Loop Charges for M-PESA, Payments, and ATM Withdrawal

UPDATE: The tariffs have been adjusted by the bank, and they can be read here. Charges not mentioned in the article have remained the same.

Continue reading the earlier story…

We all know what happened to NCBA’s neo bank Loop. But for housekeeping reasons, here is a summary: the lender revamped the platform fully. The old Loop app with its exciting blue/green colours was replaced by a new app with dull orange tones. While at it, Loop rearranged everything, from the straightforward button placement of the old app to a very complex, or messy regroup that needs a learning curve to grasp. Loop has also introduced a ton of new features (you can see them by just navigating around the app), some of which are not explained properly but are there, nonetheless.

To us, the app could have been done differently. The development team behind this rebuild could have taken a simpler approach, bearing in mind that users tend to love products they can easily use. At the same time, the older Loop app couldn’t have been discontinued. See what Equity did with Eazzy Banking Banking app and Equity Mobile, where customers are allowed to use both platforms as they are slowly transitioned to the latest app? It is what, we hope, Loop should have done.

There is also the case where Loop introduced some charges on the platform. Before the CBK approved lenders to do so at the start of the year, Loop was the only platform that allowed customers to move their money to mobile money wallets for free. It is why most people used the service, so when the charges were introduced, some people felt it was done in a bad light.

It also means that I&M Bank is the only lender that now allows free bank-to-mobile money transfers. This, by itself, is going to attract thousands of customers who just want to share money with their friends and family without incurring exorbitant charges, and that is something Loop should have considered before making the drastic overhaul move.

We have looked at the tariffs, and other charges on Loop, and what is clear is that the platform is encouraging people to move a large amount of money from the bank to mobile money wallets at a reduced fee. However, this is not good because it discourages other people (the majority of them) from performing low-value bank-to-mobile money transactions.

Here are the tariffs:

To be honest, it shouldn’t cost that much to send KES 1501 to a mobile money wallet, but I understand the reasoning behind it. Also, other banks have their tariffs spread out multiple amounts, which is also another way to do bank-to-mobile money charges.

Card charges

Card Payments

POS: Markup fee – International Transactions: 5 percent

ATM withdrawals

Loop to Loop charges

Loop to bank via PesaLink

Loop Cash in Cash Out

Others