case, follow the instructions below for paying your deposit, but amend the amount to reflect the cost of the whole trip instead of just part of it.
Payment options depend on your booking’s currency:
Price agreed in US Dollars (US$)
Your deposit is *usually 30% of the value of the trip, subject to a minimum value of US$900 per person. The best way to pay for a trip in US Dollars is:
- Direct bank transfer in US Dollars to a US Dollar account, held in Kenya. Find our bank details on your private pages on our website – and always double-check them before use with a phone call or Email to an Sovereign Safaris team member whom you know. Bank charges are usually minimal, but please cover these from your side to ensure that we receive the correct amount.
- Online payment use the online payment link provided after confirming the safaris/Tour Payments can be accepted by Visa or MasterCard.
Credit cards (billed in US$) are accepted. Debit cards denominated in US Dollars are usually processed like credit cards denominated in US Dollars. Travellers are sometimes charged substantial commissions (4% in one case) by the banking system, and these charges are impossible to predict. Hence we recommend that you check potential charges with your card provider before making the transaction, or you pay by direct bank transfer.
Beware: if your credit or debit card is not billed in US dollars, then your card company is likely to charge you an additional direct charge for making a “foreign currency transaction”. These charges vary depending on the card provider, so read your credit agreement’s fine print before paying this way. Additional charges made by card providers are typically 3%. - Cashier’s checks arranged at your bank and typically cost about US$30-40 to issue, plus mailing costs. Cashier’s checks are the best form of cheque because they clear faster through the bank system than personal checks. Although this makes a cashier’s check is the best type of check to pay with, we are charged for cashing it, so US$40 should be added to any amount paid by cashier’s check to cover our bank charges. Full payment made by cashier’s check must be settled 14 weeks before travel, as on occasion they can take up to four weeks to fully clear through the banking system.
- Personal checks in US Dollars are accepted provided the check for full payment is received by us 18 weeks before travel. Personal checks can take up to eight weeks to completely clear through the banking system. Regrettably for this reason, we cannot accept a US Dollar personal check for any bookings made within 18 weeks of the travel date.
Price agreed in Kenyan Shillings (KES).
“Your deposit is typically 30% of the total cost of the trip, but not less than KES 150,000 per person.
The preferred payment method for trips priced in Kenyan Shillings is via Mpesa or direct bank transfer to one of our KES accounts. You can find our bank details on your private pages on our website. For security, please always verify these details by calling an Expert Africa team member you are familiar with.
When making a bank transfer, ensure that the transaction remains in Kenyan Shillings throughout, from your bank to ours, without being converted into any other currency. Bank charges are generally minimal, but please cover these on your side to ensure that we receive the full amount due.”
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