Guide 1

Before you apply

Check which loan fits you and have your documents ready. It takes about 10 minutes.

Open Apply For Loan at the top of any page. Choose Individuals Loan Product if you are borrowing for yourself, or MSMEs Loan Product for a business or cooperative society.

Choose who is borrowing and the product you need. The list on the right shows what to have ready.
Under Choose your product / facility type, pick the product that fits what you need the loan for, such as a personal loan, salary advance or working capital. Each card shows what the product is for and its maximum loan; the panel on the right shows who it is for and the collateral we recommend. Not sure? Open Compare products or see Our Products.
Have these ready before you start: your NIN and BVN, your email address (we email you a code), your employment letter or bank statement, a recent payslip (salary earners), and your guarantor’s name, phone number and address.
First-time applicants verify their identity once. Press Verify my identity, choose who is borrowing, enter your email and mobile number and press Send code.

We email a 6-digit code to your email address.
Type the code from the email and press Confirm. Cannot see it? Check your spam or promotions folder, or press Send a new code.
First add a photo of your face: press Open camera and Take photo, or Upload a photo, then Save photo. Enter your BVN and press Continue (if you were verified with us before, that is used straight away). Next tick the consent box and press Verify me, then enter the same BVN and your NIN in the identity check that opens on the page. Your full name and date of birth are then taken from your NIN record.

Use good light and remove glasses or a cap. If the names or dates of birth on your NIN and BVN do not match, you cannot continue: correct them with NIMC or your bank first.

Guide 2

Apply for a loan

Fill in the application step by step, upload your documents and submit.

Loan & product — enter how much you need, how many months you want to repay over, what the loan is for and your main source of repayment. The form tells you the limit for your product. Larger loans may need tangible collateral (such as a vehicle, investment certificate or property): the form tells you when, and asks you to describe it under Assets & collateral.

The steps on the left show where you are; your amount and repayment period appear underneath.
About you, Work & income and Assets & collateral — enter your personal details, where you live, your job and income, and any assets you own. Your name and date of birth come from your verified NIN record and cannot be changed here. Your email and phone number are how we reach you, so check them carefully.

Your answers are used for your credit assessment, so please answer accurately.
Identity & bank — your verified BVN is filled in for you; enter the bank account the loan should be paid into.
Documents — upload each document. A green Uploaded label appears once a file is saved; use Replace to change it.

Required documents are marked; optional ones (like a bank statement) help your application.
Guarantor — enter your guarantor’s details. We may contact them during the review.
Review & submit — check everything. Use Edit on any section to change it, tick the declarations and press Submit application.

Your BVN is partly hidden on screen for your security.
You will see your application reference (for example KL-000032). Keep it — you can quote it when you call or email us.

What happens next is shown on the confirmation page and in your email.

Guide 3

Create your account and log in

Your loan portal account is created when you apply — you just set a password.

Your portal account is created when you verify your identity (see “Before you apply”), and we email you a link titled Set up your portal password — or, if you have no email or KoboLender uses phone numbers to log in, we text you the link.
Open the link, choose a password of at least 8 characters with letters and numbers, and press Save password. You are then logged in to your dashboard.

The set-up link is valid for 24 hours. If it has expired, use “Forgot password?” below.
Next time, go to Log in (top right of the website), enter the email you applied with (or your phone number, if you were texted your link) and your password. Tick Keep me logged in on this device only on your own phone or computer.
Forgot your password? On the log-in page press Forgot password?, enter your email and press Email me a reset link. If you log in with your phone number, enter it instead and we text you a link, valid for 7 days.

Guide 4

Track your application

See where your application is and respond quickly if we need anything.

Log in to see your dashboard. The Loan progress bar shows each stage: Submitted, Under review, Decision, Disbursed and Fully repaid. We also email you at every stage.

Your dashboard straight after applying.
Anything that could help your application? On the last step of the application, under Anything else that could help?, or later on your loan page under Add documents that could help, give each document a name (for example “Shop rent receipt”), choose its file and press Add a document for another. You can add up to 10 of your own.
If our credit team needs more information, your status changes to Documents requested and you receive an email listing what we need. Open your loan: under We need more information each document we asked for has its own upload. Choose a file for every one (and add anything else that could help if you like), then press Send and resubmit.

Each requested document has its own upload.
When a decision is made you get an email. If your loan is declined, the reason is shown on your loan page.
If your relationship officer returns your application to you, your loan page shows their note under Your application was returned to you. Press Update and resubmit: your application opens at its last step with everything you entered kept. Change what is needed (use Edit on any section) and submit it again; it goes back to your relationship officer.

Guide 5

Approval, offer letter and repayment schedule

What to expect once your loan is approved and paid out.

Once approved, your Offer letter (PDF) is available on your loan page. It confirms the amount, repayment period, interest, fees and your repayment dates.
We pay the loan into the bank account you gave us and email you. Your loan page then shows your outstanding balance, the next amount due and your full Repayment schedule.

Your loan page: progress, balance, next repayment and your documents.

Guide 6

Activate your standing order

Some loans are repaid automatically by standing order; activate it to finish your approval.

When we make you an offer that needs a standing order, we email you. Open your loan from My loans: the Activate your standing order box shows the amount, the months and the account repayments come from.

The standing order box on your loan page.
If your bank supports it, press Send me a one-time password, then enter the password (and any card digits your bank asks for) and press Activate standing order.
Otherwise press Print the mandate form, sign it and hand it in at your bank. When you have, press I have handed it in: check again. Activation can take a few working days.
Once it is active we approve your loan. Afterwards, only what is due is collected on each due date; paying early by transfer reduces what is collected.

Guide 7

Make a repayment

Pay by bank transfer, then tell us about the payment so we can confirm it.

Open your loan (or press Pay now on your dashboard). Under Pay by bank transfer to, you will see our bank account. Press Copy to copy the account number.
Make the transfer from your bank app or at the bank. Use your loan reference (for example KL-000005) as the transfer narration.
Back on your loan page, fill in I have made a payment: the amount, the date you paid, the account you paid into, the name on the paying account and your bank. Add the transaction reference if you have it.

Our account details on the left, your payment details on the right.
Under Proof of payment, upload your transfer receipt or a screenshot, then press Submit payment for confirmation.
Your payment shows as Awaiting verification while our team checks it against our bank statement (usually within one working day). Once confirmed, your balance updates and we email you a receipt. If we cannot find the payment, it is marked Rejected with the reason.

Payments you have reported, with their status.

Guide 8

Download statements, receipts and reports

Every document is a PDF with the KoboLender logo that you can save, print or share.

Loan statement — on your loan page press Statement (PDF). It lists every disbursement, charge and payment with your running balance.

A loan statement.
Offer letter — press Offer letter (PDF) on your loan page.
Payment receipts — under Payments on your loan page, press Receipt (PDF) next to any confirmed payment.

A payment receipt.
Loan history — go to My loans and press Loan history (PDF) for a summary of all your loans.

Guide 9

Your profile and password

Change your password and check the details we hold.

Open Profile & password in the menu. Your name, email and phone number are shown on the left.
To change your password, enter your current password and the new one twice, then press Update password.
To change your name, email or phone number, email us so we can verify the change.

Guide 10

Apply for another loan

Repeat customers can apply again once their loan is fully repaid.

When your loan is fully repaid you get a closure email and the Apply for a new loan card on your dashboard becomes active.

Your dashboard while a loan is active.
Press Start application. Your details are filled in from your last application — check them and update anything that has changed.
Need more before this loan is repaid? Your relationship officer can apply for a top-up on your behalf while your loan is performing (not while it is in default).

How-to guides