Equity vs Co-op: which is right for you?
Equity and Co-op share a similar history of serving the unbanked and rural Kenya, and they compete head-on for the same retail customer. Equity has scaled wider into corporate banking and pan-African operations; Co-op has stayed closer to the cooperative movement that gave it its name.
Equity Bank
bank,247247
Kenya's biggest bank by customer numbers, originally a building society for low-income savers.
Detail pageCo-operative Bank
bank,400222
A SACCO-owned bank with deep cooperative-sector ties and a strong agricultural lending book.
Detail pageWhich is better for what
Quick guide by use case. Pick the row that matches your situation.
For a regional traveller or someone with East African needs
Equity operates in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, and South Sudan, making cross-border banking simpler.
For a SACCO chairman or treasurer
Co-op is the natural fit; it serves the cooperative ecosystem and prices SACCO services aggressively.
For everyday mobile banking via app
Equity's Eazzy Banking app is wider in feature scope and integrates Eazzy Loan natively.
For agricultural lending
Co-op's ag-lending book is among the largest in the country and the underwriting is more sympathetic to farm cycles.
At a glance
| Equity | Co-op | |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | bank | bank |
| M-PESA paybill | 247247 | 400222 |
| Detail page | View | View |
Common questions
Which bank is bigger by customer numbers?
Equity is bigger, with over 18 million customers across the region as of 2025. Co-op has roughly 10 million.
What is Equity Bank's M-PESA paybill?
Equity Bank's M-PESA paybill is 247247. Use your account number as the reference.
Which has lower account fees?
Co-op generally has lower per-transaction fees on the basic personal account. Equity charges more but bundles more services into the standard account.
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