Safaricom explains why mistaken M-Pesa transfers can repay Fuliza loans
By Faith Lagat, July 22, 2026Safaricom has clarified why money mistakenly sent to an M-Pesa account can be used to offset the recipient’s outstanding Fuliza balance, following a customer’s complaint on social media.
The clarification came after X user Ndinda Mwau on July 22, 2026, questioned why Ksh50 she had mistakenly sent to the wrong number was used to settle another person’s Fuliza balance instead of being refunded.
“Why should my M-Pesa money to a wrong number be used to pay the person’s Fuliza debt? Please refund my 50 bob,” she wrote.
Responding to the complaint, Safaricom explained how the Fuliza service works.
“Hello Ndinda, we understand your concern. Funds sent to an M-PESA line with an outstanding Fuliza balance may automatically be used to reduce that debt. If the transfer was sent to the wrong number, you can initiate a reversal request immediately by forwarding the M-PESA message to the number 456 (free),” the company said.
How Fuliza repayments work
According to Safaricom’s Fuliza terms and conditions, customers who opt into the overdraft facility authorise automatic recovery of any outstanding balance whenever money is deposited into their M-Pesa account.
The repayment applies to all incoming funds, including money received from other M-Pesa users. The terms state that any outstanding interest and fees are recovered first before the principal amount is deducted.
The policy enables lending partners to recover amounts owed before customers can access the deposited funds.
Fuliza is available to eligible M-Pesa customers and allows users to complete transactions even when they have insufficient funds in their accounts, subject to an approved overdraft limit.
What customers should do
Safaricom advised customers who accidentally send money to the wrong number to initiate a reversal request immediately.
The company said customers can do this by forwarding the M-Pesa confirmation message to 456, a free service that starts the reversal process.
The speed of submitting the request is important because the transferred funds may be used to settle an outstanding Fuliza balance if the recipient has an active overdraft.
Customers are also encouraged to confirm the recipient’s phone number before completing an M-Pesa transaction to reduce the risk of sending money to the wrong account.
Fuliza terms
Under the Fuliza service, customers agree that funds received in their M-Pesa wallets may be automatically applied towards repayment of any outstanding overdraft.
The facility is available to eligible M-Pesa customers who meet Safaricom’s requirements and is designed to enable users to complete transactions such as sending money, making Lipa na M-Pesa payments and withdrawing cash even when they have insufficient funds.
Safaricom says customers who use the service should familiarise themselves with the Fuliza terms and conditions, including the automatic recovery of outstanding balances from incoming M-Pesa funds.
The company maintains that customers who make erroneous transfers should submit reversal requests as soon as possible through the designated M-Pesa reversal process.