CBA group and Safaricom launches an overdraft service dubbed Fuliza for M-pesa customers

This new service is designed to help the customer complete M-PESA transactions that would have otherwise failed or postponed due to insufficient funds.
Fuliza is targeted at all Safaricom M-PESA customers that have been active for at least the past 6 months and maintain a good M-Shwari credit performance history.
Fuliza comes on the back of success on M-Shwari which was introduced on November 27, 2012, and so far has over 25 million customers.

Kenya’s largest privately-owned bank Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) in partnership with Safaricom are pleased to announce the launch of a new feature on the M-PESA wallet dubbed FULIZA, to complement the existing 30-day term loan, currently offered as M-Shwari.

This new service is designed to help the customer complete M-PESA transactions that would have otherwise failed or postponed due to insufficient funds.

“Our continued collaboration with Safaricom aims to drive financial inclusion in a digital economy. With our technological innovation and responsible lending principles, we will advertently bring more people into the financial system, encourage more transactions, more savings and, ultimately achieve stronger economic growth,” said Isaac Awuondo, CBA Group Managing Director.

Safaricom Director, Special Projects Sylvia Mulinge (R) and Isaac Awuondo, CBA Group Managing Director. Pulse Live Kenya

This new credit solution, further promotes our strategic agenda for a cashless economy that is more efficient with clear advantages and incentives to the consumer for making payments digitally.

With Fuliza, a customer who’s Send Money and Lipa na M-PESA transaction (Buy goods and Pay bill) value is greater than their M-PESA wallet balance, can complete the transaction with the benefit of the Fuliza limit for an Access fee of 1%.

A maintenance fee of between Ksh2- Ksh30 per day is then applied each day that the wallet remains overdrawn. Whenever you receive an inflow into your M-PESA wallet, the over drawn position is regularized. During this period that your M-PESA wallet is overdrawn, one shall still have access to their M-Shwari limit.

Pedestrians walk past a mobile phone care centre operated by Kenyan's telecom operator Safaricom in the central business district of Kenya's capital Nairobi, May 11, 2016. Reuters

Fuliza is targeted at all Safaricom M-PESA customers that have been active for at least the past 6 months and maintain a good M-Shwari credit performance history. The service will be offered on the M-PESA Sim Toolkit (STK) Application and My Safaricom App. To subscribe (opt-in) to this service, a customer shall dial *234*0# and agree to the presented Fuliza Terms and Conditions. One does not necessarily have to be an existing M-Shwari customer in order to opt in to this service. Fuliza is available for Send Money and Lipa na M-PESA transactions.

Fuliza comes on the back of success on M-Shwari which was introduced on November 27, 2012, and so far has over 25 million customers (59% male and 41% female). We are committed to expanding digital inclusion and access to credit particularly amongst the youth and small enterprises. These 2 offerings require the customer to behave responsibly and repay their loans in time to maintain access to either Fuliza or M-Shwari.