Apply for a loan by USSD
Summary
Apply for a SACCO loan from your phone: pick a product, read the terms, and send the application. About 3 minutes · 7 steps. Also called: borrow, credit, loan application.
Prerequisites
- The phone with your registered number and an active membership.
- A USSD PIN. See Set or reset your USSD PIN.
- A clear idea of how much you want and over how long.
Step-by-step
Dial your network's code (Kenya
*384*25611#, Uganda, MTN*165*4*4#, Uganda, Airtel*185*7*3*3#). Dialling from your registered number is the sign-in.Reply with your SACCO's number (for example 5) and send.
Reply 3 for Loan. The loan services open: your existing loans, repayment, and applying for a new one.
Figure 1: Your SACCO's USSD menu on the phone, showing 1 Saving, 2 Shares, option 3 Loan for loan services, and 4 Create / Reset PIN Choose the option to apply, then pick a loan product. Your SACCO decides which products you can see.
Read the terms on screen: the smallest and largest amount, the repayment periods you can pick, and the interest rate.
Enter the amount, then choose a repayment period from the list.
Check the details and confirm with your PIN. The application goes to your SACCO for a decision.
Tip: Decide the amount and period before you dial, so the session does not time out while you weigh them.
Common pitfalls & FAQ
- I can't see the product I wanted. What you are offered depends on your membership, share capital and repayment history. Ask your SACCO what you qualify for.
- My amount was refused. Enter an amount inside the limits the terms screen showed.
- What happens after I apply? Your SACCO reviews it and you get a message with the outcome. You can also follow it in the member app — see See and repay your loans. If no message comes, ask your SACCO before applying a second time.
- How is this different from QuickLoan? QuickLoan is an instant decision on an amount you already qualify for. See Get a QuickLoan by USSD.