Money lending apps in Kenya

The following are some of the most reliable mobile loaning apps in Kenya for anyone who is looking for quick loans.

But before we take a look at the list, these are some of the things you should check before settling on a given loaning app;

• The privacy policies of that app- most people ignore the terms and conditions section in an app and go ahead to accept them without even reading what it entails. In this case, you should be keen and read at least the privacy part of the terms and conditions before accepting accepting or rejecting the terms. Most of these apps ask for your identification card number when registering, read the privacy policies to know how they will store and use this and other informations they ask you to provide.
• Reviews – Reviews can be as simple as asking your friends their experience with a given lending app. One of the places where you can rely on for accurate reviews is google play store. You can go through the reviews on play store to determine learn people’s experience using the app. You can also look for reviews on various social media platforms. Some reviews might be fake while some might be sponsored, try therefore to be very keen when going through the reviews. Also look at both positive and negative reviews fairly before settling on a given app.
• Ratings – This is very important when before installing and using any loan app. Platforms like google play store gives users both current and previous to rate the app and give their reviews on the app. These ratings can guide you especially when you have never used the app before. Avoid loan apps with low ratings especially those bellow 3.0 stars.
• Loan qualifications – You should also consider the documents required by the apps to qualify for a loan. If you have all the documents required, then it is recommended to go for an app that requires more bureaucracy because it is considered safe. If you don’t have many documents then consider downloading an app that requires less documents to qualify for a loan.

Lending apps in Kenya

Lending apps have flooded the Kenyan market posing a great challenge for Kenyans who are stuck between choosing the best from the ever growing list. Bellow is a list of some reliable apps based on my experience with them. Remember that these apps are not ranked in any order and that this is a random listing.

Also note that this is not the final list and that there maybe some good loaning apps I have failed to mention because I have never used them and I have no experience with them.

Branch

A product of Branch international company, Branch loaning app is one of the most reliable lending apps in Kenya. The app has a rating of 4.5 stars on google play store (the most among the lending apps).

Branch loan app has over 10 Million downloads on google play store and over 705,000 positive reviews.

Branch offers loans from 350 to 50,000 Kenyan shillings and the repayment period fluctuate depending on the amount borrowed and several other factors.

Tala

Tala is arguably the most popular lending app in Kenya. Tala offers loans ranging from 500 to 30,000 shillings slightly lower than that of Branch. Just like branch, Tala has over 10 Million google play store downloads and its latest version is only 13 megabytes.

Tala’s rating is slightly lower than that of branch as it stands at 4.4 stars as compared to branch’s 4.5 stars. Over 436,000 users of Tala have given positive reviews about the app on play store and that indicates that the app is reliable.

Tala loans are processed within four minutes and very few bureaucracies are required for one to qualify for a loan.

Zenka loan App

Zenka loan App is a product of Zenka finance company. The app is available on google play store and other platforms. In google play store, the app has over one million downloads and a rating of 4.2 stars which is a good rating.

The app also has 79,000 reviews which most of them are positive. Zenka offers quick loans which can be processed within five minutes. Zenka is reliable when one is looking for quick a quick loan because of how fast they process the loans and very few documents are required to qualify for a loan.

OPesa

OPesa is a product of TK limited company and it also offer mobile loans. OPesa offers loans from as low as KSH. 350 and as much as KSH. 30,000 depending on how long you have used their services and your credit history.

OPesa loans are processed within five minutes after which your request can either be approved or turned down depending on your loan limit and several other factors.

Zash Loan

Zash loan is a product of Zash loan developers limited and it is available on google play store, and other platforms.

Zash loan has over one million downloads on google play store and a rating of 4.1 stars which is a good rating for a lending app.

Zash offers instant loans and one needs very few formalities to qualify for a loan. I think your national ID/passport is enough for you to qualify for a loan on Zash app.

Lion Cash

Lion cash loan app is a product of LionCash Global limited. The app is available on google play store and has over a million downloads.

The app’s rating is 4.5 stars same as that of Branch loan app. This app is good especially for those who have never borrowed money from a lending app before.

Meta Loan

Meta Loan is a product of Metaloan developers limited. It currently has above 500,000 downloads on google play store slightly lower than that of the other lending apps, but its rating is impressive.

The app has a rating of 4.1 stars on google play store and has over 27,000 reviews from its current and former users. You can take some time to go through the reviews before installing it or using it.

Kashbean

Just like Meta Loans, Kashbean also has slightly over 500,000 downloads on google play store and a rating of 4.1 stars.

Kashbean however has 36,000 reviews, slightly higher than that of Meta loan. Kashbean on the other hand is a product of Pesa loan developers limited (a loaning company based in Kenya).

FairKash

FairKash like most of the loaning apps in Kenya offer instant loans to M-PESA users only. FairKash has over 1M downloads on google play store but has very few reviews.

FairKash has only 7,000 reviews and a rating of 4.4 stars on google play store.

CreditKes

CreditKes is a new lending app but it has gained around 100,000 downloads on google play store.

The rating is currently at 4.0 stars but with time it will rise or fall depending on how their services appeal to the users.

Why lending apps might fail to grant your loan request

The following are some of the reasons why most of your loan requests on several lending apps are being turned down;

• You are requesting loans way above your limit- Various loaning apps have specific limits which they allow their users to lend up to. Different people have different limits depending on their credit scores. You should apply for loans within your credit range.
• You might be blacklisted on CRB- One is listed on Credit Reference Bureau when they fail to pay loan depending on the agreement they placed with their lender. When you are blacklisted in CRB, you will not be able to borrow from any other lending agency and this includes the mobile lending apps.

How to check your CRB status

To check your CRB status, follow these simple steps:

Pay a sh.50 registration fee via paybill number 220388, then provide your ID number as the account number.

You’ll receive an SMS with a one-of-a-kind pin, a reference number, and a specific link. Dial *433# and enter your PIN to get your CRB status.

How to check your CRB status for free

checking your CRB costs KSH. 50 only when you use the above method. You can however avoid spending your KSH. 50 by simply loging into Metropol website.

You can also go to the metropol website and log in to see your current status.

How to clear your name from CRB

To clear your name from CRB, all you have to do is contact the lender who forwarded your details to CRB and pay the loan, or ask them to review the payment terms to give you more room for paying the loan.

With the loaning system simplified like it is now, someone might have used your details to take loan without your consent. In this case, when checking your CRB status and find yourself listed, you will be notified the lenders who submitted your details for CRB listing. You can contact them for agreement on the payment terms.