What's known about Airtel Money's planned overdraft product in 2026 — its intended purpose, expected pricing position relative to M-Pesa's Fuliza, and current launch status.
← Back to Airtel Money Charges: Fees and Limits in 2026
Current Status: Not Yet Published
Airtel Money does not currently have a published overdraft tariff. Unlike Send Money, Withdrawal, and Paybill, there is no live product on this page to price yet — this page exists to track the announced plan and will be updated with a full fee table once Airtel Money publishes one.
What Airtel Has Announced
In January 2026, Airtel Kenya confirmed it was in advanced stages of building a digital overdraft service on Airtel Money — a direct challenge to Safaricom's Fuliza, which has dominated Kenya's short-term mobile credit market since 2019. According to Airtel's own statements at the time:
- The service would let Airtel Money customers complete transactions even when their wallet balance is insufficient, up to an approved limit.
- The shortfall would be recovered automatically once funds are received in the wallet.
- Overdraft limits would be determined by customer activity and transaction history, similar to the model Safaricom introduced for Fuliza.
- Airtel Kenya's Managing Director publicly criticised mobile money charges in the market as too high, and the company signalled its overdraft would be priced below Fuliza's current rates.
- The original target was an early-2026 launch, pending regulatory and lending-partner approvals. Airtel has not disclosed which lenders it is working with.
How Fuliza Is Priced Today (For Context Only)
Fuliza, M-Pesa's live overdraft product, charges a 1% access fee at the point of borrowing, plus a daily maintenance fee ranging from KSh 0 to KSh 30 depending on the outstanding balance, up to a maximum overdraft of roughly KSh 70,000 for personal accounts. This is provided for context on what Airtel has said it intends to undercut — it is not a stand-in for Airtel's own pricing, which has not been published.
What to Watch For
- An official Airtel Money press release or update to the tariffs_charges page announcing the product and its fee structure.
- In-app prompts offering an overdraft option during a transaction — a strong signal the product has gone live for your account.
- Confirmation of lending partners, which Airtel has not yet disclosed and which may affect eligibility and limits, similar to how Fuliza is underwritten jointly by NCBA Bank and KCB Bank.
Until one of these appears, any specific fee figures circulating for an "Airtel overdraft" should be treated as speculation rather than official pricing.
For everything Airtel Money does currently charge for, see the Airtel Money Charges: Fees and Limits in 2026 overview.
This page will be rewritten with a full fee table once Airtel Money officially publishes overdraft pricing. Current content reflects Airtel Kenya's public statements as of January 2026 and does not represent a live, priced product.