Fighting to Attract Customers, Bankers Become More Tolerant Towards Late Payers

05.03.2011 ZF English

Customers with overdue payments the past year, but who later paid their dues, now find it easier to get a new loan than in the past because, in their search for new customers, bankers have become more flexible even as regards problematic payments.

Lacking new customers for loans, bankers are starting to look more carefully at those who in the past had problems repaying loans, so the status of "late payer" no longer means zero chances of getting a new loan. "Of course we are examining the customer's payment behaviour and the decision to grant the loan is made based on this indicator. The number of days of lateness, their frequency and their possibly accidental nature are indicators that we consider when making a decision," specified Adrian Jantea, promotion and distribution manager within BRD.

The lateness period and the overdue amount accepted vary from one bank to the next, but usually only customers with late payments of just a few tens of lei stand a chance to obtain a new loan, according to data supplied by banks at ZF's request. Several banks preferred not to answer the request.

BCR, the biggest bank on the Romanian market by assets, admits it also considers customers with late payments. Bank representatives say the loan application can be accepted if the potential customer has not had late payments worth more than 100 lei, and was not more than 60 days late in the past year.