Revolut is now offering unsecured personal loans in Britain, its UK chief executive Francesca Carlesi told Reuters.
Customers can borrow from £2,000 to £25,000, with rates of 6.9% to 29.3%, a company spokesperson said.
At first, only a selected group of users can apply. Carlesi said access will then widen to Revolut’s 14 million UK customers over the next few months.
Lending marks a shift from the payments and subscription plans at the core of the digital bank. It carries more risk as well.
Carlesi said Revolut aims to grow from an everyday spending app into the main bank for people in the UK.
Unlike older banks, Revolut does not have decades of repayment records to draw on.
Instead, it has added data bought from third-party providers to its own when it assesses borrowers, Carlesi said.
She added that the firm is confident in its credit checks and has no target for total UK lending.
Over time, Revolut plans to move much of the risk off its balance sheet by securitising the loans.
In addition, it aims to keep its loan-to-deposit ratio near 6%, well below most banks, according to Carlesi.
Next, Revolut plans to launch a credit card, with mortgages to follow at a later stage.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Revolut via its website.
