April 26, 2024
Market Now
Toss Bank to expand loan service to thin filers amid delayed kick off
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(Viva Republica) |
Toss Bank will expand its loan services to thin filers with little credit history or borrowers with low credit through its advanced credit assessment system while delaying its official launch to next month, officials said on September 6.
The internet-only lender was expected to start business late this month after receiving the green light from the country’s financial regulator. But due to the bank’s last-minute schedule rearrangements, it will begin its operation starting the first week of October, they added.
After the launch, Toss Bank aims to change the country’s financial services landscape by boosting credit loans for “thin filers,” those who lack credibility or credit information and have trouble in getting loans from commercial banks.
According to its business plan it submitted to the financial regulator, Toss will supply 164 billion-won ($142 million) worth of credit loans to thin filers. It aims to bump up those loans by the end of this year to account for 34.9 percent of all loans.
“Unlike other banks, it is the mission of internet banks to offer loans to the disadvantaged. We have gathered financial and nonfinancial data from over 20 million users to establish a credit scoring system that thoroughly assesses the borrower’s solvency,” a Toss official said.
Market insiders are expecting Toss Bank to give loans with the lowest interest rate in the market to secure users, since the bank will be the third internet-only bank to appear in four years.
According to the bank’s loan service test run last month, the minimum interest rate of credit loans was 2.5 percent.
Toss Bank also plans to integrate its mobile app into the Toss app. KakaoBank, another internet-only bank, chose to separate its mobile app from the mobile messenger KakaoTalk from the beginning.
“Adding Toss Bank to the ‘All-in-one’ Toss app, users will be able to access bank, stock, insurance and payment services all at once in the same app,” a Toss official said.
By Byun Hye-jin (hyejin2@heraldcorp.com)
