Fuliza mpesa loan: how to use, register and check limit
Safaricom is known for creating products and services that resonate with Kenyans. Take for example Fuliza mpesa loan, an overdraft loan mobile service offered through m-pesa. Although still new in the market, the popularity of this service has grown in leaps and bounds. It has become common place to hear someone say ‘acha ni Fulize’.
This article will take show you step by step how to use Fuliza loan on your phone, register and pay Fuliza. Also, you will get to know fuliza mpesa limits and how to grow them, when you can use it and how many times you can Fuliza using mpesa.
This service has become the go to when it comes to borrowing short term loans in the form of an advance. Money received from it helps Kenyans complete m-pesa transactions when they have insufficient cash in their mpesa account.
Table of Contents
About Fuliza
So, this service offered by Safaricom in partnership with NCBA, when was it launched? Fuliza was launched into the Kenyan market in January of 2019 and started breaking records immediately. After just 8 days of launching, it did transactions of over 1B Ksh. Wow!
How did Fuliza come into being? The need arose after Safaricom realised that nearly 58 percent of mobile money transactions failed due to insufficient funds. This is a very common occurrence, don’t you agree?
Have you ever been in a situation where you are making a payment using mpesa and the transaction fails to complete? Whether it’s paying utility bills or just trying to complete a transaction using mpesa paybill or buy goods. Not having enough money to do so can be frustrating.
That’s where fuliza by safaricom, comes to the rescue. Fuliza offers registered m-pesa users a life line by giving them an advance to complete the transaction, at a small fee of cos. This acts like a small mpesa loan to the user but with a few limitations, which we shall discus below.
What is Fuliza?
The Fuliza mpesa service is often confused as a loan by most of its users. However, it’s an overdraft service that helps users complete transactions on m-pesa when they do not have enough money to cover it. Overdrafts are generally considered loans and for that reason, money borrowed through Fuliza is charged an interest rate.
First, let’s see how to use Fuliza.
How to Fuliza
Fuliza is a service that is easy to use. So, you may be asking how to Fuliza? All you need to do is use the mpesa service as you would normally do and then follow the steps below
- Make sure you have registered for the fuliza service.
- Open mpesa menu.
- Select either send money, paybill
or buy goods. (See what you can and can’t pay for using Fuliza ) - Enter amount
- Press OK to complete transaction.
- Enter your PIN.
- Press OK.
- The Fuliza Option will pop up.
- Select yes.
- Press OK to complete Fuliza transaction.
For the process to be successful, you have to have sufficient money on your Fuliza balance. Need to know how to fuliza when using paybill, buy goods or sending money to another user? Check out this detailed guide here.
To fully take advantage of this safaricom service, you need to meet the minimum registration requirements. These registration requirements are as follows:
What you need to qualify:
- You must be registered on mpesa as a customer
- Be an active m-pesa customer for a minimum of 6 months.
- Have an active safaricom line
- Have registered or opted in for fuliza mpesa service.
Yes, you must register for it on your phone to be able to use fuliza. Below find how you can register for the fuliza mpesa.
How to register for Fuliza
If you need to register for Fuliza, dial Fuliza code *234# on your Safaricom line. Next, select Fuliza M-PESA to opt in for the service. It’s as simple as that. Here are the steps on how to register Fuliza.
- Dial Fuliza code *234#
- Select Fuliza m-pesa by pressing ‘0’
- Next choose Yes by pressing ‘1’
- Select Accept by pressing ‘1’
And the Fuliza Registration process. The Fuliza service doesn’t use an app to offer loans. The overdraft loan service is accessed through STK and USSD which are available on all phones. This includes both Android and IOS platforms. And that’s how to register for Fuliza if you are new to the service.
Note: Make sure to read the terms and conditions of Fuliza mpesa.
Fuliza mpesa limits:
Yes, Fuliza comes with a limit on how much you can qualify for. The minimum fuliza limit is Ksh 500 and the maximum fuliza limit is ksh 100,000. But the Fuliza balance you have depends on how much you transact on your mpesa account i.e. your m-pesa behavior.
To check your Fuliza limit / balance, dial code *234# and select Fuliza mpesa. Next, you will select check your limit. Wait for an SMS message confirming your available limit.
That way you will now the maximum amount you can Fuliza from your account when you need to use the service.
The loan limits are reviewed every 3 months. This allows you a chance to increase the fuliza balance and limit amount periodically.
Grow your Fuliza limit:
To grow your fuliza limit, make sure you are using safaricom and m-pesa services frequently. Also, make sure you repay your Fuliza m-pesa on time. This makes sure that the balance in your Fuliza account increases.
How do you pay Fuliza? To repay your fuliza, simply top up your m-pesa account. It is also good to note that any money that comes in to your mpesa and you have an outstanding amount will be deducted to repay the overdraft. This will also pay for any related fees charged for utilizing this service.
How many times can you Fuliza:
Now that you know your limit, a common question users ask is how many times can you Fuliza? As long as you are within your limit, you can fuliza as many times as possible. As a matter of fact, in the ncba group document, ‘Fuliza Key facts document‘, it states that their no restrictions on the max number of times one can access Fuliza.
What you can pay for using Fuliza
- Lipan a m-pesa transaction
- Buy goods
- Paybill
- Send money to both unregistered and registered m-pesa customers.
Note: Fuliza can be used to complete lipa na m-pesa transactions like Buy goods and paybill. To add on to this, it can also be used to send money through m-pesa to both registered and unregisterd users.
You cannot use fuliza for the following
- Doing agent and ATM withdrawals.
- Buying airtime
- Sending money to loans and savings.
Note: Many users ask how to withdraw money from Fuliza. However, you cannot withdraw directly from your Fuliza mpesa account limit. Neither can you do ATM withdrawals, but airtime or send money to your loans and savings.
Fuliza charges and interest rates:
Fuliza charges a 1% access fee and also an amount as a maintenance fee on your outstanding balance. Below, find a table showing Fuliza charges on amounts borrowed.
| Fuliza Amount | Charges / Interest rate |
| 0-100 | Ksh 0.10 per day |
| 101 – 500 | Ksh 5 per day |
| 501 – 1000 | Ksh 10 per day |
| 1001 – 1500 | Ksh 20 per day |
| 1501 – 2501 | Ksh 25 per day |
| 2501 – 70,000 | Ksh 30 per day |
Repayment Period
A full repayment of the amount advanced to you through Fuliza is expected within 30 days. Not only that, as a customer you must ensure that you maintain regular inflows into your mpesa account over a 30 day period.
The good thing about paying Fuliza is that both full and partial payments are accepted.
CRB listing:
Fuliza customers can be listed with CRB in two ways; positive listing or negative listing.
Positive Listing applies to all active Fuliza customers with no outstanding amount overdue. Negative Listing applies to all active Fuliza customers with an outstanding amount overdue.
How long does Fuliza give you before listing you negatively on CRB? You are normally given a Pre-listing notice period of 30 days from the time you default. If payments are not received within 120 days, your name will be listed CRB for failure to pay back loan.
Pros and Cons:
Pros
- Easily accessible from any phone; the product is available through existing M-PESA platforms i.e. STK, USSD, Android and IOS platforms.
- Quick and easy to receive the loan on your phone.
- No need to install any addition apps to access it.
Cons
- Amounts borrowed are charged a daily fee.
- A change in m-pesa transaction behavior may result in limit review after 30 days.
- Lack of repayment of Fuliza within agreed time will lead to a gradual reduction of your limit.
- Failure to settle Fuliza amount can affect your chances of accesing other loan and credit services in Kenya.
Sent Fuliza to wrong number / paybill, what do i do?
If you have sent Fuliza to the wrong account, m-pesa reversal process applies. Start the m-pesa reversal service by sending an SMS to 456.
Take note that transaction charges will not be reversed and only the amount sent or used to pay for the service will be reversed.
FAQ:
Is there a Fuliza app?
No. There is no Fuliza app. To access the service, you either use the m-pesa STK (Sim tool KIT) or dial the USSD code *234#. However, you can access the service through the my Safaricom App.
Can you repay Fuliza through Lipa na mpesa?
There is no need to make repayment of the loan using lipa na mpesa. First of all, Fuliza doesn’t have a lipa na mpesa account to make payment using paybill. Second, Fuliza is repaid directly from your m-pesa balance. All you need to do is top up your mpesa wallet to pay back the facility.
How do I know my fuliza limit?
To know your Fuliza limit dial *234# on your phone. Select Fuliza and then choose the check my limit option. You will receive an SMS confirming you Fuliza balance / limit.
Can you send fuliza money to someone?
Yes you can. Sending money to someone through fuliza is allowed. Just make sure you have enough in your limit.
How do you use Fuliza on iPhone?
If you want to use fuliza on you iPhone, make sure you are a safaricom user and register the number on Fuliza by dialing the code *234# on your phone. Next, proceed to pay for items or send money the way you would normally using your phone. The option to Fuliza will show up when finishing the transaction.
Can I withdraw money from Fuliza?
No you can’t withdraw money from Fuliza. The service only allows you to send money to another user who can withdraw it.
Can you buy airtime using Fuliza?
You can’t buy airtime using Fuliza because the service can only allow you to send money to registered and unregistered m-pesa customers and use Lipan na m-pesa.
