How a pawn loan works
The business values the item and advances less than its possible resale price. It keeps the item until the advance and contract costs are paid. A valuation for gold, a phone or a car is not a guaranteed sale price.
The contract matters more than the display value
Request the net cash, term, total cost, extension terms and the point at which the item may be sold in writing. A separate fee is still part of the real cost when it must be paid to recover the item.
Checking the pawn business
Law 93/2009 requires pawn lenders making loans against pledged goods to enter the NBR Evidence Register. Kreditano does not yet publish provider rankings because the available public source did not let us safely join every shop to a current registration and a dated cost example.
Cost caps and contract review
Law 243/2024 covers lending by non-bank financial institutions and sets consumer-credit cost limits.
The calculator does not rule on legality.
When figures exceed the relevant cap, the consumer can request a written contract review proposal.
If you do not repay
The contract sets any grace period, extension and sale process after missed repayment.
Do not assume the item will be held indefinitely.
Ask for the procedure before signing and keep the agreement and receipt.
When another route may fit
Pawn credit may cover a short need without a standard income review, but the item carries the risk. For planned borrowing compare personal loans. With existing instalments, start with refinancing. For jewellery read the gold price guide.
Roman Dumitrescu, Kreditano editor: “The ANPC 2025 report treats pawn businesses separately in credit-cost controls. For a reader, the practical distinction is plain: a shop sign is not a register entry, and a gold price is not the contract total.”
A provider is not published until its identity, current BNR register entry and a dated cost example have been checked together.