Niazime Credit Policy
Version 2026-10-15 (2026 Regulations edition). A summary of how we lend. The Terms of Service are the agreement and apply if the two ever differ. Niazime Limited lends its own money and is applying for registration with the Central Bank of Kenya as a non-deposit taking credit provider.
1. Who we lend to
Kenyan National ID holders aged 18 or over, with a Safaricom M-Pesa line registered in their own name. Before a first loan we check the ID number with the government registry and confirm the name matches the M-Pesa line. You also approve a KES 1 M-Pesa payment with your own M-Pesa PIN; we send it straight back, free. It proves the M-Pesa wallet is yours, not just the SIM.
2. How we decide
We assess the M-Pesa statement you choose to upload, a short questionnaire, and a summary of your credit bureau report. We look at income, spending, existing loans and betting. We do not read your contacts, photos, call logs or SMS. Every decline gives its reasons, and you can ask for a person to review it; we answer within 14 days.
3. Loan amounts and limits
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Smallest loan | KES 1,500, in steps of KES 50 |
| Your first limit | KES 1,500 for everyone who qualifies. Your M-Pesa statement decides whether you qualify and caps how far the limit can grow. If it cannot support KES 1,500, we cannot lend yet. |
| How the limit grows | It doubles once we have earned twice your current limit from your loans, up to what your assessment allows |
| Current ceiling | KES 5,000 per loan, until an additional identity check is offered for larger loans |
| Loans at a time | One |
4. Terms and interest
Our pricing is risk-based: your first loan costs the most, because we do not yet know how you repay, and the price falls as you repay on time.
| Days | First loan | After 1 loan repaid on time | After 3 repaid on time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 23% of the loan | 17% | 14% |
| 40 | 38% | 29% | 24% |
| 61 | 48% | 38% | 33% |
Interest is a flat share of the loan for the whole term and is deducted up front. It is the only charge: there are no fees, and we pay the M-Pesa charge for sending you the money. Each rate works out at about 1.5%, 1% and 0.8% a day on the money you actually receive. Until you have repaid ten loans on time, the 61-day term carries at most half your limit.
Example: a first loan of KES 1,500 for 20 days. You receive KES 1,155 (KES 345 interest deducted) and repay KES 1,500 on day 20. An annual rate of 420%, the highest we charge.
Example: KES 5,000 for 61 days after one loan repaid on time. You receive KES 3,100 (KES 1,900 interest deducted) and repay KES 5,000 on day 61. An annual rate of 227%.
Before you accept any loan, the app shows what you receive, what you repay, the due date and the annual rate, and you sign with your app PIN. You do not have to take a loan: if the repayment looks hard to meet, don't accept it.
5. When payment is due, and paying early
The full amount is due on the last day of the term. You may repay early, in full or in parts, at any time, free, through the app or our M-Pesa Pay Bill using your loan number.
If you repay in full before the due date, the interest for the days you don't use comes off. The days you used are charged at the rate for the shortest loan term that covers them, and never more than was deducted. The app shows the amount that clears your loan today. Example: KES 1,500 for 20 days at 23% (KES 345 deducted), repaid in full on day 10: KES 173 comes off and KES 1,327 clears it.
We hold no money for you. A payment that is not for a loan, or more than you owe, is sent straight back to the line that paid it, less Safaricom's charge for sending it (nothing under KES 100, KES 5 up to KES 1,500, KES 9 up to KES 5,000). The line that paid is told by SMS.
6. If you pay late
No late fee, penalty or extra interest is added: you owe the amount on your agreement, however late. We remind you by notification or SMS, never by contacting your family, friends or employer. After 33 days overdue, new loans are blocked until the loan is settled. A 20-day loan becomes non-performing if it is still unpaid 30 days after the due date; a 40-day or 61-day loan, 90 days after. We give at least 30 days' notice before reporting a default to a credit bureau, we never report one where KES 1,000 or less is owed, and we update the bureau once you pay.
7. Referrals
When a friend you referred qualifies, KES 100 comes off your next loan.
8. Complaints
Use Help & complaints in the app, write to info<at>niazime.com or call +254 738 631 213. Every complaint gets a reference number straight away, a written acknowledgement within 7 days, and an answer with reasons within 30 days. If you are not satisfied, you may escalate to the Central Bank of Kenya (www.centralbank.go.ke).
9. Changes
We change prices or terms only with the Central Bank of Kenya's prior approval, and we tell you at least 30 days before.