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Verified September 2026

Fuliza M-PESA 2026: limits, fees, repayment, opt-out

Fuliza is the M-PESA overdraft that quietly powers most Kenyan top-up shortfalls. It has two charges that are not interest, a per-line limit Safaricom sets from your own usage, a 30-day repayment window with automatic deduction from your next deposit, and CRB reporting if you default on KES 1,000 or more. Everything paybillke knows about Fuliza, in one place. Verified June 2026.

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Full mechanics explainer

How the overdraft is triggered, what counts as eligible, settlement flow

How Fuliza works

Fuliza activates automatically when an M-PESA transaction exceeds your wallet balance. You see a prompt: You have insufficient balance. Continue with Fuliza? Confirm with PIN. Safaricom tops up the shortfall from the Fuliza pool, the recipient gets the full amount, and you owe Fuliza the topped-up portion plus daily access fee.

Repayment is automatic. The next time money lands in your M-PESA wallet (salary, sent money, paybill refund, anything), Safaricom takes the Fuliza balance first. The remainder credits your wallet. There is no manual repay button; it always happens at the next deposit.

Fuliza limits

Safaricom sets your limit per line from that line's own activity and repayment history, and refreshes it up or down over time. A line active for less than about six months carries a ZERO limit. Safaricom publishes neither a starting figure nor a ceiling; the tariff table stops at KSh 70,000, which is where pricing stops rather than where limits stop.

How to refresh or increase your Fuliza limit

Safaricom says the limit is "refreshed (upwards or downwards) depending on the usage and timely repayment of the facility", and that to grow it you need to "continue using Safaricom and M-PESA services and repay your Fuliza M-PESA facility on time". Its Fuliza page gives no code or button to ask for a higher limit, so the refresh happens on Safaricom's side.

So keep the line and M-PESA in use, clear Fuliza as soon as money comes in, and try not to sit at your limit. Anyone who asks for a fee or your PIN to "boost" your limit is not Safaricom.

Fuliza fees (2026)

Outstanding (KSh)Maintenance20% exciseCharged per day
0 to 100KSh 0KSh 0KSh 0
101 to 500KSh 2.5KSh 0.5KSh 3
501 to 1,000KSh 5KSh 1KSh 6
1,001 to 1,500KSh 18KSh 3.6KSh 21.6
1,501 to 2,500KSh 20KSh 4KSh 24
2,501 to 70,000KSh 25KSh 5KSh 30

Cost depends far more on how long you hold it than on how much you take. KES 1,000 repaid before midnight costs KSh 10, the access fee alone. Held one day it is KSh 16. Held 30 days it is KSh 190, which is 19% of the amount in a month. Note the 1,001 to 1,500 band: it charges KSh 21.6 a day, more than double the band below it, so fulizaing KSh 1,100 costs far more per day than KSh 900. See our Kenya loan APR guide for context against other lenders.

Repayment and default

The 30-day window is hard. Repay within 30 days and your Fuliza facility stays open with no further consequence. Default and three things happen, in order:

  1. Day 31: Facility suspended. You cannot use Fuliza for new shortfalls. The outstanding balance still earns the daily access fee.
  2. Day 45: CRB notification window opens.Safaricom prepares a CRB report on outstanding balances of KES 1,000 or more.
  3. Day 60: CRB listed. If still unpaid, the listing is filed with Metropol, TransUnion, and CreditInfo. Listing is removed within 7 days of clearance, but the negative entry remains in your history for 5 years.

How to opt out of Fuliza

For users who prefer hard balance enforcement (no overdrafts triggered), Safaricom offers a clean opt-out:

  1. Dial *334#
  2. Choose Loans, then Fuliza, then Opt Out
  3. Confirm with PIN

Suspension takes effect within 24 hours. Any outstanding Fuliza balance must be repaid first; the opt-out completes only after balance hits zero. You can opt back in via the same menu at any time.

Fuliza for Business

Fuliza Biashara is the overdraft on an M-PESA Business till. Safaricom charges a 2% access fee on each disbursement plus a daily fee by band, and its tariff table stops at KSh 400,000. It is payable within 30 days.

Use the Fuliza for Business calculator to see what a given amount costs over a given number of days. To opt in, dial *234# from the till's nominated number.

Selling on Pochi la Biashara instead of a till? Pochi has its own overdraft, Pochi Fuliza: see Fuliza ya Pochi explained.

When Fuliza does not work

  • "Service not available right now." The most common cause is a Safaricom-side outage. Check what to do when M-PESA is down. If only Fuliza is affected, wait 1 to 2 hours; full M-PESA usually keeps working.
  • "You have reached your Fuliza limit."Your outstanding balance equals your assigned limit. Repay any portion to free up headroom, or deposit to your M-PESA wallet to auto-repay.
  • "Transaction not eligible for Fuliza."Some bank-routed merchant paybills disable overdraft on their end. Top up your M-PESA wallet first, then retry.
  • "Fuliza opt-out in progress." You requested opt-out within the last 24 hours. The facility is suspended until you opt back in.

Alternatives to Fuliza

Fuliza is the cheapest option for short-term, small shortfalls. For larger amounts or longer terms, the main Kenyan alternatives are:

M-Coop Cash

Co-op Bank, mid-tier rates, 30-day terms

M-Shwari

7.5%/month, limits tied to savings

Hustler Fund

Government tier, capped at KES 50K

Tala or Branch

Up to KES 50K, 30-90 day terms

KCB M-PESA

Limits tied to KCB M-PESA savings

Full loan apps pillar

All Kenyan mobile lenders, ranked

Fuliza is easy money, but it has a habit cost

Many users end up in a cycle: Fuliza on Monday, auto-repaid on Friday's salary, broke by next Monday, Fuliza again. The daily fees stack up to thousands per month. If you find yourself triggering Fuliza more than 2 to 3 times a month, the underlying problem is usually the budget, not the overdraft. Try our Budget Planner to spot the leak.

FAQ

What is Fuliza in M-PESA?

Fuliza is Safaricom's overdraft facility. When you try to send money, pay a bill, or buy goods and your M-PESA balance is short, Fuliza automatically tops up the gap, up to your personal Fuliza limit. The advanced amount is repaid from your next M-PESA deposit. There is no interest charge; instead, Safaricom charges a daily access fee until you repay.

What is my Fuliza limit?

Safaricom sets it per line from your own usage and repayment history, and refreshes it up or down over time. A line active for less than about six months carries a ZERO limit. Safaricom does not publish a starting figure or a public ceiling; their tariff table runs to KES 70,000, which is the top priced band rather than a promised maximum. Check yours on *334# under Loans and Savings, or in the M-PESA app.

How much does Fuliza cost?

Two charges, and neither is interest. A one-off 1% access fee on the amount, then a daily maintenance fee by band with 20% excise duty charged on that fee. Safaricom's per-day totals: 101 to 500 = KSh 3; 501 to 1,000 = KSh 6; 1,001 to 1,500 = KSh 21.6; 1,501 to 2,500 = KSh 24; 2,501 to 70,000 = KSh 30. The maintenance fee only starts at the next midnight, so borrowing and repaying the same day costs the 1% access fee alone.

How long do I have to repay Fuliza?

You have 30 days. Repayment is automatic from any M-PESA deposit (Safaricom takes the Fuliza balance first before the funds land in your wallet). If you do not repay within 30 days, the loan does not roll over; instead, Safaricom may suspend your Fuliza access and report to the credit bureau (CRB) if the outstanding amount is significant.

Does Fuliza affect my CRB score?

Yes, if you default. Safaricom reports Fuliza defaults of KES 1,000 or more to the credit bureaus (Metropol, TransUnion, CreditInfo) after the 30-day window expires. A CRB listing affects your ability to get loans from banks, mobile lenders, and SACCOs. The fix is to repay the outstanding amount; the listing is updated within 7 days of clearance, though the history remains for 5 years.

How do I opt out of Fuliza?

Dial *334# > Loans and Savings > Fuliza > Opt Out. Confirm with PIN. Your Fuliza facility is suspended within 24 hours, and you can no longer use it for shortfalls. Existing outstanding balances must be repaid before opt-out completes. You can opt back in at any time via the same menu.

Why was I declined when I tried to use Fuliza?

Common reasons: (1) you have not opted in yet, (2) you already have an outstanding Fuliza balance equal to your limit, (3) the transaction you attempted is not Fuliza-eligible (e.g., some bank-routed paybills do not support overdrafts), (4) Safaricom's anti-fraud system flagged the recipient, or (5) your account is in a temporary cooldown after multiple defaults.

What is Fuliza for Business?

Fuliza Biashara, also called Fuliza for Business, is the overdraft on an M-PESA Business till. Safaricom charges a 2% access fee on each disbursement plus a daily fee by band, and its tariff stops at KSh 400,000. You opt in on *234# from the till's nominated number. Pochi la Biashara has its own version, Pochi Fuliza.

Can I use Fuliza to send money to a bank?

Yes, for most banks. Fuliza tops up the shortfall when you use Lipa na M-PESA, Pay Bill to a bank paybill. The exception is a handful of bank-routed merchant paybills that disable overdraft on their end. The M-PESA SMS will tell you if Fuliza was used and how much was advanced.

How does Fuliza compare to Tala, Branch, or M-Shwari?

Fuliza is the cheapest for very short-term, very small shortfalls (a few days, KES 100 to 5,000). Tala and Branch offer larger loans (up to KES 50,000) over 30 to 90 days but at higher APR. M-Shwari sits between, with a 7.5% one-month rate (90% APR) and limits tied to your M-Shwari savings balance. See our Fuliza vs Tala comparison and the loan APR explainer for the full picture.

Every Fuliza resource on paybillke

Last verified: September 2026. Fees and limits confirmed against Safaricom's 2026 M-PESA tariff guide and live Fuliza menu testing. See our how we verify page for methodology.