Moniepoint

Moniepoint operates a microfinance bank charter in Nigeria through Moniepoint MFB, which allows it to accept deposits, issue loans, and settle payment transactions on its own balance sheet. The firm also holds a Payment Service Provider license from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Holding both a banking and a payments license in-house reduces reliance on third-party infrastructure and gives the firm bespoke control over merchant settlement timing and lending criteria.

Moniepoint uses the transaction data flowing through its own POS terminals and business accounts as the primary underwriting input. Because the firm sees daily cashflow and settlement history for millions of merchants, it can build credit scores off observed behavior rather than formal financial statements. This lets Moniepoint extend working-capital loans to shopkeepers and market traders who have no traditional banking relationship — a segment formal banks have largely avoided.