NCBA Launches LOOP BIZ+ to Combine Payments, Inventory and Lending for Kenyan SMEs

LOOP Digital Financial Services, a subsidiary of NCBA Group, has launched LOOP BIZ+, a digital business platform designed to help Kenyan small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) manage payments, track inventory, reach customers and access financing through a single service.

Launched on October 29, 2026, LOOP BIZ+ is available through a point-of-sale (POS) device, mobile application and web portal. The platform brings together tools that businesses often manage through separate systems, giving merchants a central place to handle transactions and monitor business operations.

Merchants pay a monthly subscription fee of KES 1,500 to use the service.

Payments and Lending Linked to Business Activity

LOOP BIZ+ supports Visa and other card payments, NFC contactless transactions, mobile money and LOOP payments. By consolidating these transactions, the platform also creates a record of merchant activity that can inform credit assessments for eligible businesses.

Financing options include quick loans, overdrafts, supplier credit lines and longer-term loans. NCBA Bank handles credit approval, with access subject to eligibility requirements.

The approach builds on NCBA's existing digital lending operations. The group disbursed more than KES 1 trillion in digital loans during 2024, largely through Fuliza and M-Shwari. Separately, LOOP reported that its own digital loan disbursements doubled to KES 2.5 billion during the same year.

LOOP BIZ+ adds business management tools to this lending model, linking merchants' transaction records with services intended to support their daily operations and financing needs.

AI Inventory Management and Customer Discovery

The platform includes an AI-powered inventory feature that monitors stock levels, forecasts demand and identifies slow-moving products. The tool is currently available through the web platform, with mobile app access planned for 2027.

These capabilities could help merchants identify products that require restocking and reduce the risk of holding inventory that sells slowly. However, the inventory management feature is not yet available across all access channels.

LOOP BIZ+ also connects merchants to LOOP Discover, a product discovery platform serving more than 500,000 consumers. Businesses can list their products on the platform to reach potential customers beyond their existing sales channels.

Subscription Costs and Lending Limits

The KES 1,500 monthly fee gives merchants access to the platform's business tools and payment services. However, LOOP Digital Financial Services has not announced specific merchant acquisition targets or loan limits for LOOP BIZ+.