Responsible Borrowing

Check whether borrowing is necessary

Consider whether the expense can be delayed, reduced, covered from savings, or handled through a lower-cost alternative. Using new credit to repay existing credit can increase cost and financial stress.

Test affordability

• Use reliable after-tax income and essential expenses, not an optimistic estimate.
• Leave a buffer for emergencies and changes in income, rates, fees, or exchange rates.
• Do not rely on refinancing, extensions, rollovers, or a future loan to make repayment affordable.

Compare total cost

Compare the full amount repayable, interest or profit rate, fees, insurance, penalties, security, repayment dates, early-repayment rules, and consequences of missed payments. A lower instalment can still mean a higher total cost when the term is longer.

Verify the provider

Confirm the provider's legal identity and any licence or registration required for the product in your jurisdiction. Use the relevant regulator's official register where available. Be cautious of advance-fee requests, pressure, guaranteed approval, requests for passwords or one-time codes, and contact that cannot be verified independently.

Read before accepting

Read the pre-contract information and final agreement. Check that the amount, currency, cost, repayment schedule, security, data permissions, cancellation rights, complaint process, and default consequences match what you understood. Save a copy.

If repayment becomes difficult

Contact the provider early and ask about hardship or restructuring options. Prioritise essential living costs and seek independent debt or consumer support available in your country. Avoid paying an unverified company that promises to erase debt or repair credit immediately.

Credizen's role

Credizen is not a lender and cannot approve, change, pause, or collect a loan. A comparison result is not an affordability assessment. The final decision remains yours and the provider is responsible for its own legal obligations.