Mobile Money

How to Grow Your Fuliza Limit on M-Pesa

M-Pesa Buy Goods till number sign on a shop counter – How to Grow Your Fuliza Limit on M-Pesa
M-Pesa Buy Goods till number sign on a shop counter. Photo: Raidarmax / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

There is no button to raise your Fuliza limit. Safaricom sets it based on how you use M-Pesa, and it reviews it over time. What you can do is build the kind of record that tends to earn a higher limit.

What affects your limit

Safaricom looks at your M-Pesa and Safaricom activity. The things within your control are:

  • How regularly money flows through your M-Pesa. Steady deposits and payments show the account is active.
  • How fast you repay Fuliza. Clearing balances quickly is the clearest signal you can give.
  • Avoiding long unpaid balances. The Fuliza key facts document warns that limits can be reviewed and reduced if usage drops or balances are not cleared.
M-Pesa and bank agent shop in Nairobi – illustrating How to Grow Your Fuliza Limit on M-Pesa
M-Pesa and bank agent shop in Nairobi. Photo: Simivic / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Practical steps

  1. Keep your income on M-Pesa. If you are paid through a bank, move part of it to M-Pesa regularly rather than keeping M-Pesa empty.
  2. Pay bills and shops through M-Pesa. Using Lipa na M-Pesa, paybills and send money builds activity.
  3. Use Fuliza a little and repay quickly. Small amounts cleared within the three-day free period cost only the 1% access fee.
  4. Keep your line active and registered in your name.
  5. Check your limit every few weeks on *334#.

Be careful with a bigger limit

A higher limit means bigger possible daily fees. On a balance above KSh 2,500, the daily cost is KSh 30 including excise. Work out the cost before you borrow:

Fuliza cost calculator

Uses Safaricom's published Fuliza tariff: 1% access fee plus a daily fee with 20% excise duty, assuming the balance stays the same until you repay. Your actual charges show on *334#.

Read more on how Fuliza works and the full Fuliza charges.

About Author

Norah Waceke is a business journalist and editor at Business Radar with more than eight years of experience covering Kenya's economy, companies and markets. She previously worked at Kenyans.co.ke, one of the country's leading digital news platforms, where she reported on business, finance and current affairs. A graduate of Multimedia University of Kenya, Norah focuses on clear, accurate reporting that helps readers understand the money stories shaping their lives and businesses.

More from Norah Waceke · Editorial policy

Related stories

M-Pesa Buy Goods till number sign on a shop counter – M-Pesa vs Airtel Money in Kenya: Charges, Limits and Coverage (2026)
Mobile Money

M-Pesa vs Airtel Money in Kenya: Charges, Limits and Coverage (2026)

If you keep both a Safaricom and an Airtel line, you have probably wondered which wallet is cheaper to use.
Safaricom SIM card pack in a hand – Sending Money from Airtel Money to M-Pesa: Steps and Charges (2026)
Mobile Money

Sending Money from Airtel Money to M-Pesa: Steps and Charges (2026)

A lot of people keep an Airtel line for cheap calls and data but still need to pay someone who