M-PESA Statement for Loan Applications: How to Get It and What Lenders Check

If you are applying for credit in Kenya, there is a good chance you will be asked for an M-PESA statement for your loan application. For many borrowers — especially the self-employed, small business owners and anyone paid partly through mobile money — the M-PESA statement is the clearest record of how money actually moves through their lives. Lenders know this, which is why it has become a standard document alongside bank statements and payslips.

This guide explains why lenders ask for it, how to download a full M-PESA statement from Safaricom, what lenders look at when they read it, how to protect your privacy when you share it, and the red flags that can slow down or stop an application.

Why do lenders ask for an M-PESA statement?

A licensed lender has to assess whether you can afford the loan before lending. Payslips show what you are supposed to earn; statements show what you actually receive and spend. An M-PESA statement helps a lender:

• Confirm your income — particularly for business owners and people paid through mobile money, whose earnings may not appear on a payslip.
• See your regular commitments — rent, school fees, utility bills and existing loan repayments.
• Understand your cash flow — whether money comes in steadily or in irregular bursts, and whether there are months when you run very low.
• Check consistency — whether what you have told them on your application matches what the statement shows.

A statement is not used to judge your lifestyle. It is used to size a loan you can genuinely repay. That protects you as much as the lender.

Full statement vs mini-statement

A mini-statement shows only your last few transactions and is no use for a loan application. Lenders want a full statement covering a defined period — usually several months — issued by Safaricom as a document. At Aspire, we ask for 6 months of bank and/or M-PESA statements, so that we can see a full picture of your income and outgoings across more than one month.

How to get your M-PESA statement for a loan

Safaricom offers several ways to request a full M-PESA statement. According to Safaricom, the statement service is free for M-PESA customers, and statements are usually delivered within minutes of a successful request. Menus change from time to time, so follow the on-screen prompts if the wording differs slightly from the steps below.

Using the M-PESA app

1. Open the M-PESA app and log in with your M-PESA PIN or biometrics.
2. Go to M-PESA Statements and select See All.
3. Choose the period you need, or set custom dates.
4. Generate the statement and download it to your phone.

Using *334#

1. Dial *334# and select My Account, then M-PESA Statement.
2. Choose to request a full statement and select the period.
3. Enter the email address the statement should be sent to, twice to confirm it.
4. Enter your M-PESA PIN to authorise the request.
5. Safaricom sends the statement to your email and an SMS with the code you need to open it.

Monthly statements by email

Safaricom also lets you register an email address through *234# to receive statements regularly. If you borrow often or run a business, this saves time later.

How far back can you go?

Safaricom lets you request statements for set periods — including the last 1, 3, 6 or 12 months and up to 2 years — or for custom dates. For statements older than that, Safaricom directs customers to a Safaricom shop.

What lenders look at in your statement

Every lender has its own approach, but most look at the same broad areas.

Regular inflows

Salary, business takings, payments from customers, rent received. Lenders look for consistency over the months rather than a single large deposit.

Existing loan repayments

Payments to other lenders show how much of your income is already committed. Repayments made on time are a positive sign; frequent borrowing from several lenders can suggest strain.

Essential outgoings

Rent, school fees, utilities and other fixed costs that will continue regardless of a new loan.

Balance pattern

Whether your balance regularly drops to near zero before payday, or whether you maintain a cushion.

Lenders use this to work out what instalment you can carry. Our guides on how much loan you can afford and how to qualify for a loan faster explain how affordability is assessed.

Common red flags in an M-PESA statement

None of these automatically means a decline, but each can prompt questions or slow down a decision. Knowing them helps you prepare explanations in advance.

• An edited or altered document. Statements that look modified, have inconsistent formatting or are missing pages raise serious concerns. Always send the document exactly as Safaricom issued it.
• Money that comes in and goes straight back out. Large deposits immediately sent back to the same person can look like funds borrowed to inflate a balance.
• Many short-term loans running at once. Several digital loans with overlapping repayments suggest borrowing to repay borrowing.
• Heavy betting activity. Frequent, large gambling transactions affect how a lender views affordability.
• Income that does not match the application. If you state one income and the statement shows another, expect to be asked about it. Be accurate from the start.
• Gaps in the period. A statement that does not cover the full period requested will usually be sent back.

If something on your statement needs context — a one-off large payment, a family transfer, a business that is seasonal — say so when you apply. A short, honest explanation is far better than leaving a lender to guess.

Protecting your privacy when you share a statement

Your M-PESA statement shows who you pay, who pays you, and when. Treat it as a sensitive document.

• Share it only with a verified, licensed lender. Check the lender's name on the Central Bank of Kenya's published lists before sending anything. Our guide to loan scams in Kenya explains how.
• Use official channels. Upload through the lender's application portal or send to its official email address, not to a personal WhatsApp number.
• Never share your M-PESA PIN. No genuine lender needs your PIN to read your statement. Anyone who asks for it is attempting fraud.
• Know your rights. Under the Data Protection Act, 2019, organisations must process your personal data lawfully and for a stated purpose. You can ask a lender how your documents will be used and stored. Our guide to borrower rights covers this in more detail.

Preparing your statements for an Aspire application

When you apply with Aspire, have 6 months of bank and/or M-PESA statements ready along with your other documents. The loan application checklist lists everything else to gather for each product. Decisions are typically made within 24 hours of complete documents, and a clear, complete statement is one of the simplest ways to avoid delay. You can follow progress with track application. If you are not sure which product suits you, a quick eligibility check before you request statements saves you gathering documents you may not need.

If you are self-employed and most of your income moves through M-PESA, the statement may be the most important document you provide — it is often how a business owner without payslips shows a lender what their business really earns. Our business loans guide has more on preparing as a business borrower.

The bottom line

An M-PESA statement for a loan application is simply evidence of how money flows through your life, and lenders use it to size a loan you can repay. Download a full statement for the period requested — free from Safaricom through the M-PESA app or *334# — send it unaltered through official channels, and be ready to explain anything unusual. Share it only with a lender you have verified, and never share your PIN. Do that, and your statement becomes one of the strongest parts of your application.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a full M-PESA statement for a loan?

Use the M-PESA app (M-PESA Statements, then See All) or dial *334#, select My Account and M-PESA Statement, choose the period and enter your email. Safaricom sends the statement by email.

Is there a charge for an M-PESA statement?

Safaricom says the M-PESA statement service is free for M-PESA customers when requested through its self-service channels.

How many months of statements does Aspire need?

Aspire asks for 6 months of bank and/or M-PESA statements so we can see your income and outgoings across more than one month.

Why is my M-PESA statement password-protected?

When you request a statement through *334#, Safaricom sends an SMS with the code needed to open it. This helps keep the document private.

Can a lender see my M-PESA PIN from my statement?

No. A statement shows transactions only. No genuine lender needs your PIN, and anyone who asks for it is attempting fraud.

Will betting transactions affect my loan application?

Frequent, large gambling transactions can affect how a lender views affordability. If anything on your statement needs context, explain it when you apply.