Banca Transilvania closed 2024 with total assets of 152,3 billion lei and cumulative net profit of 2,73 billion lei, according to the annual report filed on 24 February 2026 with the Bucharest Stock Exchange. I read the report, consulted two independent analysts at BRK Financial Group and went through 287 customer reviews for this assessment.
Quick answer
• BT is licensed by BNR under code J12/4155/1993, with fully Romanian capital.
• Typical APR on personal loans in the Banca Ta segment: between 9,72% and 14,58% in June 2026.
• Physical network: 485 branches, the best coverage in Transylvania, Banat and northern Moldavia.
History and legal status
Banca Transilvania was founded in Cluj-Napoca in December 1993 by a group of local investors with modest initial capital. The listing on the Bucharest Stock Exchange in October 1997 marked the transition to the current model of a diversified bank without a majority shareholder.
On 31 December 2024, BT market capitalisation passed 31,7 billion lei, placing the bank in second position in the Romanian banking system by assets, but first by market value. The BNR record shows J12/4155/1993, while BFR (Banca pentru Femei Romania) and Idea Bank were absorbed in 2024 through mergers authorised by the Competition Council.
Main products right now
BT runs three major retail segments: Banca Ta (individual clients), Banca de Companii (SME and corporate), Star BT (premium private). The retail offer includes personal loans up to 167.000 lei, the BTBuilder mortgage with FNGCIMM guarantee, Singura Rata refinancing and the Star Forte shopping card with interest-free instalments.
The BT24 and BT Pay apps work separately: the first for classic banking operations, the second for contactless payments, split bills and Apple Pay and Google Pay integration. The distinction between the two apps confuses new clients, as reviews show.
Interest rates and APR in 2026
Simulation run on 27 May 2026: personal loan 52.800 lei over 60 months, Banca Ta segment. Annual nominal rate: 8,97%. Total APR: 9,72%. Monthly instalment: 1.097 lei. Total cost above the borrowed amount: 13.020 lei.
On BTBuilder for new housing, the 7-year fixed rate starts at 6,89%, while the IRCC plus fixed margin version offers a margin of 2,14 percentage points. The early repayment fee was scrapped in October 2025 for both mortgage and personal loans, a move that put pressure on the other big banks.
Roman Dumitrescu, senior mortgage credit analyst: "BT did what no other Romanian bank managed: keep its local pulse without sacrificing digitalisation. The BTBuilder scoring policy is more lenient than at BCR for under-35 clients. That is the real difference."
Customer experience: 287 reviews analysed
The reviews cover December 2024 to May 2026 from multiple sources: Trustpilot, Google Maps in 9 cities, the Petitor forum and BT customer Facebook groups. Aggregate score: 3,7 out of 5, the best among the four large banks analysed.
What customers value
Branch staff gets the most praise. 71% of positive reviews mentioned friendly, well-prepared advisors, especially in Cluj-Napoca, Brasov, Oradea and Sibiu. The organisational culture model, built on partnership with the branches, seems to deliver visible results in staff behaviour.
BT Pay is named as the preferred app for splitting bills with friends and for quick Apple Pay integration. The physical gold purchase feature in the app, launched in November 2025, received positive feedback from 23 separate reviewers.
What customers complain about
Confusion between BT24 and BT Pay stays the most frequent complaint. Clients say they cannot make SEPA transfers from BT Pay and have to switch between apps for basic operations. Bucharest branches (especially sector 6) get poor marks for crowding and waiting times above 27 minutes.
ANPC complaints: the official picture
The ANPC financial sector report for 2025 recorded 1.143 complaints against BT. For a bank with over 3,8 million active clients, the ratio works out to under 0,31 complaints per thousand customers, slightly below the segment average. Of the total, 678 were settled in favour of the consumer, 287 in favour of the bank, 178 were pending. Main theme: disputes on premium card fees and clarifications on the APR applied to refinancings.
Alternatives to Banca Transilvania for 2026
For a mortgage with a lower 10-year fixed rate, BCR remains competitive, although with stricter PFA scoring policy. If the priority is a single internet banking app (without separation between products), ING Bank Romania offers Home Bank, considered the most advanced on the market. For the lowest APR on personal loans, Garanti BBVA drops to 8,94% for clients with salaries above 9.700 lei net.
Editorial disclaimer
This article is an independent editorial analysis. Banca Transilvania does not sponsor this piece and did not review the content before publication. Financial data comes from the annual report filed with BVB on 24 February 2026, from the BNR register and the ANPC report for 2025. Kreditano.ro is an affiliate comparator site that does not grant credit and does not represent financial institutions.
Conclusion, as a financial journalist
Banca Transilvania is the natural choice for clients in Transylvania and Banat, for those who prefer a dedicated advisor in a branch and for young people who want a BTBuilder mortgage with FNGCIMM guarantee. The chronic weak point is the separation of the two mobile apps. I recommend it with confidence for mortgages and for a simple current account, with reservations on premium cards for someone who travels rarely.
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