Verified 12 September 2026

NCBA Now: the app, and where LOOP fits

By Arnold Ochieng · NCBA Bank Kenya hub · paybillke is an independent guide and is not affiliated with NCBA Bank Kenya.

NCBA Now is NCBA's mobile banking app, and as of 2026 you can open a personal current account inside it end to end, with no branch visit and no paperwork. It sits alongside two other channels the bank runs: internet banking, and *488#.

What the app does

Account opening, payments, transfers and real-time account tracking are the core. Beyond that NCBA highlights card management, where you set limits and block or unblock your NCBA cards yourself, and investment access for managing holdings from the same place.

The practical draw is the card controls. Blocking a card the moment you lose it, without finding a phone number first, is the difference between an inconvenience and a fraud claim.

Is LOOP the same as NCBA Now? No.

LOOP is a separate app and a separate brand. It began life on NCBA's side of the market and is still widely described online as "NCBA's digital bank", but that is not how either party presents it today. loop.co.ke carries no NCBA branding and identifies itself as LOOP DFS, regulated in its own right by the Central Bank of Kenya, and NCBA's own Ways to Bank page does not mention LOOP at all. We checked both on 12 September 2026.

What that means for your money

Treat them as two different institutions, because for the purpose of where your money sits, they are. Paybill 880100 deposits into an NCBA bank account. It is not the way to top up a LOOP wallet, and you should use whatever number LOOP shows you inside its own app for that. LOOP's own FAQ gives its deposit paybill as 714777, with your LOOP-registered phone number as the account; we key-tested it on 17 October 2026 and the confirmation screen reads LOOP C2B. See the LOOP paybill page. If a page elsewhere gives you a LOOP number with no source, check it in the app before you send money to it.

Which channel to use

NCBA Now for day-to-day banking, card controls and opening an account.

*488# when you have no data, a flat battery budget, or a basic handset.

NCBA Connect for business and corporate payment approvals.

About this guide

Independent guide. paybillke is not NCBA Bank and has no commercial relationship with it. Paybill and USSD details were checked against NCBA's own site on 12 September 2026. Rates, fees and product terms change, so confirm anything you are about to act on with NCBA directly on ncbagroup.com/ke or 0800 720 444.

Frequently asked

What is NCBA Now?

NCBA's mobile banking app. You can open a personal current account in it, pay, transfer, track accounts, manage cards and access investments.

Can I open an NCBA account in the app?

Yes. NCBA states that opening a personal current account is now fully digital in NCBA Now.

Is LOOP the same as NCBA?

No. LOOP presents itself as LOOP DFS, regulated separately by the Central Bank of Kenya, and NCBA does not list it among its own channels.

Can I use paybill 880100 to top up LOOP?

No. 880100 credits an NCBA bank account. Use the number LOOP shows inside its own app.