Dottra gives you a credit limit that you can draw from more than once. You don’t apply again each time you need money. You draw, pay back when you can, and the amount you pay back is available to draw again.
This article walks through one full month so you can see exactly what happens and what it costs.
Before your first draw
After you sign up, the app asks you to verify who you are and how you’re paid:
- your NRC and a selfie, so we can confirm the account is yours;
- a recent payslip if you’re employed, or your student documents if you’re a government-sponsored student;
- the mobile money number money will be sent to. It needs to be registered in your name.
We review the documents and your affordability, then set a credit limit. Limits vary from person to person. As a guide, salaried customers start at up to K3,000 and students at up to K400, but your own limit may be lower. Some applications aren’t approved.
Making a draw
When you have available credit, you open the app and choose Draw. You can pick a suggested amount or type your own, anywhere from K10 up to your available credit.
Before you confirm, the app shows three numbers:
| What the app shows | Example for a K500 draw |
|---|---|
| Added to your outstanding balance | K500 |
| Processing fee (5%, minimum K1) | K25 |
| You receive on mobile money | K475 |
The processing fee comes out of the draw. You owe the full K500 and K475 lands in your wallet. You confirm with your PIN or fingerprint, and the money is usually sent within a few seconds.
Your available credit goes down by K500 straight away.
The monthly charge
Dottra doesn’t charge interest per draw. Instead there’s one monthly charge, worked out at the end of each calendar month on how much you owed on average during that month.
The rule is: 20% of your average daily balance for the month. Only the money you drew counts. The processing fee and earlier charges don’t count towards the balance it’s worked out on.
Some examples with a K500 draw in a 30-day month:
| What you did | Average daily balance | Monthly charge |
|---|---|---|
| Drew K500 on the 1st, paid nothing back that month | K500 | K100 |
| Drew K500 on the 1st, paid it all back on the 16th | K250 | K50 |
| Drew K500 on the 21st, paid nothing back that month | K166.67 | K33.33 |
| Owed nothing all month | K0 | No charge |
Paying back earlier is the only thing that lowers the charge, and it works day by day. There’s no penalty for paying early.
Your monthly statement
If you owe anything at the end of the month, the app produces a statement dated the last day of that month. It shows:
- what you owed at the start of the month;
- each draw and each payment you made;
- the monthly charge;
- the closing balance, which is the amount due;
- the payment due date, 7 days after the statement date.
The processing fees you paid that month are listed for your records, but they aren’t added again. They already came out of the money you received.
If you owe nothing at the end of the month, there’s no statement.
Paying back
You pay from the Pay screen with mobile money, any time you like. You don’t have to wait for the statement. Each payment must be at least K10, or the full balance if that’s less.
Payments go first to any monthly charges you owe, oldest first, and then to the amount you drew. As the amount you drew comes down, your available credit goes back up by the same amount, so you can draw it again.
If a statement isn’t paid by its due date
If the amount on a statement still isn’t paid at the end of its due date, the facility is temporarily frozen. You can’t draw while it’s frozen, but you can still pay. Once the overdue amount is paid, the facility unfreezes on its own and you can draw again.
A full month, start to finish
Say your limit is K1,500 and in October you:
- Draw K600 on 5 October. You receive K570, and K600 is added to your balance.
- Pay K300 on 25 October from your salary.
Your balance was K0 for 4 days, K600 for 20 days and K300 for 7 days. The average daily balance over the 31 days is about K454.84, so the monthly charge is K90.97.
Your October statement then shows a closing balance of K390.97 (K300 still owed plus the K90.97 charge), due on 7 November. Your available credit is K1,200, because K300 of what you drew is still outstanding.
All of these figures come from the same rules the app uses. The app always shows the exact amounts for your account before you confirm anything.
Where to go next
- Pricing has the full rate table and more examples.
- Eligibility lists who can apply and what documents you need.
- Support answers the questions people ask most.
