CRB Listing in Kenya has been a common thing especially when it comes to students and more so, the working group who find it easy to get loans which they later default.
Lenders, on the other hand, are usually aggressive in listing you once the grace period is over to ensure they cushion their finances in some sought of sharing your credit history which in turn affects you at other lenders.
CRB Listing has had one major misconception which makes it seem negative while in itself, it is usually beneficial to most people seeking a facility out there. This is so as you can either be listed positively or negatively with a positive listing meaning a plus for you.
What is CRB Listing in Kenya
CRB Listing means the sharing of your credit history from any lender and the behaviour to an organization known as the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) which is responsible for monitoring your behaviour to provide monitory information to other lenders and reduce the risk of loan defaults.
CRB Listing is done by the lender where the loan defaults in which the lender shares the loan information to CRB with the Days in Arrears.
Upon receiving the information from the lender, CRB then shares this information with all other lenders who can easily access the information and then make a decision on whether they will provide you a facility or not.
Types of CRB Listing in Kenya
It is essential to realize that there are different types of CRB listing. It is not necessarily to have a negative mindset whenever you come across the name CRB. If you have a good payment history on your loans, then CRB could be your next saviour when seeking for a facility.
Here are the types of CRB Listing;
CRB Listing in Kenya is classified into 2 forms which include;
- Positive CRB Listing – This is a CRB listing which is done on a loan that is being serviced as required on or before the due date. This type of listing is mainly done by the Transunion CRB whereby a loan that is not in arrears will be in the CRB report indicating that the status is ACTIVE WITH NO DEFAULT HISTORY.
- Negative CRB Listing – This is a CRB Listing done on loans that have a default history in which the customer is delayed in making the payments past the agreed due date. Most negative CRB listings will indicate the number of Days Past Due which are the days the person has delayed without making payments. The longer the days in arrears, the lower your credit score and hence the higher risk of default on your next lender. As a result, a negative CRB Listing will lower your eligibility for most lenders.
CRB Companies in Kenya
There are 3 registered and licensed CRB companies in Kenya in which any lender can choose to use any of the registered CRB companies or also all the CRB companies.
It is essential to note that these companies use different reporting hence it might suit one lender more than the other. In most cases, you will find organizations sharing your credit history to all the companies or more than one of these companies.
Some of the CRB companies registered to operate in Kenya include the following;
Metropol CRB
This is the top-most CRB company in Kenya used by most lenders in Kenya. As a matter of fact, you will find all banking institutions using Metropol in sharing credit history of its defaulting customers.
Metropol is licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in providing Credit Reference Bureau to all the banks in Kenya.
Below are the contact information and locations for Metropol CRB:
Physical Locations: 15th Floor KCB Towers, Kenya Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi-Kenya
Postal Address: P.O. Box 35331-00200, Nairobi Kenya
Tel: (+254) 709 834 000 / (+254) 730884000
Transunion Kenya CRB
This is a CRB company in Kenya that provides total credit protection to lenders through credit scoring, reporting, and providing alerts on credit information.
The company is known to provide both positive and negative listings through which every mobile loan from the banking institutions is listed positively before it falls due.
With this, it has been deemed important in providing up-to-date credit information on the current status of the loan information. Another significant piece of information about Transunion is that it is automated to update your details once you make payments to your lender.
Below are the contact details and locations of Transunion CRB;
Physical Locations: 2nd Floor Delta Annex, Ring road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya
Postal Address: P.O. Box 46406 -00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Website: www.transunionafrica.com/kenya
Email Address: kensupport@transunion.com
Tel: +254 768262495, +254 768617074, +254 768253748 and +254 706565285
CreditInfo CRB
Though it is not so popular, Creditinfo CRB company is another licensed CRB company to operate in Kenya through which organizations share credit information to cushion risks associated with defaults.
From Creditinfo you can get all information you need relating to CRB such as CRB clearance, CRB status and many more.
Below are their contact details together with their physical locations:
Physical Location: Standard Chartered Building, First floor, 48 Westlands Road
Postal Address: P.O Box 38941-00623 Parklands Road, Nairobi, Kenya.
Website: https://ke.creditinfo.com
Email: cikinfo@creditinfo.co.ke
Tel: +254709593000
How to Check your CRB Status for Free in Kenya
Knowing your CRB status is one of the key things you need whether you are seeking a job or not. Most people have been surprised to come to a realization that they are already listed in CRB when they desperately need their CRB clearance.
CRB clearance has been used mainly in job-seeking whenever employers ask for CRB clearance. Furthermore, you can as well be requested by your bank to provide the CRB clearance certificate while seeking a facility.
Lastly, most of the elective positions in the country require you to have a CRB clearance certificate. As a result, it is essential to know your status earlier before you get captured.
There are several methods of checking your CRB status with some being free while others come with a small cost.
Below are the methods you can use in checking your CRB Status.
Checking your CRB Status using Metropol
To check the Metropol CRB Status, you will need to use one of the following options;
- Check status from the Metropol Website
- Use the Metropol app known as Crystobol App
- Use Metropol USSD which is *433#
To check your Metropol CRB status, you will require to first follow the following procedure;
- Make a payment of KES 50 to the Mpesa PayBill No. 220388
- Input your ID Number as the Account Number
- Upon Payment, a Unique Code, Reference Number, and a redirect link will be sent to you which you will use in getting to the portal.
- After the registration, you can now choose whether to use the Website, App, or the USSD
- Depending on the method you choose, input your ID Number
- After entering your ID number, you will receive an SMS with the CRB details including the CRB status.
Checking your CRB Status using Transunion
Transunion features a simple-to-follow method for checking the CRB status in which it provides you with the CRB details including the lender who has listed you.
The most common method of checking your CRB status using Transunion is by sending a prompt or through their website.
The SMS prompt is the easiest as you can easily navigate what you need.
To Check your Transunion CRB report using SMS will need you to follow the following steps;
- Go to Messages in your phone and click on New Message
- In the ‘To’ option, enter the number 21272
- Enter the message to be sent as your ID Number
- Send the message
- Follow the prompts sent back by the Transunion as you answer the queries on the credit information you need.
- After all is said and done, wait as you receive a message with all the credit information you need including the Credit Status and the lender who has listed you.
In Transunion, you can also visit their website from where you can also access the CRB Status.
Checking your CRB Status Using CreditInfo
The last method you can check your CRB status in Kenya is through CReditinfo which you can get it from their website. In most cases, Creditinfo will provide you with the CRB status through a form you fill out from their website and they reply to your email with the clearance certificate or the CRB status depending on what you asked for.
