NCBA Group’s digital financial services subsidiary, LOOP Digital Financial Services, has launched LOOP BIZ+, a business platform that combines payment processing, inventory management, customer discovery and lending as it targets small and medium-sized enterprises in Kenya.

Like US-payments and inventory firm Square, the platform brings together a point-of-sale (POS) device, a mobile application and a web portal, allowing merchants to accept payments, monitor stock, market products and access financing through a single service.

A key feature is the use of merchant transaction histories to inform credit assessments to help eligible businesses access quick loans, overdrafts, supplier credit and longer-term financing, subject to eligibility requirements and credit approval.

The approach links payment processing to business lending, allowing LOOP to use transaction activity to assess merchants seeking credit.

The company says credit limits can evolve as businesses grow, while a credit-goal feature in the LOOP BIZ app lets merchants set borrowing targets and track their progress.

LOOP BIZ+ accepts Visa and other card payments, near-field communication (NFC) contactless transactions, mobile money and LOOP payments. Merchants can use the dedicated POS device or access the same payment functionality through the app and web portal.

The platform also includes AI-powered inventory management tools that monitor stock, forecast demand, recommend restocking and identify slow-moving products. The system flags slow-moving inventory each morning, helping merchants adjust purchasing decisions and reduce the money tied up in goods that are not selling.

The inventory intelligence feature is currently available to merchants using the web platform, with a phased rollout to the LOOP BIZ app planned for 2027.

LOOP BIZ+ connects merchants to LOOP Discover, a marketplace within the consumer application with more than 500,000 consumers through the service.

The platform is designed to replace the separate payment terminals, mobile-money tills, stock records, marketing channels and loan applications that many small businesses use to manage their operations.

“LOOP BIZ+ brings these needs into one platform, so merchants can spend less time reconciling systems and more time running their business,” Sheila Kimani, chief commercial officer at LOOP DFS, said at the launch.

The financing offering includes quick loans, overdrafts against LOOP payment accounts, supplier credit lines paid directly to designated suppliers and a digital pathway to longer-term borrowing. All financing remains subject to the relevant eligibility criteria and credit approval.The launch also extends LOOP’s partnership with Visa.

John Njoroge, Visa’s country manager for Kenya, said the integration of card acceptance with other digital payment options would help more businesses participate in digital commerce. LOOP BIZ+ is backed by NCBA Bank for its credit relationship, linking the digital platform with the banking group’s lending capabilities. The platform will be issued at KES 1500 per month to merchants.