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Fuliza Review 2026: 1% Access + Daily Fee + 20% Excise

Fuliza is not a loan; it is an overdraft. Cheap for a one-day rescue, expensive if it sits. Verified 30 August 2026.

AO
by Reviewed by Michael Mwangi 8 min read Updated 30 August 2026Verified 30 Aug 2026

Fuliza is an M-PESA overdraft up to about KES 70,000, charged 1 percent access plus a daily band fee plus 20 percent excise. It auto-repays from your next top-up. Dial *334# to check your limit. Fuliza is issued by KCB Bank Kenya and NCBA Bank Kenya jointly through Safaricom.

What Fuliza is

Fuliza is a Safaricom-branded overdraft on M-PESA, issued by KCB Bank Kenya and NCBA Bank Kenya. When you attempt an M-PESA transaction that exceeds your balance, Fuliza tops up the difference up to your assigned limit. Repayment happens automatically the next time M-PESA credit lands in your account.

Pricing at a glance

ComponentAmount
Access fee1% of drawdown, one-off
Daily fee, KES 1 to 100KES 0
Daily fee, KES 101 to 500KES 2.50 (after 3 free days)
Daily fee, KES 501 to 1,000KES 5.00 (after 3 free days)
Daily fee, KES 1,001 to 1,500KES 18.00
Daily fee, KES 1,501 to 2,500KES 20.00
Daily fee, KES 2,501 to 70,000KES 25.00
Excise on daily fee20%

Compared to a 30-day facility fee on M-Shwari or KCB M-PESA, Fuliza is materially cheaper for a same-day or next-day rescue and materially more expensive if the balance sits outstanding for more than a week. Worked examples in Fuliza true cost 2026.

How to use Fuliza

  1. Dial *334# to check your Fuliza limit and opt in or out.
  2. Trade normally on M-PESA. If a transaction exceeds your wallet balance, Fuliza engages automatically to cover the shortfall (up to your limit).
  3. Repayment happens the next time any M-PESA credit lands: salary, customer payment, cash-in.

When Fuliza is the right choice

  • You need to complete a single M-PESA transaction now, cash lands tomorrow. The 1 to 2 day fee is trivially small.
  • You need less than KES 5,000 for less than 3 days. The daily fee stays below what M-Shwari or KCB M-PESA would charge for a 30-day loan.
  • You are already M-PESA-native. No app to install, no separate paybill.

When Fuliza becomes a trap

  • Rolling balance over 30 days. The daily fee compounds. Over a month, Fuliza is meaningfully more expensive than a 30-day M-Shwari loan for the same amount.
  • Every M-PESA credit eaten by Fuliza. Any incoming M-PESA automatically deducts against the outstanding, so you feel like you never receive salary or trade credit.
  • Habitual use to smooth cash flow. A structural cash-flow problem is not solved by an overdraft. If Fuliza is engaged more than 5 days a month, you have a spending or timing problem, not a credit problem.

Who cannot use Fuliza

You need an active M-PESA account and to have opted in. Users registered on Safaricom with a foreign passport are blocked. Users with very low M-PESA activity may not qualify for any Fuliza limit, and users with historical Fuliza defaults or M-PESA misuse can be suspended from the facility.

If something goes wrong

  1. Contact Safaricom customer care on 100 (Safaricom line) or 0722 000 100. Keep the M-PESA reference.
  2. For the underlying overdraft complaint, KCB and NCBA both operate customer-service channels published on their respective sites.
  3. Escalate to CBK Consumer Protection on 0800 720 000 if unresolved.

Sources

  1. Safaricom PLC. Fuliza product page (safaricom.co.ke/main-m-pesa/m-pesa-services/credit-and-savings/fuliza-mobile). Verified 30 August 2026.
  2. Safaricom PLC. Press release, Safaricom, NCBA and KCB Restructure Fuliza with Free Daily Fees.
  3. KCB Bank Kenya and NCBA Bank Kenya. Issuer banks for the Fuliza facility.
  4. Excise Duty Act, 2015. 20 percent excise on fees on financial services.

FAQ

What is Fuliza?

An M-PESA overdraft, not a loan. When you try to send or pay more than your M-PESA balance, Fuliza covers the shortfall up to your assigned limit. It repays automatically from any incoming M-PESA credit.

What does Fuliza cost?

A one-off 1 percent access fee at drawdown, a daily maintenance fee that varies by band (KES 0 to KES 25 per day), and 20 percent excise on the daily fee. Full band table in the paybillke Fuliza true cost guide.

What is the Fuliza maximum?

About KES 70,000 for personal Fuliza. Actual limit varies per user based on M-PESA activity. Fuliza Biashara (for M-PESA tills) goes up to KES 400,000.

Does Fuliza check CRB?

Personal Fuliza has historically not reported defaults to CRB in the same way as a term loan. Persistent non-repayment can still lead to suspension of the overdraft facility and further collection by the underlying bank.

Further reading

Curated external sources we cite. Open in a new tab.