How to get clearance from CRB Kenya online without hassle

At times we are caught between a rock and a hard place in matters financees. The situation may be so demanding, and we may be left to seek a loan to service that business inventory purchase or that emergency loan you badly need. Unfortunately, some may end up defaulting on that loan that was probably borrowed from a bank, lending apps or SACCO. This is one of the greatest nightmares to all creditors who are then forced to forward details of your non-performing loan to Credit Reference Bureaus (CRB) for blacklisting.

If matters have reached this point, then this means that your credit rating is too low to secure any future loans. This doesn’t condemn you to a permanent blacklist status, as you can redeem yourself from the state by getting a clean bill of health (Clearance Certificate) from the CRB. There’s more about CRB Kenya that you also need to learn.

The role of Credit Reference Bureaus (CRB)

The CRB are institutions licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya to collect credit performance information from individuals or organization and remit that information on request by creditors in the form of a credit report.

Currently, there are three Credit Reference Bureaus that are licensed to offer Credit sharing information;

TransUnion CRB
Metropol CRB
Creditinfo CRB

The credit report simply evaluates a borrowers’ capability to pay a loan. This then informs the lender about your borrowing and debt paying habits.

The amount of loan(and the interest on it ) you can borrow from lending institutions usually depends on risk-based pricing- If you happen to have a poor credit rating from defaulting on a loan or debt obligations, you will incur huge interest on your future loans. Individuals who go bankrupt or default on tax returns are faced with the same circumstance.

Apart from the Clearance certificate they issue, there is more about CRB Kenya that even those not blacklisted should understand. Reports and status issues handled by CRB include:

Credit Score.
Blacklist Status.
Credit Report.
A record to know the name(s) of loan facility Who Has blacklisted you.

Why CBR status is important

For any lending facility to award you a loan, you need have an excellent credit score. You can get own credit report from any of the three CBR companies. It’s critical you know your credit rating even if you have never been blacklisted. The information from the credit report is important for the following reasons.

Identifying fraudulent loan applications-the report can flag down dubious financial transaction linked to your account or name.
Confirm and review credit information- ensure personal details and previous loan status are updated and indicated accordingly. Timely correction of the details is emphasized to caution against loss of your credit scores in case wrong details were erroneously filled.
Bargain for favorable credit terms-An individual armed with a good credit score details can use it to seek friendly financial terms from lending institutions when negotiating for a loan.
Make informed future financial details to inform your borrowing and repayment habits.

Why you need to get a Clearance certificate

If you default on your loan and consequently get blacklisted, then you need a Clearance Certificate to restore your credit standing. Without the certificate:

It becomes hard to secure a job from some organization or government agencies since a tarnished credit history is a blemish on your CV.
Your Property and life insurance might attract high premiums for your cover.
Capital and asset lending facilities will charge you exorbitant interest plus a majority of them including SACCOs and Micro-finance institutions won’t trust you with their money.
How to Get Clearance from CRB Kenya

Once your loan is way overdue, then the law permits lending facilities to submit your details to CBR for blacklisting. However, some take steps to contact the debtor to solve the arrears. So let’s look at both scenarios:

Getting a CRB Clearance Certificate When Not blacklisted

Get a convenient CRB agency and register for a certificate of clearance. The three bureaus will charge you an average of Kshs 2200 that you can pay through Mpesa or available CRB bank account. As long as you don’t have any non-performing accounts, you qualify to get the certificate.

You may, however, have defaulted on loan but the lender is yet to take action. In this case, depending on the lending institution, you may seek information from them to know whether you have any outstanding loan.

Common lenders in Kenya are commercial banks, employers, Higher Education Loans Board, SACCOs and various Mobile banking platforms like Branch, Tala, Saida, Zidisha, KCB M-pesa, Mshwari etc.

The terms and conditions stipulated by the above lending platforms are different with respect to the time you default on their loan facility. For commercial banks, you default when you neglect a loan repayment agreement. If you have secured a mortgage, you are regarded to have defaulted if you miss on three subsequent installments. Failing to pay on the exact date provided will earn you a loan default status on major Mobile-based loan facilities.

Getting a CRB Clearance Certificate if blacklisted

You are blacklisted because you have defaulted on your loan and CBR has downgraded on your credit ratings. To regain your credit score and earn a certificate of clearance with CRB, you will have to clear your debt first. Visit your lender and agree to a new payment plan that you deem convenient.

The lender might have an upper hand in the effort to reclaim the loan facility. Hence you might be forced to forego with some collateral.
Once you have cleared the pending arrears, the lender will remit the updated credit information on your loan status. It will take roughly two days for the credit score to be updated.
Once relieved of the loan obligations and the blacklist status lifted, you can now claim your clearance certificate. The certificate is valid as at the date of issue.

How long does the credit status take to be updated by CRB?

Lending institutions frequently review credit status of their customers on a daily basis. However, due logistical challenges in remitting a cache of these updates, makes the whole process take a time spanning up to 48 hours.

To be sure the CRB has updated your status, and you are no longer blacklisted, request for your credit report from respective CRB. You can SMS Full name to 21272 or 21CRB and finish the entire registration to get a credit report. The service will cost you Kshs. 50.

Registering with CRB and getting clearance certificate online

We shall delve into the three CBR agencies and their online platform through which you can access your certificate.

Metropol CRB

Go ahead and register with Metropol at https://www.metropol.co.ke or through their crystobol app
Pay a registration fee of Kshs 100 via Paybill number 220388. Input your ID number as account number on Mpesa.
Metropol will send you an SMS with a reference number, Crytobol PIN, plus a Link to view your credit report.
Go back Metropol website and hit on “Click here to Verify Certificate of Clearance”
At this point, pay Clearance Certificate charges – Ksh.2200 to Paybill number 220388.
You will be redirected to a page to include your Mobile number and the reference number. Once filled click affirmative.

Your Certificate of Clearance will be displayed.

If using the crystobol app, open it and input the reference and device number in space provided. The app will log in to account where you will be prompted to tap to view the Details of your certificate of clearance.

TransUnion CRB

Register and pay a total of Kshs 50 to PayBill number 212121.On the account, number section include your ID number.
To get a certificate from this bureau pay Kshs 2200 to Paybill number 212121.
Forward the M-pesa transaction message to [email protected]
An updated certificate of clearance will be emailed to you.

Creditinfo CRB

Visit Creditinfo website through the link- https://ke.creditinfo.com/clearance-certificate-application/
On the application form fill all the details-Full names, National ID number (Plus its soft copy), Cell phone number and e-mail.
When done submit the form.
Creditinfo will reach out to you via email with a link plus payment details.
Register using the details sent- Pay Kshs 2,200 to M-pesa Pay Bill Number 510972 using your ID number as the account number.
The certificate will be sent to you via your email.

If having issues with your credit status or having a problem with getting CRB services you can contact them via the following addresses and contacts.

TransUnion CRB:

Physical Address: CRB Centre, Prosperity House, 2nd Floor, Westlands Road, Nairobi

Postal Address: P.O. Box 46406 – 00100, Nairobi

Telephone: +254 – 020 – 3751799/3751360/2/4/5

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.transunionafrica.com

Metropol CRB:

Physical Address: 1st Floor, Shelter Afrique Centre, Upper Hill, Nairobi Postal Address: P.O. Box 35331 – 00200, Nairobi

Telephone: +254 – 020 – 2713575

Mobile: +254 727 413 733/ 732 774 666/+254 709 834000

Customer care office: 9th Floor, Barclays Plaza, Loita St. Nairobi