Mobile lending has become a very popular practice in Kenya. Its growing popularity and easy accessibility, has led to a boom in the number of mobile loan services available in the country, as a direct response to the ever growing demand present here..
One of such mobile loan services available in Kenya, is Usawa and in this festive season, this information might just come in handy. Especially now that it is just a day before Christmas.
Usawa gives its users access to fast and convenient loans straight to their M-Pesa mobile wallet accounts. These loans can in turn, be used to deal with emergencies, grow businesses or take care of bills.
What You Should Know About Usawa Loans
Below are certain things you should know about Usawa i.e, the features as well as the requirements for your loan application:
- Usawa requires all its users to pay a registration fee of 400 Kenyan Shillings in order to activate their accounts. This approach is rather different from what is usually employed by loan providers in Kenya. The only other mobile loan provider that is known to charge a registration fee, is Fadhili.
- You must be residing in Kenya in order to be eligible for a loan from Usawa.
- You must have an Android mobile device that can successfully download and install the Usawa mobile app.
- You do not need to have a bank account or any form of collateral in order to acquire a loan from Usawa.
- A good repayment history will ensure that you will qualify for bigger loans from Usawa.
- You must have a Kenyan ID or Passport number.
- Your loan once approved, will be sent directly into your M-Pesa mobile money wallet.
How To Apply For An Usawa Loan Via The Usawa App
To apply for an Usawa loan via the loan provider’s mobile app, simply:
- Go to Google Play Store on your android device and search for ‘Usawa’. Alternatively, you can download the Usawa Mobile app via this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ke.co.usawa.Usawa&hl=en
- As soon as you are done downloading the Usawa application on your android mobile device, proceed to install and launch the application.
- Once done, create your account by typing in the required details.
- Confirm your mobile phone number.
- Next pay the required registration fee which is 400 Kenyan Shillings. This will activate your Usawa account.
- Next, proceed to apply for your Usawa loan.
- After that, select the duration for loan repayment which will be convenient for you.
- Proceed to submit.
Just like Fadhili, the Usawa mobile app will notify you regarding the loan amount that you qualify for while applying for your loan. The loan amount will be determined by a questioneer you will answer, as well as your calling pattern, SMS history and how you use the Safaricom M-Pesa service.
Your requested loan amount once approved, will be deposited directly into your M-Pesa mobile account wallet within minutes.
How To Repay Your Usawa Loan Via M-Pesa
To repay your Usawa loan via M-Pesa Paybill, simply use the following steps:
- Go to your M-Pesa via your Safaricom SIM Toolkit.
- Once there, select the ‘Lipa na Mpesa’ option on the menu.
- Next, select the ‘Paybill’ option.
- In the field labelled as ‘Paybill Number’, type in 138103. This is the official Paybill number for Usawa.
- Next, in the field labelled as ‘Account Number’, type in your M-Pesa phone number.
- Once done, type in the loan amount that you would like to repay.
- Type in your unique M-Pesa pin.
- Again, please make sure that all the details you provided are accurate, especially the Paybill Number and of course your phone number. After making sure the details are correct, proceed to submit your payment by selecting ‘Ok’.
Please Keep in mind that paying your Usawa loan on time will increase your credit score and also qualify you for bigger loan amounts. Ensure that you repay your Usawa loan before or on the due date to avoid any additional charges.
How To Contact Usawa’s Customer Care Service
If you are however in need of further assistance from Usawa, please feel free to reach out to the loan provider’s customer care via the following channels:
- Their official SMS ONLY Phone Number: +254790639990
- Their official email address: admin@usawa.co.ke
- Their official Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Financial-Service/Usawa-1794109640659131/
- Their official website: https://usawa.co.ke