How we verify lenders
Every lender page and every entry on our verified-apps list goes through the same checklist:
- RBI register cross-check. We look up the stated NBFC on the RBI's published register of NBFCs and match the Certificate of Registration number. Apps are not "RBI approved" — no app is. What matters is which regulated entity stands behind the app, and whether it discloses that.
- KFS availability. Does the lender give borrowers a Key Fact Statement with a fees-inclusive APR before signing? We check for a public specimen or verified user reports.
- Permissions audit. We review the app's requested Android permissions. Contacts, call-log or media access is a red flag the RBI has explicitly banned for lending apps.
- Grievance path. A named grievance officer with a working email, and escalation to the RBI Integrated Ombudsman, must exist.
- Complaint patterns. We track widely-reported complaint themes (recovery behaviour, hidden charges, contact scraping) from public sources — described, never exaggerated.
Entries we have not yet manually completed are marked pending verification on their pages. Data is re-checked on a monthly cycle; every page shows its last-verified date.