Safaricom PLC has launched Fuliza Ya Pochi, a credit service targeting more than one million qualifying Pochi La Biashara merchants. The service was launched in Thika and is designed to help small businesses continue making payments when their account balances are insufficient
In a statement shared on social media, Safaricom said the service would enable eligible merchants to pay suppliers, make Buy Goods payments, send money and settle bills even when their balances run low.
“Today in Thika, we launched Fuliza Ya Pochi, giving over one million qualifying Pochi La Biashara merchants access to credit based on how their business actually moves,” the company said.
To qualify, merchants must have been actively using Pochi La Biashara for at least six months. The service allows them to access credit to support business transactions when they do not have enough funds in their accounts.
Safaricom said repayments would be made automatically from incoming Pochi payments. This arrangement is intended to help merchants continue operating while settling the credit they use.
The launch marks another stage in the expansion of Fuliza, which Safaricom said had previously extended from personal transactions to Lipa na M-PESA merchants. Fuliza Ya Pochi now targets micro-businesses that rely on daily transactions to run their operations.
Eligible merchants can opt into the service through the Pochi Mini App on My OneApp or by dialling *334#, according to the company.