Want to Borrow? How to Check your Kenyan CRB Status or Credit Rating For FREE (it’s EASY)
5 Min read
Keyword: Check your Kenyan CRB Status, Credit Rating, CRB
Did you know that you can be denied a job, financial assistance, loan, overdraft, or credit just because you have a poor financial or credit rating or worse because you have been “blacklisted”? This article will show you how to check your Kenyan CRB Status or Credit Rating For FREE (it’s EASY).
Many people have trouble borrowing or accessing loans, overdrafts, or credit from Banks and Financial Institution just because they are blacklisted by the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB). Lenders submit details of individuals who fail to repay their loans. It is, therefore, essential that one regularly checks the status of their CRB.
In this article, you will find all the answers to the following Seven CRB related questions:
- WHAT’S A CREDIT REFERENCE BUREAU (CRB) IN KENYA
- What is a CRB Report (CRB)
- How to check your CRB Report/Status on phone in Kenya
- How to check CRB Report/Status for free
- How to check my CRB status online in Kenya
- How to check if you are Listed in the CRB listing and who has listed you in CRB
- What is and How do you get a CRB certificate of clearance (COC)?
Let’s get started.
WHAT’S A CREDIT REFERENCE BUREAU (CRB) IN KENYA
A Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) is a company licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya to collect, store and collate credit information on individuals and companies from different sources and provide the information in form of a credit report upon the request of a lender, employer or any other interested party.
What is a CRB Report (CRB)
The CRB Credit Report is a detailed account of a customer’s borrowing as reported by all current credit providers. The Credit Report will list all the credit accounts (both past and present) and the repayment history for each of the accounts. A Credit Report is used by ALL lenders to determine whether or not to approve credit facilities to an applicant based on his past behavior. As such it is important to check your credit report at least once every 6 months if you are not actively borrowing. You are advised to check your credit report every month if you are actively borrowing
How to Check your CRB Report/Status in Kenya
There are three credit reference bureau institutions licensed and with the authority to check on non-performing loans. Here is a list of these CRB institutions in Kenya:
- Transunion
- Metropol
- and Creditinfo
1. Checking via Metropol CRB status
Metropol CRB is a registered and trusted credit referencing firm in Kenya today. Besides credit referencing, Metropol also offers credit management, credit rating, and consultations.
First, you need to access the Metropol Website, download the Metropol Crystobol app, or dial *433#. Metropol is the most reliable platform when checking for CRB status online.
To register and check CRB status with Metropol, follow the procedure below.
- Pay Ksh.50 through PayBill Number 220388
- Enter your Id number as Account Number
- You will receive a confirmation message with unique code details, a Reference Number, and a particular link.
- After registration, Dial *433#
- Input your Identification Number.
- you will receive an SMS with your CRB Details
Another way to check CRB status on Metropol CRB is by visiting the Metropol Website or using the Metropol Crystobol app installed on your phone. This is only possible after making registration payments using the procedure described above.
Metropol gives a credit score of between 200 and 900. If your score is less than 400, it means you are a defaulter, and you can’t access loans from lenders. Scores above 400 mean you are a fair borrower, and lenders can give you money but with caution. Good scores close to 900 ways you are right, and repaying loans and lenders can quickly provide you with cash.
To check who forwarded you to the CRB by Metropol, you need to pay Ksh.50, and to obtain a clearance certificate, you need to pay Ksh.2200 after clearing your loans.
2. CRB Check Via CreditInfo Kenya CRB
CreditInfo Kenya is owned by Creditinfo International, part of the Creditinfo Group. Creditinfo Group is a multinational company operating credit bureaus across Europe, Central Asia, the Caribbean, The Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Credit Info only gives information according to the messages they receive via email.
- Fill in the credit request form to obtain your clearance certificate.
- If your Credit Report contains the wrong information, you must fill out a Credit Report Dispute Form.
3. Checking CRB status in Kenya via Transunion
Transunion is an international credit referencing company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company has extended its services to other nations within Africa, including here in Kenya.
Transunion can be accessed through SMS line 21272 or the Transunion website. Also, you can access this platform through the Transunion Nipashe app.
The Nipashe app can be accessed from the google play store and installed on mobile devices.
To register on Transunion, follow this procedure.
- Send your full names to 21272
- Enter your ID number
- Choose CC (Credit Information)
- Wait for a reply Message with Credit status.
“Good” will mean you have are not blocked and have a good credit score, while “Default” will mean you are a defaulter and therefore you can not access loans.
How to check CRB status for free
You can also access a free credit report once a year from Transunion. However, you can access more than one report after paying Ksh.650 to PayBill 212121 and using your phone ID number as the account number.
To obtain a clearance certificate through Transunion, you will pay a Ksh. 2,200 fee to the PayBill number 212121 and enter your ID number as the Account Number. After paying, send your Mpesa message to [email protected] to claim your certificate.
Now that I have shown you how to check your CRB status, you will analyze your creditworthiness before applying for a loan. You should check your credit status with all three platforms since some lenders forward defaulters to all three bureaus.
What is a CRB certificate of clearance (COC)?
A certificate of clearance is a document that confirms that currently, a customer does not have a non-performing account.
Do you pay to have your record updated by a CRB?
NO: CRBs do not charge to have customer information on the CRB. Actually sharing data with CRBs is free for all lenders. Nevertheless, when a customer has a historical negative listing, a lender asks for a certificate of clearance (COC) from the CRB.
What are the reasons for getting a CRB kenya certificate of clearance?
A COC is meant to give the borrower peace of mind. A COC is required to present to a lender after being adversely listed, to apply for employment etc.
How long is a COC valid?
A COC is valid as at the date of issue. This is because CRBs receive information on a daily basis which could alter the customer information.
How much does a CRB Kenya COC (Clearance Certificate) Cost?
A COC costs Ksh 2200 which is payable through mpesa or to the CRB bank account
Who qualifies to get a CRB COC(Clearance Certificate)?
Conclusion
Checking your CRB status before applying for a loan will allow you to be able to manage your finances better and access loans at fair interest rates. You are entitled to one free credit report per year from Transunion. However, if you need more than one report, you will have to pay a small fee.
Have any questions? Please feel free to contact me, and I will be happy to assist you.
