Skip to content
paybillke
Live CBK checker

Is this brand licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya?

One search box, both CBK registers. Type any Kenyan payments or lending brand and the tool returns whether it appears in the Payment Service Provider directory (43 licensees) or the Digital Credit Provider register (227 licensees). Full PSP list at /cbk-licensed-psps.

Type any brand to check both CBK registers at once. Payment Service Providers (M-PESA, Airtel Money, Paystack, etc.) and Digital Credit Providers (Tala, Zenka, M-Kopa, Watu, etc.) are separately licensed and the tool checks both.

Sources

PSPs: CBK Directory of Authorized Payment Service Providers, published 7 August 2026 (data as at 17 June 2026). All 43 entries loaded.

DCPs: CBK Directory of Digital Credit Providers, updated 10 April 2026. All 252 licensed DCPs loaded. Alternative landing: centralbank.go.ke. Full paybillke DCP directory at /cbk-licensed-dcps.

How to check any brand yourself in 2 minutes

  1. Ask the brand directly. Any licensed PSP or DCP is required to display its CBK licence. Ask for a copy of the licence certificate or a written statement of licensing status.
  2. Cross-check the CBK registers. For payments, use the CBK PSP directory PDF at centralbank.go.ke. For loan apps, use the CBK Non-Deposit-Taking Credit Providers register. For banks, use the CBK list of licensed commercial banks.
  3. Match the trading name. Many brands trade under a name different from their registered entity. For example, Tala is on the DCP register as "Inventure Mobile Ltd", M-PESA is on the PSP directory as "Safaricom PLC", and pawaPay is on the PSP directory as "Quidexplus Kenya Limited".
  4. If not in any register, treat as high-risk. Registers update through the year. Absence is not proof of illegal operation, but it should raise the bar for what you sign or send.

Legal context

Business Laws (Amendment) Act No. 20 of 2024, in force 27 December 2024, brought non-deposit-taking credit business (including asset finance, PAYGo and BNPL) under CBK supervision. Under section 33S of the CBK Act as amended, unlicensed operation carries penalties of up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of up to KES 5 million.

Source: Business Laws (Amendment) Act No. 20 of 2024, Republic of Kenya. In force 27 December 2024. Section 33S penalties. Total CBK licensed non-deposit credit providers as of July 2026: 227 (per CBK press release), from 800+ applications since March 2022.

Related on paybillke