Your guide to small loans with Pretoh, step by step.
Pretoh gives small loans to people in Cameroon, sent straight to MTN Mobile Money or Orange Money. You start small, and each loan you repay on time can make your next one bigger. Here is everything you need to know.
1. The loans
You ask for the amount you need, up to FCFA 1,000,000, and choose how you want to repay. We then make you an offer: the amount we can lend you today, the interest and the dates. You can accept or decline it.
The plans:
| Plan | Amounts | Repayment | Interest (standard rate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay any time within 7 days | FCFA 2,000 – FCFA 50,000 | in one payment, after 7 days | 10% up to FCFA 10,000 · 8% up to FCFA 50,000 · 6% above |
| Pay any time within 14 days | FCFA 2,000 – FCFA 50,000 | in one payment, after 14 days | 15% up to FCFA 10,000 · 11% up to FCFA 50,000 · 9% above |
| Pay any time within 30 days | FCFA 2,000 – FCFA 1,000,000 | in one payment, after 30 days | 20% up to FCFA 10,000 · 15% up to FCFA 50,000 · 12% up to FCFA 200,000 · 10% above |
| 4 weekly payments | FCFA 10,000 – FCFA 200,000 | 4 payments, weekly | 18% up to FCFA 50,000 · 14% up to FCFA 200,000 · 12% above |
- Your first loan is up to FCFA 2,000. Bigger amounts and plans open up as you repay on time.
- Interest is fixed when you accept the offer and never grows, even if you repay on the last day. Your own rate is shown in the app and in your offer. It can be lower than the standard rate as your history improves, and always stays between 5% and 30%.
- Example: you borrow FCFA 2,000 at 10%. After 7 days you repay FCFA 2,200.
You can have one loan at a time.
2. What it costs
There are two kinds of costs: the subscription, and the interest on each loan.
The subscription
- Subscription fee: FCFA 500, paid once at the end of sign-up, before any decision. It pays Pretoh for checking your identity, which starts straight away, and for your first 30 days of access.
- Subscription renewal: FCFA 300 every 30 days, to keep access and make loan requests. It is never automatic: we remind you and you choose. If you don't renew, you can come back at any time.
- The subscription is separate from the interest on any loan and does not guarantee a loan. It pays for the service. You get your money back if the problem is ours, for example if a technical failure stops your check or you were charged twice. See Part B of the Terms.
The interest is only paid on loans you actually receive.
There are no hidden fees. If a loan is repaid late, only the late charges shown in its offer and agreement can apply. The late charges for new loans today are:
No late charges apply to this loan.
The exact late charges of each loan are shown before you sign and never change after. Your mobile-money operator may charge its usual fees for its own services.
3. Signing up (about 5 minutes)
- Accept the terms and choose your language.
- Your phone number: we send you a code by SMS.
- Your name, exactly as written on your ID.
- About you: date of birth, work, income and why you need the loan.
- Your ID: photos of the front and back of your CNI, passport or récépissé.
- A live selfie: blink, turn your head or smile when asked. This proves it's really you.
- Your home: tap "I'm at home" so we can place your home on the map, then add your neighbourhood and a landmark.
- Pay the subscription fee by approving the request on your phone.
Have your ID with you, and good light for the photos. Your progress is saved: if you stop, you continue where you left off.
4. How we decide
After you pay, we check:
- that your ID is genuine and yours;
- that your selfie matches your ID;
- that you have only one account;
- where you live;
- your history with Pretoh, if you have borrowed before.
What happens next:
- Some applications are approved within minutes.
- Others are reviewed by our team, usually within 48 hours.
- If the answer is "not this time", we tell you the main reason, for example that today's funds are used up. While your subscription is active, your request is checked again automatically at our regular review times, on the same published criteria. Nobody is chosen by chance.
- Changed your mind after receiving a loan? You can cancel within 48 hours by repaying only the amount lent, with no interest.
We never look at your contacts, your messages or your photos.
5. Getting your money
When your loan is approved:
- Read and sign your loan agreement in the app, with your PIN or a code sent by SMS. It shows the amount, the interest, the total to repay and the due date.
- Take a quick selfie to confirm it's you.
- The money is sent to your MTN or Orange account, usually within minutes.
Your payment dates count from the day the money reaches you. You'll find them on your home screen and in your agreement.
6. Repaying
- Tap "Repay" in the app, then approve the payment request on your phone.
- On the due date, we also send a payment request to your phone. Just approve it.
- You can repay early at any time, at no extra cost.
- You can pay in parts if you need to. Every payment counts.
Keep the confirmation SMS from your operator. You can also see every payment in Activity.
7. Growing your loans
You have a personal limit: the most we can lend you today. It starts at FCFA 2,000 and grows step by step as you repay on time. More plans open up too, like repaying in several payments.
- The limit grows gradually, not all at once, and only after some time with us.
- Repaying on time, every time, is the most important thing you can do.
- A new phone or a new address can pause growth for a short time, to protect your account.
8. If you're late
- We send you reminders. Please don't ignore them.
- A late payment lowers your limit for your next loans.
- After 30 days late, your account is blocked, and the debt may be recovered through the courts, as written in your loan agreement.
If you're having difficulty, tell us before the due date in Profile → Help. We'll look for a solution with you.
We never contact your family, friends or employer about your loan.
9. Staying safe
- Never share your PIN or an SMS code. Pretoh will never ask for them by call, SMS, WhatsApp or in person.
- Our agents never ask for cash. You always pay through your own mobile money, in the app.
- If your phone is lost or stolen, contact us straight away.
10. Your messages and alerts
- Everything we send you is in your inbox (the bell on your home screen).
- Turn on notifications in Profile → Preferences for free alerts about your loan.
- We send an SMS for the most important moments, like your money being sent or your due date.
11. Need help?
- In the app: Profile → Help.
- Contact by email, phone or WhatsApp (where shown): [email protected].
- The full Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice are in Profile → Legal.