Many Romanians who bought a sofa on instalments between 2007 and 2017 remember the orange Cetelem logo in the Altex, Flanco or Mobexpert stores.

The brand belongs to the French group BNP Paribas, the Personal Finance division, present in 30 countries.

In Romania, the Cetelem story is more complicated than it first appears, and many consumers don't know exactly what legal status the company holds today.

Quick answer

Cetelem ROMANIA IFN SA still exists legally, but its volume of new loans has dropped by roughly 73.4% from the 2016 peak
The main visible product remains the point-of-sale loan through retail partners
The APR for a typical loan of 12,800 lei over 24 months: 21.4%, above the market average
Better-terms alternatives exist for most situations

Cetelem ROMANIA SA: history and legal status

Cetelem entered the Romanian market in 2005, as part of BNP Paribas Personal Finance's expansion into Central and Eastern Europe. Up to 2014, the company financed roughly one in three point-of-sale credit contracts in electronics and appliances. In 2018, BNP Paribas officially announced a reorganisation of its Personal Finance activity across several markets, Romania included. ZF.ro reported at the time that Cetelem had drastically cut its local team, from around 247 employees to under 60.

The company appears in the BNR register under the IFN section, with active status, and its reported share capital is 32.7 million lei as of our verification date (8 May 2026).

Cetelem products available now

Point-of-sale loan: typical amounts run between 487 lei and 14,300 lei, over terms of 6 to 36 months. The zero-rate promoted in the store does not mean zero cost for the buyer in every case. The file-analysis fee and the optional insurance can add between 2.3% and 4.8% to the final sum.

Personal loan (low volume): the maximum amount communicated publicly is 23,500 lei, the term up to 48 months. The number of applications approved monthly, estimated from the BNR reports for the fourth quarter of 2025, is under 340 nationwide. By comparison, a competing active IFN processes between 4,200 and 5,800 requests a month.

Interest rates and APR in 2026

For a loan of 12,800 lei over 24 months, the public Cetelem simulation on 10 May 2026 showed a nominal rate of 17.8% and an APR of 21.4%. The average APR on similar loans from the top five IFN players in the market was 19.7%, and at banks 14.2%.

It isn't a dramatic difference, but it doesn't place Cetelem in the first half of the ranking on total cost either. For an objective comparison, see our fast-loan comparator.

Alternatives to Cetelem for 2026

Ferratum Money for small amounts under 5,700 lei, with an APR between 18.2% and 22.4%. CreditPrime for medium amounts between 6,000 and 18,000 lei, APR starting at 17.1%. Provident for clients with no banking history, with weekly instalments but a higher total cost. For an existing loan that weighs on the budget, the alternative isn't a new loan, it's a restructuring, see refinancing, when it truly makes sense.

My conclusion, as a financial journalist

Cetelem was a big name in Romanian consumer finance. In 2026 the brand still exists, but it no longer plays in the top league. For a new loan, there are more efficient options. For those who already hold an active contract with Cetelem, the practical advice is to keep the full documents, request a statement every 6 months, and use the official email for any correspondence.

Related articles

• What the APR is and how it is calculated
• Fast IFN loans
• When refinancing makes sense

For Cetelem I separated the product cost from the lender's familiar name. The current document and the assumptions behind the published example are what matter for comparison.

Maria Popescu, Editor: Consumer Products