Wonga provides small and super-flexible loans around the clock. We're here to help solve urgent and short term cash flow problems. We’re faster and more convenient than other online lenders because there’s no paper work, faxing or sitting on hold on the phone – the entire service is online. It's straightforward to submit an application and, if approved, you'll get the money in your bank account in a flash. For more info, check out How it works.
New customers can apply for a Wonga cash advance of up to R4000, repayable from 6 days up to 3 months. Existing customers can apply for up to R8000 for up to 6 months. You decide how much cash you need and how many days you want it for, using the simple sliders on the homepage. We calculate the cost upfront and you commit to repay it on the date you select. On the morning of that day we debit your selected repayment from your bank account, after which you'll be welcome to apply again whenever you need cash. For more info, check out How it works or select your next question.
You need to be over 18, living in South Africa and have an active SA bank account, plus your own email address and cell phone. You also need to be able to repay us on the date you promise to, so please don't use Wonga if you have any concerns about your ability to do that. Finally, we include a credit check as part of our sophisticated instant decision system, as we're only interested in lending to people whom we believe can repay a cash advance without undue financial stress.
You can request anything between R500 and R4000 the first time you apply for a Wonga loan. We let you choose exactly how much money you want to borrow. Simply use the sliders on the homepage to select the loan size and duration.
If you repay your loan as promised and use the service responsibly, we'll gradually increase your Wonga trust rating - giving you the flexibility to apply for more cash in the future should you need it. Our trust rating takes lots of factors into consideration when determining the maximum amount you can apply for.
You'll see the amount available to you when you log in to 'My Account' on our slider.
The maximum Wonga loan is R8000, an amount only available to some customers who have shown responsible use of our service over a significant period. Your trust rating is ultimately dependent on your financial health and track record with Wonga, so we reserve the right to change or limit the amount you can borrow, or decline future applications if we feel it's in your best interests.
Even if we offer you an amount upfront, we may decide that a lower amount is more suitable to your financial situation. Your trust rating is ultimately dependent on your financial health and track record with Wonga, so we reserve the right to change or limit the amount you can borrow, or decline future applications if we feel it's in your best interests.
Please note that our trust rating is part of our commitment to responsible lending and rewards you with more borrowing flexibility over time. It's not designed so you can rapidly increase the size of loans, and approval of your next application is never guaranteed.
For a 1 month loan, simply select how much you'd like to borrow using our sliders and the date to pay us back and we’ll calculate exactly how much the full repayment will be before you apply. For a loan up to 3 months, simply choose the number of months and add your regular salary date.
Interest is charged per day, so the shorter your loan period the less you'll pay for your loan. We also have a R69 per month service fee (pro-rated for the first 30 days) as well as an initiation fee. Again, this is included in the total cost of your loan which you'll be shown upfront, even before applying.
For example, if you take out a loan for R4000 over 3 months, with a repayment date of the 25th your fee breakdown could be as follows:
Total to repay = R5300.97 or 3 equal instalments of R1766.99
Initiation fee = R534.75
Service fees = R230.00
Total fees = R764.75
Total interest = R536.24
Remember that the above could vary marginally depending on when during the month you apply.
If you want to see what the costs are for your personal scenario, you can view this upfront on our homepage using our sliders.
If your circumstances change and you can repay your Wonga loan earlier than expected, you could save money. You're welcome to repay early and there are no hidden fees, just remember that making a manual part payment will not change your scheduled instalments – it will simply reduce your final instalment. Just go to 'My Account' and click on ‘Repay’ or give our team a quick call on 0861 966 421 and they will process your payment.
Yes, we carry out a credit check as part of our automated decision making process. We have one of the most advanced reference checking systems in SA, because we're only interested in lending to people who we believe can afford to repay us without undue financial stress.
We sometimes find first-time applicants suffer from anxiety about their credit history when they actually have nothing to fear! Remember our policies are very different to those of other lenders and banks, who are looking to predict your financial reliability over several years. So don’t get hung up about your credit score - it could be one of the deciding factors in our decision, but we also place emphasis on honesty and trust.
To give yourself the best chance of Wonga accepting your online loan application, make sure you give us as much information as possible - and that it's accurate - during your online application. If you're an existing customer you can keep your details up to date in My Account. If we can't provide you with a loan at any time we'll always try to give you a reason for the decision, plus any actions you can take where possible.
Wonga uses a sophisticated and fully automated credit check as part of our decision making process, so if you've got a very poor credit record it may affect our decision. But it doesn’t automatically rule you out and we also place emphasis on lots of other factors as well as honesty and trust. You should therefore ensure you give us as much personal information as possible during your application - and that it's accurate.
Please note that our service isn't designed to help you repay or manage existing debt, so please don’t apply for a loan unless you're sure you will be able to comfortably repay it on your chosen date.
We need to know personal details like your name, address, phone numbers, your payslip, as well as your bank account details. We need this info so we can be sure who's applying, to check if Wonga is a suitable solution for you and as part of our payment and collections process.
To give yourself the best chance of approval, you should always ensure the information you give us is accurate and honest. For full details about the collection of, and potential uses of your personal details you can read our Privacy Policy.
You need to have a regular income, because we only want to lend you cash if you can afford to pay it back quickly and comfortably. But you don't have to be chained to an office desk - we're happy to lend to freelancers and consultants too.
Yes, we welcome renters too.
Yes, an active bank account is required. We are only able to send cash to ABSA, Capitec, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank.
Nope, not at all. We aren't your bank manager, or your mom! The only reason we might ask what you need the money for would be for research purposes and any information given in those cases would be received in the strictest confidence. You can use our instant loans for anything (as long as it's legal!). We just ask that you only borrow what you can comfortably afford to repay on your chosen date. As with any form of credit, it's always worth asking yourself if you really need to borrow the cash before applying but, if the answer's a definite yes, then we're here to help.
Micro Finance South Africa (MFSA). We are also registered as a credit provider with the National Credit Regulator (NCR). Our customer service representatives are all registered with the Council for Debt Collectors.
All kinds of people use Wonga for all kinds of needs, but you should always ask yourself whether you can possibly wait for the cash. If there's a chance you can, then Wonga might not be right for you. There are also cheaper ways to access credit, but none as fast, convenient and flexible as Wonga. We're here to help you manage your cash flow when you can't wait for some money that you know is coming your way soon.
We offer a solution for occasional, urgent and short term cash needs and our loans are not designed as a continual source of credit or for dealing with existing financial problems. If you're worried that you're sinking into a bad debt situation, please don't apply. Our loan will only add to your existing commitments because it needs to be paid back within a month. Instead, you should visit the National Credit Regulator for a list of all debt counsellors registered by the NCR; alternatively you can call them on 0860 627 627.
Your current credit commitments will be taken into consideration when our automated system makes a decision and we only lend to people whom we believe can afford the service. But if you know you're already experiencing problems meeting existing financial commitments, please don't apply in the first place. Our loan will only add to your commitments and it will need repaying within a month. Instead, we recommend you talk to a debt counsellor in your area. For a list of all registered debt counsellors go to the National Credit Regulator or you can call 0860 627 627 for information on how to find one in your area.
Not long at all! We will make your quick loan payment as soon as possible after an application has been approved. We'll email you when the cash has left our account. The only time when this might not be the case is if you are with one of the smaller banks that hasn't yet implemented systems to enable fast cash transfers around the clock. If this is the case and your application is not approved until after 3pm, or on a weekend or public holiday, you'll more than likely get the funds the following business day.
Please also bear in mind that the banks can't always keep up with us and the funds may take longer to show on your balance, depending on which bank you are with. If in doubt, contact your bank to check if you've received the cash, as new deposits often take longer to show on the ATM network or via online banking for example.
To view your loan balance, login to My Account and you’ll see your loan summary page.
The Amount due today is the outstanding balance of your loan.
You can also view the full breakdown of your loan details, including the next due date and the amount you need to repay on this date.
That's up to you! You can select exactly how long you want the cash for. As a new customer, you can apply for up to R4000 and repay between 6 days and 45 days. As an existing customer, you can apply for up to R8000 and repay up to 6 months. Simply use the sliders on the homepage. You need to repay a Wonga loan on the date you promise to, so consider carefully if you'll have the required funds available on the date you choose. We'll show you the cost while you're deciding. You can track the current interest owed on your loan in the My Account section of the site and we welcome early repayment at any time with no hidden fees. You can repay a loan yourself by clicking here and logging in with your usual email and password.
Repaying your loan is simple. Ensure you have money available in your nominated bank account on your loan repayment date. The total amount due will be deducted from your account automatically, first thing on the morning of your loan due date. Once your loan is repaid, you can apply again whenever you need our service. Please note that if the funds aren't available and your bank refuses our payment request, you may incur additional charges from your bank.
If you want to repay a loan early you're welcome to! Login to My Account and click Repay. You can choose to repay via debit order or EasyPay. You won't get hit with any hidden fees for early settlement, and the interest on your loan will be reduced accordingly.
If the Repay option is not available, it means that it is too close to your due date and we have arranged with your bank to automatically take your loan repayment when it is due.
We understand that unexpected stuff happens in life - that's why we’re here in the first place! But we normally require full repayment on the date you choose when you apply. That way we won't keep rolling your balance endlessly from month to month, which can sometimes happen with payday loans, credit cards and overdrafts.
We aren't able to extend the loan term for you, but we can look at an affordable repayment plan. You'll need to get in touch with us, sooner rather than later so we may guide you through this.
Remember that not being able to repay on your promise date will mean you may incur late fees.
Please contact our Collections team on 0861 966 421 on Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:00, so we can discuss the options available to you.
We make every effort to avoid that situation and the vast majority of customers repay our trust in them. So we hope it never comes to this, but here's a straightforward explanation of what could happen if you don't repay a cash advance as promised.
If our early morning collection attempt is declined by your bank - because you haven't ensured there are enough funds available - we will do our best to contact you throughout the day. Your bank may charge you a penalty fee for not having the funds available. We always hope to resolve the situation that day but, if we still haven't received full repayment by 5pm on the due date, your bank could charge you again for another failed debit attempt. We will then make further attempts to collect the money from your bank account and also keep trying to contact you to discuss the situation with you as soon as possible.
Your account will be handled by our professional collections team. They will do their best to come to an arrangement with you and help you resolve things, which is always our goal. Wonga doesn't believe in hitting you with multiple charges, like most traditional lenders will, but interest will continue to accrue on your balance for up to 30 days if we can't reach a fair agreement in the meantime. If you don't work with us and we can't recover the money over a reasonable period, your account may be passed to an external collections partner.
Continued failure to repay a loan will mean we may be forced to take legal action against you. In addition the credit bureau will record the outstanding debt. This information may be supplied to other organisations to perform similar checks and to trace your whereabouts and recover debts that you owe. Records remain on file for a number of years after they are closed, whether settled by you or defaulted.
Finally, your Wonga trust rating will be hit hard and you probably won't be able to borrow from us again. We'll also place your account in a cooling off period, where we wont allow you to borrow from us for a specific time frame to ensure you can recover financially.
In a nutshell, please don’t apply for a loan if you think you might struggle to pay it back in full and on time. It’s really not worth the potential consequences for a few hundred rand.
They don't affect the service at all in most cases! Loan payments are normally made within minutes of approval. However some of the banks still prefer to work 9-5 and they may not have implemented systems to allow fast cash transfers. If this is the case and your application is approved during a weekend or public holiday, we'll get the cash to your account as soon as possible on the next business day.
We want to put a smile on your face every time you use our service. So if you have recently received a loan from us and aren’t happy with our service, please tell us.
We hope it never comes to this, but if you still feel unhappy after discussing the matter with us, you can make a formal complaint in writing to [email protected]. We will normally respond to your complaint – and endeavour to resolve it within 48 working hours. If your complaint is particularly complex, however, it may take longer to investigate. In these cases, we will always explain why there is a delay and tell you when we will contact you again. If you are not satisfied with our response you can appeal the decision by writing to us again, stating your objections and providing any new information to be considered.
Finally, we are registered with the National Credit Regulator, so you can register a complaint via them if you have already contacted us and feel we have not responded to your concerns or resolved the matter fairly.
This is simply a process to verify that your personal details match your bank details. It’s part of our anti-fraud and risk strategy. If we are not able to verify your account, we cannot proceed with your loan – we would hate to pay your cash into an account that is in fact not yours. We automatically verify your account as part of the application process. If you do not bank with one of the so-called big ‘five banks’ (ABSA, Capitec, FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank) we are unable to conduct this verification automatically. This is only a temporary problem though, as our technical experts are working hard to come up with an alternative solution.
If you receive your salary in a different bank account, please upload payslips manually so that we may validate your salary and process your loan application.
If you find yourself ready to repay earlier than you originally thought, setting up a new repayment date is simple. When you choose to repay earlier, you’ll be able to save on the interest and fees that you might have paid when you first borrowed from Wonga.
If you have an outstanding loan, you can log in to My Account at any time and view your current balance – compared to the cost of repaying the loan on the original date you promised.
If you have the funds to repay your loan early, you can do so by logging in and following the brief instructions. We’ll update your balance right away and confirm that your loan is settled. Alternatively, you are welcome to call our Customer Care team on 0861 966421 to set up an earlier repayment arrangement.
If you've received our email to confirm a Wonga payment has been sent, the cash will have left our bank account and either be on its way, or may just have landed in your account. Every bank has their own timescale for showing new deposits, so it may be worth waiting a bit longer. If you can call your bank or visit a branch, it's the most certain way of checking a deposit has been received (ATMs and internet banking can sometimes take longer to reflect a change to your balance).
This could be for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the password field is case sensitive – if you used lower-case and capital letters anywhere in your chosen password, you need to make sure you re-type it to match. For example, if you first used ‘Password’, you can’t use ‘password’ next time. It needs to be exactly the same. You also can’t cut and paste your password from another document, for security reasons, so make sure you type it in.
Secondly, make sure you are entering the same email address as you did when you registered. For example, if you used a webmail address (e.g. Gmail), you won’t be able to use your work email to login, unless you change it in your My Accounts page first. The email field is also case sensitive, so if you used any capital letters when you first entered it, you’ll need to type it the same way every time you login.
If you've forgotten your password, just click on the forgot password link to reset your password.
You just need to request a new one at the top of the page or on the login page. We will email you a secure link to reset your password to your registered email address.
To change your password, please log into My Account. Click on the Change Password link in the Profile tab. Enter your new password and click Update to save the change. Remember to use it when logging into your account next time.
If you’ve forgotten your password, all you need to do is to click on the Forgot Password link underneath the Log in button on the homepage. Enter your registered email address and confirm you are not a robot. Click the Send button and we will email you a link to reset your password. Click on this link and reset your password. Remember to check your junk/spam mail if it’s taking longer than usual.
To change your email address, please log into My Account.
Click on the Change your email link in the profile tab, enter your new email address and click Update.
You will receive an email to your new address, just click on the link to confirm this is correct.
Remember that changing your email address means you have changed your username to log in to your Wonga account.
It’s probably because your email provider has mistaken our confirmation email for spam (unsolicited junk email). First check your spam or junk folder to see if it’s in there. If so, it’s a good idea to then make [email protected] an accepted address or simply add it to your contacts. That will ensure your email provider knows messages from us are safe.
We send you important loan information to this email address so be sure that we can connect electronically.
Give it 15 minutes to be sure, but if you still haven’t received anything then check you entered the correct mobile number during application and, if need be, edit your cell phone number in My Account. If you're still not receiving it, there could be a delay with your service provider. You're welcome to call us on 0861 966 421 so we may assist you.
It’s nothing to worry about. We make an automated decision on the vast majority of loan applications, but we occasionally need to make a few final checks after we have validated your income. During business hours this generally happens the same day and often within an hour. You don't need to contact us or do anything, so please be patient and look out for an email with our decision. If you're accepted, we'll send the money straight away into your bank account.
You're welcome to log into your account for a live status of your loan application, or call us on 0861 966 421 should you feel we're taking longer than usual.
We take an interest in your ongoing financial health and consider every application on an individual basis. Previous use of the service therefore doesn’t automatically guarantee approval of all future applications.
If we can give specific reasons for, or any advice about a rejection then we will do so automatically on the web page.
We cross-reference a wide range of industry data and make a decision based on a combination of factors at the point of application. This system is constantly evolving and we sometimes make adjustments to ensure we continue to lend responsibly. Please note that in the future we may well be able to reconsider an application from you and we do hope to be able to help again.
We encourage you to upload a payslip. However, if you need to upload a bank statement, have recently changed bank accounts and you don’t have 3 months proof of income in the current bank statement, please upload additional documents so we can review your application on our website.
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If you're still having problems, please contact us
Call our team on 0861 966 421 from 08:00 - 18:00 Monday to Friday, and Saturdays from 08:00 - 13:00.
Email us at [email protected] for customer or application related queries.
Email us at [email protected] for repayment queries.
