Fuliza feels small because it kicks in only when your M-Pesa balance is short. The costs add up fast if you leave the balance unpaid, so it helps to know exactly how Safaricom charges it.
The two fees
1. Access fee. Every time you use Fuliza you pay a one-off fee of 1% of the amount borrowed. Fuliza KSh 1,000 and the access fee is KSh 10.
2. Daily maintenance fee. From midnight the next day, a daily fee is charged on whatever you still owe. Safaricom adds 20% excise duty on top of this daily fee.
Daily fee table
| Outstanding balance (KSh) | Daily fee (KSh) | Excise 20% (KSh) | Total per day (KSh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 101 to 500 | Free for 3 days, then 2.50 | 0.50 | 3.00 |
| 501 to 1,000 | Free for 3 days, then 5 | 1.00 | 6.00 |
| 1,001 to 1,500 | 18 | 3.60 | 21.60 |
| 1,501 to 2,500 | 20 | 4.00 | 24.00 |
| 2,501 to 70,000 | 25 | 5.00 | 30.00 |
Balances of KSh 1,000 and below get three free days, so if you clear a small Fuliza quickly you only pay the 1% access fee.
Work out your cost
Examples
- KSh 800 repaid after 2 days. Access fee KSh 8. Still in the free period, so the total is KSh 8.
- KSh 800 repaid after 10 days. Access fee KSh 8, plus 7 charged days at KSh 6, which is KSh 42. Total KSh 50.
- KSh 3,000 repaid after 10 days. Access fee KSh 30, plus 10 days at KSh 30, which is KSh 300. Total KSh 330, more than 10% of what you borrowed.
These assume the balance stays the same. Partial repayments can move you into a cheaper band.
How to keep Fuliza cheap
- Repay fast. Any money that comes into your M-Pesa goes to clear Fuliza first, so receiving money pays it down automatically.
- Pay down into a lower band. Dropping from KSh 2,600 to KSh 2,400 cuts the daily total from KSh 30 to KSh 24.
- Use it for emergencies, not routine shopping. A daily fee of KSh 30 is over KSh 900 a month if a big balance sits there.
Check your balance and limit with our guide on checking your Fuliza balance.
