TBI Bank entered the Romanian market as a fast alternative to the large banks. It is not an IFN (non-banking financial institution). It is a commercial bank with a BNR (National Bank of Romania) licence, part of the TBI Bank EAD group from Bulgaria, listed on Borsa Istanbul. That means stricter rules and deposits guaranteed by the FGDB (Bank Deposit Guarantee Fund) up to 100.000 €. Its lending products are built to mimic the speed of an IFN: online application in a few minutes, quick decision, small and medium amounts.
On a personal loan between 2.000 and 25.000 lei, TBI often lands on the shortlist of people who want to skip the branch visit but still want the protection of a banking licence. It holds the middle ground in the market, more serious than a classic IFN, more accessible than a large bank.
What to know first
• TBI is a bank, not an IFN, so deposits are guaranteed
• Specialised in fast retail loans and „buy now, pay in instalments”
• APR between 8% (prime) and 35% (standard retail)
• Approval in minutes for small amounts, 1-3 days for large ones
• For amounts above 25.000 lei, large banks are almost always cheaper
What it actually offers
Amounts between 1.000 and 50.000 lei, terms between 3 and 60 months. The standard APR on the retail segment sits between 18% and 35%, depending on the amount, term and your credit score. For clients with stable income and a clean score, TBI also runs a „prime” tier with APR between 8% and 12%, competitive with BCR or BT on this segment. This tier is rarely promoted in adverts, it is offered directly during consultation, so ask about it explicitly.
Clear specialisation: the „buy now, pay in instalments” loan at partner stores (Altex, Flanco, eMag, Mediagalaxy). TBI is the dominant player here. For a 4.700 lei television on 12 months at 0% in store, TBI is often the financier behind the scenes. The store absorbs the financing cost as part of its own margin, TBI collects the commission.
Main TBI products
Personal loan: 1.000-50.000 lei, 3-60 months, APR 8-35%.
In-store instalment loan: 0% financing or APR 0-12%, amount and term set by the product.
Mastercard credit card: limit 500-20.000 lei, revolving APR 22-29%, 30-day grace period.
Refinancing loan: consolidation of small loans, amounts 5.000-50.000 lei, APR 12-22%.
Real fees
Analysis fee: between 0% and 2% (depends on the product). Monthly administration fee: between 0.1% and 0.25% of the remaining balance. Insurance is not mandatory on standard loans, but it is pushed hard. Its cost enters the APR only if you accept it, so check in the FSIE (Standard European Consumer Credit Information sheet) whether it appears as optional or mandatory.
The early repayment fee follows OUG 50/2010: max 1% for loans with more than 12 months left, 0.5% below that, zero on variable rate. Here they cannot step outside the law.
Table: TBI offer vs two alternatives for the same loan
For a loan of 18.000 lei over 36 months:
| Lender | APR | Monthly payment | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| BT (prime client) | 9.8% | 578 lei | 20.808 lei |
| TBI Bank (average client) | 16.4% | 635 lei | 22.860 lei |
| Viva Credit (IFN) | 32.7% | 728 lei | 26.208 lei |
The gap between BT and TBI in this scenario: 2.052 lei over 36 months. The gap between TBI and Viva: 3.348 lei. TBI sits right in the middle.
Who TBI suits
The ideal profile: net monthly income above 3.500 lei, an existing bank card or account, a score somewhere between 530 and 620, current debt ratio under 35%. On this profile TBI offers a good compromise. Approval in 1-3 days, amounts between 5.000 and 25.000 lei, a reasonable APR of 14-22%.
It does not suit: large amounts (above 35.000 lei, big banks are cheaper), a prime profile with income above 8.000 lei (BCR, BT, ING offer a lower APR), small amounts under 3.000 lei (classic IFNs are faster), a profile with a score under 480 (TBI declines or offers an unattractive APR).
Practical alternatives
If TBI Bank turns you down or the APR comes out too high, the options are clear:
Small amounts (under 3.000 lei), in a hurry: a classic IFN handles this better. See the Hora vs Viva vs Acredit comparison for detail.
Medium amounts (5.000-20.000 lei): here the large banks (BT, BCR, BRD, ING, Raiffeisen) beat TBI clearly, with APRs from 8% upward for clients with a good history. The process runs longer (1-5 days), but over the full term the savings are substantial.
Instalment shopping: stores sometimes offer an effective 0% (TBI or ING Bank finances behind the scenes). It is a good option when the amount is fixed and the term is short. Watch out: „real 0%” means no interest, but check whether hidden administration fees or mandatory insurance apply, paid separately.
Real case: Răzvan, two offers, the decision
Răzvan, 36, an accountant in Iași, net income 5.840 lei, score 587, no active loans. He wanted 14.500 lei for a holiday and some Christmas spending. He received two offers. BCR (his usual bank) at APR 11.3% over 36 months, payment 478 lei, but it asked for a week of analysis. TBI Bank, APR 17.8% over 36 months, payment 522 lei, approved in 4 hours.
The gap over the term: 1.584 lei extra cost at TBI. Yet Răzvan needed the money urgently (the holiday offer expired within a week). He chose TBI. The lesson: TBI is paid for the speed it delivers. When time is a factor, the cost difference is justifiable. When it is not, the large bank always wins.
TBI vs Provident vs Salt Bank: the direct alternatives
TBI is not the only option in the „more serious than an IFN, faster than a classic bank” zone. Two concrete alternatives deserve evaluation before signing:
Provident. An IFN with a physical presence in rural areas. Amounts 500-8.000 lei, payment in weekly or monthly instalments, an agent comes to your home. APR 42-78%, well above TBI. Accepts scores under 480, the zone where TBI declines. High total cost.
Salt Bank. A mobile digital bank, a BCR subsidiary, launched in 2024. Loan 1.000-30.000 lei, decision in 4-15 minutes. APR 11-24% in 2026, better than TBI. Requirement: a Salt client with an active current account for at least 30 days, and the accepted income type is more restrictive (focus on classic employment contracts).
| Criterion | TBI Bank | Provident | Salt Bank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Institution type | commercial bank | IFN | digital bank |
| Amounts | 1.000-50.000 | 500-8.000 | 1.000-30.000 |
| Typical APR | 18-35% | 42-78% | 11-24% |
| Approval, medium amount | 1-4 hours | 1-2 days (agent) | 4-15 min |
| Minimum score accepted | ~480 | ~430 | ~510 |
| Deposit guarantee | FGDB 100k € | no (IFN) | FGDB 100k € |
| Branches | a few cities | rural network | zero |
Someone with salary income, a score above 510 and an account at BCR or Salt will usually find the lowest APR for amounts under 25.000 lei at Salt Bank. On the other hand, without an active current account, or with income from a self-employed activity not registered monthly, TBI remains the more accessible option.
FGDB and why it matters that TBI is a bank, not an IFN
The Bank Deposit Guarantee Fund (FGDB) covers any account or deposit at a Romanian banking institution up to 100.000 € per depositor per institution. At TBI Bank you have this protection. At Provident, Hora, Viva, Acredit you do not, they are IFNs, and their deposits are funded from other sources (interbank credit lines, shareholders' own funds).
In practice, if you open an account at TBI and keep 28.700 lei there, the sums are guaranteed by law. The „goods guarantee fund” label that users sometimes apply is something else, a semantic overlap. The real guarantee for deposits is the FGDB, set up through OUG 39/1996 and restructured through Law 311/2015. For loans taken from TBI the situation is reversed, the money you receive is your obligation toward TBI, not a guaranteed deposit.
Geographic restrictions and branch access
The branch network is relatively limited. In 2026 TBI has 23 active branches, concentrated in Bucharest, Cluj, Timișoara, Iași, Constanța and a few medium-sized cities. The TBI Bank annual report for 2024, p. 8, shows that 76% of lending activity happens exclusively online. In a small town, access runs through the app or the site. For those who prefer in-person contact, BCR or BRD are more reachable.
TBI drawbacks that need saying
Not everything is rosy. Three concrete drawbacks an honest broker will name:
1) The standard APR is higher than at a large bank. For a client with a score of 580 and income of 5.000 lei, BT gives an APR of 11-13%, while TBI comes out between 16% and 22%. On a loan of 18.700 lei over 4 years the gap passes 2.340 lei.
2) The prime tier is deliberately kept quiet in communication. TBI adverts push the retail APRs (18-35%) as the comparison point against IFNs, without mentioning that for good clients there is an APR of 8-12%. You have to ask the consultant explicitly about the „prime offer” or „preferred tier”, otherwise it is not put in front of you from the start.
3) Geographic restrictions, limited physical access. For special repayments, complaints, or any issue that needs face-to-face contact, the trip to a TBI branch can mean 100-200 km. At BCR or BT, a branch sits in any town above 25.000 inhabitants.
Related articles
• Personal loan vs fast loan
• Hora vs Viva vs Acredit
• Your rights when taking a loan
• What the APR is
• Compare personal loans
Frequently asked questions
Is TBI Bank a bank or an IFN? It is a commercial bank with a BNR licence, part of the TBI Bank EAD group (Bulgaria). That brings extra protections compared with an IFN, deposits are FGDB-guaranteed up to 100.000 €.
How long does approval take? On small amounts (under 10.000 lei), sometimes a few minutes online. For larger amounts or a mortgage, count on 1-3 working days. Faster than BCR or BT, slower than the pure IFNs.
Does TBI Bank have a prime loan? Yes, for clients with a high credit score (above 640) and stable income above 6.500 lei, „prime” offers with an APR between 8% and 12%, comparable with classic banks. It is rarely announced openly, so ask the consultant directly.
Can I cancel a TBI loan within 14 days? Yes, the withdrawal right under OUG 50/2010 applies in full. Send written notice, pay the interest for the days used, done.
Bogdan Băicu, after 11 years in IFN and then banking: „TBI is the middle ground. More serious than the IFNs, faster than the classic banks, but not the cheapest on either dimension. According to the ARB annual report for 2024, p. 38, TBI financed 23% of the instalment loan volume at partner stores, dominant on the electronics segment. If your score is good and you have the patience for a few days, go to a large bank. If you want something today for a small amount, an IFN is fine. TBI is exactly for when you want neither extreme.”
The application process, step by step
Applying to TBI Bank for a personal loan runs in four simple steps, mostly online:
Step 1. Fill in the form on tbibank.ro with your personal data, the desired amount, the term. The system runs an automatic pre-assessment in 30-60 seconds, without a hard inquiry at the Biroul de Credit (the Credit Bureau), it is only a soft check.
Step 2. If the pre-assessment is positive, you sign the consent for consulting the Biroul de Credit and the BNR Risk Register. Here the hard inquiry happens and leaves a mark in your history.
Step 3. You upload the documents (ID card, income certificate, possibly a bank statement). The TBI system runs OCR automatically on the documents. Verification in 1-4 hours for small amounts, 1-2 days for large ones.
Step 4. You receive the final offer with the complete FSIE. You have 14 days to decide (withdrawal right). You sign online, the money reaches your account in 24-48 hours.
Frequent mistakes at TBI
1) Accepting the standard offer without asking about the prime tier. When your score is above 640 and income above 6.500 lei, it is worth trying the prime category. The APR gap is 4-6 percentage points, which means 800-1.500 lei on a typical loan.
2) Buying „0% in instalments” without checking the real cost. In-store 0% promotions sometimes carry hidden administration fees of 1.8-3.5% of the total amount. Check the store's FSIE.
3) Insurance presented as mandatory. On standard loans TBI does not require mandatory insurance. If the consultant tells you it is mandatory, ask to see it in writing in the FSIE. It is often just a sales technique.
Complaints against TBI: how it works
Since TBI is a commercial bank, it is supervised by the BNR (Banking Supervision Directorate) and the ANPC (National Consumer Protection Authority). For any issue, an abusive clause, a fee above the cap, an unjustified refusal of early repayment, the steps are the standard ones: a written complaint to the lender, then the ANPC or SAL-FIN if the answer does not satisfy.
According to the ANPC 2024 report, p. 22, TBI Bank received 187 complaints in 2024, of which 71% were resolved in favour of the consumer. According to the ANPC 2024 report, the resolution rate for complaints in the segment was: TBI 71%, BCR and BT above 78%.
Updated after the TBI Bank announcement of 28 April 2026: the criteria for the prime tier were relaxed, now reachable by clients with income between 5.000 and 6.500 lei as well. If you are in this range, ask specifically about the prime offer.
The risk analyst's perspective
Roman Dumitrescu, former risk analyst at BCR and ING, reviewer of this guide: „TBI Bank runs a technically interesting model, a full banking licence used for products calibrated to retail speed. In an economic stress scenario their model is more exposed than that of a universally diversified bank (BCR, BT). For a consumer that changes nothing, the FGDB covers you either way. The practical lesson, when the APR of your TBI offer is 4-6 points above the average for a similar loan at BCR or BT, that reflects the institution's funding cost, not an extra fee placed on you. You look at the final figure, not at the reason behind it.”