LOOP launches integrated platform to help SMEs access credit and manage stock

LOOP Digital Financial Services (LOOP DFS), a subsidiary of NCBA Group, has launched an integrated merchant platform combining digital payments, inventory management, customer discovery and business financing to help small businesses streamline operations and grow.

Dubbed LOOP Biz+, the platform brings together tools that merchants would otherwise access through separate payment terminals, stock management systems, marketing channels and loan applications.

The platform enables businesses to accept Visa and other card payments, contactless payments, mobile money and LOOP transactions through a point-of-sale (POS) device, mobile application and web portal.

It also connects merchants to LOOP Discover, a digital marketplace within the LOOP consumer app that allows businesses to market their products to more than 500,000 consumers.

LOOP DFS Chief Commercial Officer Sheila Kimani said the platform was designed to reduce the burden of managing multiple systems and help entrepreneurs focus on running their businesses.

“LOOP Biz+ brings these needs into one platform, so merchants can spend less time reconciling systems and more time running their business,” Kimani said.

She added that the integrated platform would enable LOOP to better understand merchants’ business activities and provide appropriate support as their enterprises grow.

The platform offers several financing options, including quick loans, overdrafts, supplier credit lines and a digital pathway to long-term financing. Access to credit is subject to eligibility requirements and approval.

Merchants can also use a new credit gamification feature on the LOOP Biz app to set borrowing goals and track their progress towards target credit limits.

The platform uses transaction history from its payment systems to inform business credit scoring, potentially helping eligible merchants demonstrate their trading performance when seeking financing.

On inventory management, LOOP Biz+ incorporates artificial intelligence-powered tools to monitor stock, forecast demand, recommend restocking and identify slow-moving products.

The system can flag products that are not selling as quickly as expected, helping merchants make informed decisions on restocking and avoid tying up too much working capital in unsold goods.

The inventory intelligence feature is currently available to merchants using the web platform, with a rollout to the LOOP Biz mobile application planned for 2027.

Visa Kenya Country Manager John Njoroge said expanding digital payment options would help more businesses participate in the digital economy.

“LOOP POS broadens payment choice for merchants and consumers by bringing Visa card acceptance together with other digital payment options,” Njoroge said.

The launch comes as businesses increasingly adopt digital tools to manage transactions, reach customers and improve operational efficiency.

LOOP DFS said the platform builds on its strategy of connecting consumers and merchants through payments, credit and other digital financial services, backed by NCBA Group’s banking capabilities.

The company is positioning LOOP Biz+ as a single platform through which merchants can accept payments, market products, manage inventory and pursue financing as their businesses expand.

Merchants can access the platform through the LOOP Biz website and its mobile application.