# Best Personal Loans in Austria for Expats (2026)

> 6.22% effective at Anadi, 10.52% at Santander: six lenders rated on the examples they publish, plus the KSV1870 check that decides it.

Updated: October 14 2026 · By Jules de Bruin · URL: https://www.how-to-austria.com/banking/loans

Every Austrian lender must check your creditworthiness first under **§ 7 VKrG**, in practice through a **KSV1870** query. The cheapest published example is **Austrian Anadi Bank at 6.22% effective** on **€21,000 over 84 months**, against an **OeNB average of 7.84 to 7.9%** in **March 2026**. You then have **14 days** to walk away under **§ 12 VKrG**.

Banks score an **Austrian employment contract**, not a foreign one. **BAWAG** asks for at least **3 months** in a permanent Austrian job, **Austrian Anadi Bank** wants an **Austrian main residence**, and **Erste Bank** excludes the **self-employed** from its **Klick Kredit**. A **Dorotheum** pawn loan needs **no credit check** but costs about **34.7% a year**.

Rank by

Our overall pick below is Erste Bank, from 8.30% effective.

Erste Bank und Sparkassen

### Erste Bank Klick Kredit

3.3

Same Rate for Everyone. The one Austrian loan priced without a score: 7.9% nominal and 8.30% effective for every approved borrower, with no arrangement or account fee.

[Get an Erste Bank loan](https://www.sparkasse.at)
Not for you if: You are self-employed. Erste excludes the self-employed from this product outright, so a Kleinunternehmer or freelancer needs Austrian Anadi Bank, BAWAG or a branch appointment instead.

- Effective rate: 8.30%, score-independent

- Fees (Best): €0 arrangement, €0 account

- Loan size: €3,000 to €50,000

- Self-employed: Excluded

- Representative APR: 8.30% effective (7.9% nominal, fixed)

More details

- Nominal rate: 7.9% fixed

- Rate type: Fixed only

- Decision: Online, immediate (provider figure)

- Term: Not published

- Credit check: KSV1870 enquiry

- Documents: ID, income statements

Conditions as published by Erste Bank und Sparkassen, August 2026. Sparkassen price some parallel products regionally, so check the Konditionenblatt of your own Sparkasse.

Key information

- Eligibility: Self-employed not accepted

- Fees: **€0** arrangement and account

- Protection: Fixed rate, no score pricing

- Support: Largest branch network in Austria

Best for Employees with a short Austrian record, who would be priced above the advertised best rate everywhere else

### Austrian Anadi Bank Online-Kredit

3.5

Lowest Published Rate. The lowest effective rate any Austrian lender publishes: 6.22% fixed in its own representative example, well under the OeNB average of 7.84 to 7.9%.

[Get an Anadi loan](https://www.anadi-bank.at)
Not for you if: You have no Austrian payslip yet. The scoring wants an Austrian income record and an Austrian main residence, and a refused application leaves a visible KSV1870 enquiry for 12 months.

- Representative example: €21,000 / 84 months

- Effective rate (Best): 6.22% fixed

- Advertised from: 5.50%, credit-dependent

- Rate type: Fixed or variable

- Representative APR: 6.22% effective, fixed (7.61% variable)

More details

- Variable in the same example: 7.61% effective

- Arrangement fee: None shown in the example

- Application: Fully online, VideoIdent

- Payout: 1 to 3 working days (provider figure, unverified)

- Self-employed: Yes, with a tax assessment

- Documents: ID, 3 months of income, bank statements

- Residence: Austrian main residence required

Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.

Key information

- Eligibility: Austrian main residence required

- Fees: No separate arrangement fee

- Protection: Fixed rate, no rate risk

- Support: Direct bank, no branches

Best for Permanent Austrian employees with a clean KSV1870 record who want the cheapest documented rate

bank99 AG, Österreichische Post

### bank99 rundumkredit99

2.5

Full Cost Published. The only lender here that publishes the whole sum: €11,956.80 repayable on €10,000 over 60 months, in 60 instalments of €199.28.

[Get a bank99 loan](https://www.bank99.at)
Not for you if: You want a rate locked for the term. The published example is variable, so the instalment can move, and bank99 does not publish its income or employment requirements.

- Representative example: €10,000 / 60 months

- Effective rate: 7.50% variable

- Total repayable (Best): €11,956.80

- Monthly instalment: 60 × €199.28

- Representative APR: 7.50% effective (6.69% nominal, variable)

More details

- Nominal rate: 6.69% variable

- Account fee: €1.99 a month, €119.40 over the term

- Early repayment: €0, because the rate is variable

- Identification: Post partner counters

- Eligibility criteria: Not published

Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.

Key information

- Eligibility: Requirements not published

- Fees: **€1.99** monthly account fee

- Protection: Variable rate, free overpayments

- Support: Post counters across Austria

Best for Borrowers who want to see the total before they apply, and anyone who prefers a Post counter to a bank branch

### Oberbank Konsumkredit

3.3

Best for Large Amounts. The only Austrian lender that publishes a representative example at €30,000: 7.46% effective over ten years, arranged with a branch adviser.

[Get an Oberbank loan](https://www.oberbank.at)
Not for you if: You want the conditions before you talk to anyone. Oberbank publishes one example and nothing else, so the rate type, the term range and the loan ceiling only appear in your personal offer.

- Representative example (Best): €30,000 / 120 months

- Effective rate: 7.46%

- Fees: Included in the effective rate

- Rate type: Not published

- Representative APR: 7.46% effective on the published example

More details

- Loan size range: Not published

- Term range: Not published

- Self-employed: Branch advice (market practice)

- Credit check: KSV1870, industry standard

- Early repayment: § 16 VKrG applies

Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.

Key information

- Eligibility: Conditions only in the offer

- Fees: No separate fee published

- Protection: Rate type not published

- Support: Branch advisers, Upper Austria and Salzburg

Best for Borrowers taking €20,000 or more who want a named adviser rather than an online form

easybank AG, BAWAG Group

### easybank easy kredit

3.3

Lowest Advertised Rate. Advertises the lowest entry rate in Austria at 5.47%, while its own representative example over ten years lands at 8.30% effective.

[Get an easybank loan](https://www.easybank.at)
Not for you if: You expect the advertised rate. The gap between 5.47% and the 8.30% in the bank's own example is 2.83 percentage points, and easybank support scores 1.4 of 5 on Trustpilot.

- Representative example: €12,000 / 120 months

- Effective rate: 8.30%

- Advertised from (Best): 5.47%

- Fees: Included in the 8.30% effective rate

- Representative APR: 8.30% effective in the representative example

More details

- Rate type: Fixed or variable by offer (unverified)

- Instalment pause: Yes, group feature (unverified)

- Overpayments: Free, group figure (unverified)

- Loan size range: Not published

- Deposit guarantee: Einlagensicherung AUSTRIA, €100,000

- Support rating: 1.4 of 5, 709 Trustpilot reviews, April 2026

Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.

Key information

- Eligibility: Criteria not published

- Fees: No separate fee published

- Protection: Instalment pause, free overpayments

- Support: Trustpilot 1.4 of 5

Best for Borrowers with a strong KSV1870 record who want flexibility modules, an instalment pause and free overpayments

Santander Consumer Bank GmbH

### Santander JetztSofort-Kredit

3.0

Fastest Payout. Decides online at the weekend and pays out in 24 to 48 hours, up to €65,000, at the highest published effective rate on this page.

[Get a Santander loan](https://www.santanderconsumer.at)
Not for you if: You are comparing on price. The bank's own example prices at 10.52% effective, €2,761.40 of interest on €10,000, against €1,956.80 of total cost at bank99 on the same amount and term.

- Representative example: €10,000 / 60 months

- Effective rate: 10.52% variable

- Total repayable: €12,761.40

- Loan size (Best): €1,500 to €65,000

- Representative APR: 10.52% effective (9.99% nominal, variable)

More details

- Nominal rate: 9.99% variable

- Advertised from: 5.50%

- Decision: Instant online, weekends included

- Payout: 24 to 48 hours after approval

- Early repayment: €0, because the rate is variable

- Documents: ID, income proof, bank statement

- Payment protection: Offered during the application

Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.

Key information

- Eligibility: Employed and self-employed accepted

- Fees: **10.52%** in its own example

- Protection: Payment protection actively offered

- Support: Weekend decisions, online signature

Best for Borrowers who need the money this week, and anyone consolidating a larger balance in one application

Every rate above is the lender’s own representative example under the VKrG, not an advertised best rate. Figures collected August 2026, [Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at) rechecked 21 September 2026. Star ratings convert the borrowing-sentiment score from our Austrian user-review research onto a five-point scale, and the samples behind Austrian Anadi Bank, bank99, Oberbank and [Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at) are thin.

**[Erste Bank](https://www.sparkasse.at)** leads this list for a reason that has nothing to do with being cheapest. Its **Klick Kredit** prices at **7.9% nominal** and **8.30% effective** for every approved borrower, with **no arrangement fee** and **no account fee**. A newcomer with eight months of Austrian payslips will not be offered **Austrian Anadi Bank**’s **6.22%**, because that rate is the top of a credit-dependent range. At **[Erste Bank](https://www.sparkasse.at)** the score does not move the price at all, which is worth more than a headline rate you cannot reach.

Sort by rate and the order changes to what the numbers say: **Austrian Anadi Bank** at **6.22%**, **Oberbank** at **7.46%**, **bank99** at **7.50%**, then **[Erste Bank](https://www.sparkasse.at)** and **easybank** at **8.30%** and **[Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at)** at **10.52%**. The spread is not decorative. On **€10,000 over 60 months**, **bank99** publishes **€11,956.80** repayable and **[Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at)** publishes **€12,761.40**, a difference of **€804.60** for the same money over the same term.

Two lenders sit outside the ranking because they publish no comparable example. **[Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at)** quotes **7.375% variable** and **7.675% fixed** through its calculator but no representative example for a consumer loan, the largest transparency gap at any big Austrian bank. **[Raiffeisen](https://www.raiffeisen.at)** has no central rate at all: each **Landesbank** prices its own book, and the **RLB Steiermark** online loan starts at **7.10%** plus **€20.71** a year in account fees.

Illustration of a banking app, a coin stack, and a rising chart, for managing money and saving in Austria.

## How Much Does a Personal Loan Cost in Austria?

| Lender | Example | Nominal | Effective | Total repayable | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Austrian Anadi Bank Online-Kredit](https://www.anadi-bank.at) | €21,000 × 84 months | Not published | 6.22% fixed / 7.61% variable | Not published | Advertised from 5.50% |
| [bank99 rundumkredit99](https://www.bank99.at) | €10,000 × 60 months | 6.69% variable | 7.50% | €11,956.80 (60 × €199.28) | Includes €1.99 a month account fee |
| [Oberbank Konsumkredit](https://www.oberbank.at) | €30,000 × 120 months | Not published | 7.46% | Not published | The only large-amount example |
| [Erste Bank Klick Kredit](https://www.sparkasse.at) | Not amount-specific | 7.9% fixed | 8.30% | Not published | Score-independent, no fees, no self-employed |
| [easybank easy kredit](https://www.easybank.at) | €12,000 × 120 months | Not published | 8.30% | Not published | Advertised from 5.47% |
| [BAWAG Online-Kredit](https://www.bawag.at) | €12,000 × 120 months | 7.96% variable | 9.2% including €598 account fee | Not published | Unverified, check the Konditionenblatt |
| [Santander JetztSofort-Kredit](https://www.santanderconsumer.at) | €10,000 × 60 months | 9.99% variable | 10.52% | €12,761.40 | €1,500 to €65,000 |
| [Bank Austria Konsumkredit](https://www.bankaustria.at) | Calculator only | 7.375% variable / 7.675% fixed | Not published | Not published | No representative example under the VKrG |
| [RLB Steiermark Online-Kredit](https://www.raiffeisen.at) | Not published | From 7.10% | Not published | Not published | Plus €20.71 a year account fee |
| [OeNB average, consumer loans](https://www.oenb.at) | Market reference | Not applicable | 7.84 to 7.9% | Not applicable | Interest-rate statistics, March 2026 |

Representative examples as published by each lender, collected August 2026, with the [Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at) figures rechecked on 21 September 2026. The BAWAG line is unverified against bawag.at, so check the Konditionenblatt before you rely on it. Verify every figure on the lender’s own price list before applying.

An Austrian consumer loan costs between **6.22%** and **10.52% effective** a year in the examples the lenders publish themselves, against an **OeNB** market average of **7.84 to 7.9%** in **March 2026**. In cash, the **AK Bankenrechner** measures a gap of up to **€1,282** between the cheapest and the dearest lender on **€10,000 over 5 years**. That gap is the whole reason to compare: it is roughly two months of the instalment on that loan.

The single most expensive mistake is reading the advertised rate as the price. **[Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at)** advertises **from 5.50%** and prices its own example at **10.52%**. **easybank** advertises **from 5.47%** and prices its own example at **8.30%**, a gap of **2.83 percentage points**. The advertised rate is the best tier of a credit-dependent range and almost nobody gets it. The **representative example** the VKrG obliges lenders to publish is the comparable number, and your personal offer is a third figure again.

Fees hide inside the effective rate, which is exactly what that rate is for. **bank99** charges **€1.99 a month** to run the loan account, **€119.40** across a 60-month term, and it is already inside the **7.50%**. The **BAWAG** example carries **€598** of account fees over 120 months, which lifts **7.96% nominal** to **9.2% effective**, a difference of **1.24 percentage points** created by a fee rather than by interest. **[Erste Bank](https://www.sparkasse.at)** charges **€0** on both counts, so its **7.9%** and **8.30%** sit close together.

One more cost is almost always offered and rarely needed: **Restschuldversicherung**, the payment protection policy sold with the loan. It typically adds **3 to 8%** of the total cost, and **[Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at)** actively offers it inside the application flow. Since **2 January 2025** a statutory cooling-off applies: the insurer may not push you into the policy before the waiting period has run, and you keep a **14-day** withdrawal right on the insurance itself. Price the loan without it first, then decide.

Austria sets **no numeric interest cap** on consumer loans. The limit is **§ 879 ABGB** on immoral contracts, where OGH case law treats a striking imbalance as starting at roughly **double the market rate**, plus **§ 25 Abs. 3 KSchG**, which lets a judge reduce a strikingly high charge. In practice an overdraft at **8 to 15%** is lawful, and anything advertised above **20% effective** as a loan **without a credit check** is not a real product.

## What Does €10,000 Really Cost at Each Austrian Lender?

Our calculation: €10,000 repaid over 60 months at each lender’s own published effective rate, as of October 2026. Method: the effective annual rate is converted to a monthly rate, (1 + rate)^(1/12) minus 1, and run through the standard annuity formula. Because the effective rate already contains the fees, the total includes them. Check: the method gives €12,761.35 for [Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at) against the €12,761.40 it publishes, and €11,952.73 for bank99 against its published €11,956.80.

| Lender, effective rate | Monthly | Total repaid | Cost of credit | More than Anadi |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Austrian Anadi Bank, 6.22% | €193.56 | €11,613.47 | €1,613.47 | €0 |
| Oberbank, 7.46% | €199.03 | €11,942.09 | €1,942.09 | €328.62 |
| bank99, 7.50% | €199.21 | €11,952.73 | €1,952.73 | €339.26 |
| OeNB average, 7.87% | €200.85 | €12,051.19 | €2,051.19 | €437.72 |
| [Erste Bank](https://www.sparkasse.at) or easybank, 8.30% | €202.76 | €12,165.85 | €2,165.85 | €552.38 |
| [Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at), 10.52% | €212.69 | €12,761.35 | €2,761.35 | €1,147.88 |
| cashpresso facility, 14.92% | €232.62 | €13,957.06 | €3,957.06 | €2,343.59 |

Put every lender on the same **€10,000 over 60 months** and the ranking turns into cash. **Austrian Anadi Bank** at **6.22%** costs **€1,613.47** in interest and fees. **[Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at)** at **10.52%** costs **€2,761.35**, which is **€1,147.88 more** for the same money over the same term. The **OeNB** market average sits in the middle at about **€2,051**.

Two readings matter more than the order. The gap between **Oberbank**, **bank99** and the market average is under **€110** across five years, so service, speed and a fixed or variable rate decide between them, not price. And a revolving **cashpresso** balance carried for the same five years would cost **€3,957.06**, more than twice the cheapest instalment loan. The examples are applied here to one standard case; **Austrian Anadi Bank** publishes its rate on **€21,000 over 84 months**, and your personal offer can differ either way.

## Which Austrian Lender Wins in Which Situation?

| Pair | The first wins when | The second wins when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Austrian Anadi Bank vs [Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at) | Your KSV1870 record is clean and price decides: 6.22% effective against 10.52% | You need the money this weekend: [Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at) decides instantly and pays out in 24 to 48 hours, up to €65,000 |
| Erste Klick Kredit vs easybank | Your Austrian file is short or average: Erste charges 8.30% to everyone it approves, with no fees | Your score earns the top tier: easybank advertises from 5.47%, but its own example is also 8.30% |
| bank99 vs easybank | You want the full cost before applying: bank99 publishes €11,956.80 repayable on €10,000 over 60 months | You borrow over a long term: easybank's example runs 120 months on €12,000 |
| Instalment loan vs Dispo overdraft | You borrow for longer than about 2 months: 7.50% against 8 to 15%, and repayment is forced | You need a few days or weeks of slack, or your income swings: the overdraft has no contract to sign |
| Instalment loan vs cashpresso | The purchase is planned and above about €3,000: 7.50% against 14.92% effective | You clear a partner-shop purchase inside the 60 interest-free days, or want a standing reserve |

Rates are each lender’s representative example as published, collected August 2026; the cashpresso and overdraft figures are the providers’ own price lists. These are the pairs people actually type into a search bar, such as “Anadi oder [Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at)” and “Erste Klick oder easybank”.

The most common confusion is reading two equal effective rates as equal loans. **[Erste Bank](https://www.sparkasse.at)** and **easybank** both show **8.30%**, but they mean opposite things. At **[Erste Bank](https://www.sparkasse.at)** it is the price for everyone, so a newcomer pays the same as a ten-year customer. At **easybank** it is the **representative example** inside a range that starts at **5.47%**, so a strong file pays less and a thin one pays more.

The second confusion is the overdraft. It is not expensive for a week, and there is no statutory interest cap on it, only the **§ 879 ABGB** test of an immoral contract. It becomes expensive after about **two months**, which is the point where an instalment loan wins on every metric. Self-employed borrowers are the one group for whom the overdraft’s freedom to repay at will can be worth its higher rate.

## What Do Austrian Banks Require Before They Approve a Loan?

Austrian lenders ask for four things: an **Austrian main residence**, an **Austrian income record**, a clean **KSV1870** file, and proof of both. The standard document set is an **identity document**, **three months of payslips** and **recent bank statements**, which is what **Austrian Anadi Bank** lists and what **[Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at)** asks for in shorter form. None of it is unusual. What catches expats is the employment test underneath it.

**BAWAG** states in its own FAQ that it wants at least **3 months** in a **permanent Austrian employment relationship**, and three months is the general market practice. A **fixed-term contract** or a **temporary residence permit** narrows the field sharply, and **foreign income** is accepted only case by case, most easily when it is paid in euro from another EU country. **Austrian Anadi Bank** makes an **Austrian main residence** a hard condition. A **co-borrower** or a **guarantor** with an Austrian record is the usual way around a thin file.

Self-employment is the other dividing line. **[Erste Bank](https://www.sparkasse.at)** excludes the **self-employed** from the **Klick Kredit** as a product condition, so a freelancer or a **Kleinunternehmer** needs a different lender. **Austrian Anadi Bank** accepts the self-employed with a **tax assessment** or annual accounts, which is the normal market practice, **[Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at)** takes them case by case, and **Oberbank** handles them through branch advice. Founders should look at the **aws ERP-Kredit** before a consumer loan, covered further down this page.

### Do not apply to five banks at once

Every application leaves a credit enquiry on your **KSV1870** file that stays visible for **12 months**. A cluster of enquiries reads as someone shopping for money in a hurry and depresses the score the next lender sees. Get one written offer, compare it against the effective rates in the table above, and apply once.

Illustration of a bank card, a euro coin, and a bank building, for opening an account and choosing a bank or card in Austria.

## How Does the KSV1870 Credit Check Work?

The **KSV1870** RiskIndicator runs from **100 to 700** and **higher is worse**, the opposite direction to the German SCHUFA score many arrivals know. The practical threshold sits at **400**, and **700** means insolvency. The bands carry published default probabilities: from **0.01%** in the **100 to 199** band, up to **96.23%** in the **600 to 699** band. That number, not your salary, is what decides whether the bank lends and at which tier of its range.

Entries do not stay forever. Credit enquiries drop off after **12 months**, payment defaults after **5 years** from settlement, and an insolvency after **5 years** from the close of the proceedings, while the public **Insolvenzdatei** entry is visible for **1 year**. Treat those periods as indicative and confirm them against ksv.at, since they come from secondary documentation rather than from the bureau’s own published schedule.

You are entitled to see the file. A copy of your own data under **Article 15 GDPR** is **free**, with a legal deadline of **one month**. The catch is the route: the paid **InfoPass at €43** is placed in front of the free request, which is the subject of a **noyb** complaint. If something is wrong, send a **deletion request under Article 17 GDPR** with proof of payment, allow about **one month** for a reply, and escalate to the **Datenschutzbehörde**, which is free.

A second bureau matters more to newcomers than to locals. **CRIF Austria** scores on a **250 to 700** scale, with the direction unverified, and faces a **noyb** data-protection action filed on **3 June 2025**. Its documented weakness is the **thin file**: too little data produces a poor score rather than a neutral one. Someone who arrived last year has a thin file by definition, which is why a score-independent product such as the **Erste Klick Kredit** often beats a cheaper credit-dependent range. **Bisnode / Dun & Bradstreet Austria** is business-only and does not score consumers.

### What residents report

- − **Amex rejection and KSV1870**: An Amex Platinum application was declined and the phone call pointed to the KSV1870 rating, which the applicant had never checked. Others added that Amex sets no fixed limit and lets it grow with payment history. ([r/FinanzenAT](https://www.reddit.com/r/FinanzenAT/comments/1jwm4t0/amex_platinumksv_bewertung/), 2025)
- + **Free KSV1870 report**: Someone needed a KSV1870 extract for a visa application. Replies pointed to the free data-access request under Art. 15 GDPR instead of the paid InfoPass products. ([r/FinanzenAT](https://www.reddit.com/r/FinanzenAT/comments/1f1in49/ksv_infopass/), 2024)
- ○ **KSV1870 data errors**: A KSV1870 self-report showed no negative entries, but the address and land-register data were wrong. The thread advised requesting the free self-report regularly and asking for corrections. ([r/FinanzenAT](https://www.reddit.com/r/FinanzenAT/comments/1k0gl0f/negative_bonit%C3%A4t/), 2025)

Paraphrased from public posts, each dated and linked. A small sample, not a representative survey.

| The rules behind this page | VKrG § 12 |
| --- | --- |
| Law | [Verbraucherkreditgesetz (VKrG), § 12: the right to withdraw from a consumer loan](https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=20006780) |
| Regulator | [FMA, credit section](https://www.fma.gv.at/kredit/) |
| Free tool | [AK Bankenrechner, instalment-loan module](https://www.bankenrechner.at/) |
| Your right | You can withdraw from a consumer loan within 14 days (§ 12 VKrG). Early repayment carries a penalty capped at 1%, or 0.5% where less than a year remains (§ 16 VKrG). From 20 November 2026 the VKrG 2026 replaces this act and extends the withdrawal window to 12 months plus 14 days where the lender failed to inform you properly. |
| Applies since | 11 June 2010; replaced by VKrG 2026 from 20 November 2026 |

## How Do You Withdraw or Repay Early on an Austrian Loan?

Two separate rights, two separate rules. Withdrawal is **14 calendar days** from the contract under **§ 12 VKrG**, no reason required. Early repayment is **§ 16 VKrG**: the lender’s compensation is capped at **1%** of the amount repaid early, or **0.5%** where less than a year of the term remains, and **€10,000 in any 12 months** is free of charge in any case. Where the rate is **variable**, the compensation is **€0**.

That last line quietly reprices the whole comparison. The **bank99** and **[Santander](https://www.santanderconsumer.at)** examples are both **variable**, so a bonus, an inheritance or a job change can clear either loan at **€0** compensation. A **fixed** rate such as the **Erste Klick Kredit** or the fixed line at **Austrian Anadi Bank** buys certainty about the instalment and pays for it with up to **1%** if you settle it early. Which trade is right depends on whether you expect a lump sum, not on which rate looks lower.

Two widely confused points are worth stating plainly. The **3% penalty cap** that applies to new contracts from **1 January 2027** belongs to **§ 20 Abs. 3 HIKrG** and concerns fixed-rate **property loans**, not consumer loans; the **§ 16 VKrG** caps of **1%** and **0.5%** stay as they are. And the **OGH** held in **5 Ob 184/25g** on **19 May 2026** that loan arrangement fees are **not automatically inadmissible**, so a fee in your contract is not by itself reclaimable.

From **20 November 2026** the **VKrG 2026** replaces the current act. The headline change for borrowers is the withdrawal window: where the lender failed to inform you properly, it runs to **12 months plus 14 days** instead of 14 days. If you sign before that date, the contract you signed under is the one above. Every other change is in our [2026 consumer credit law guide](/banking/consumer-credit-law-2026).

A second change already applies to anything you sign online. The **Verbraucherrechts-Änderungsgesetz 2026** ([BGBl. I Nr. 59/2026](https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2026_I_59/BGBLA_2026_I_59.html)) folded the old distance-selling act for financial services into the **FAGG** from **1 October 2026**, and **§ 13a FAGG** now requires a clearly labelled **“Vertrag widerrufen”** function on the online interface for the whole withdrawal period. Withdrawing from an online contract no longer means hunting for an address: you press the button and the provider must confirm receipt on a durable medium straight away.

## Where Do You Complain About a Lender in Austria?

Four steps, in order, and the first two cost nothing. Write to the bank’s own complaints office first, where the industry takes about **4 to 6 weeks**. If that fails, take it to the **Gemeinsame Schlichtungsstelle der Österreichischen Kreditwirtschaft (GSK)** at [bankenschlichtung.at](https://www.bankenschlichtung.at), which is **free** and covers effectively every Austrian bank. Its report counts **385 credit-contract cases in 2025**, and **55%** of the procedures it carried out ended in an agreement.

Step three is the [FMA](https://www.fma.gv.at/kredit/), for supervisory breaches such as a lender ignoring the **§ 7 VKrG** creditworthiness duty. The **FMA** does not award you damages, it supervises the institution, and from **20 November 2026** it gains an explicit collective consumer-protection competence for credit under **§ 33a BWG**. Step four is the **Arbeiterkammer** or the **VKI**, then the civil courts. For a dispute about a **KSV1870** entry the address is the **Datenschutzbehörde** instead, and that is free too.

Mind the clock. A claim for unjustified fees generally has a **3-year** limitation period under **§ 1489 ABGB**, while a claim already confirmed by a court title runs for **30 years** under **§ 1478 ABGB**. If you think a charge was wrong, raise it in writing early rather than waiting for the loan to end.

## Should You Refinance a Dispo Overdraft Into a Loan?

### Why it usually pays

- An overdraft costs **8 to 15%** a year, an instalment loan about **7.50%**.
- **€4,000** moved from **12%** to **7.5%** saves roughly **€180 a year**.
- A fixed instalment ends the debt on a date, which an overdraft never does.
- On a **variable** loan, early repayment costs **€0** under **§ 16 VKrG**.

### Why it can fail

- If the **overdraft limit stays open**, most people refill it and end up with both debts.
- Refinancing runs a fresh **KSV1870** check and leaves a new enquiry for **12 months**.
- **Restschuldversicherung** premiums on the old loan lapse pro rata and are **not refunded**.
- On a **fixed** old loan, settling early can cost up to **1%** of the amount repaid.

Refinancing a **Dispokredit** into an instalment loan is the most reliable saving in Austrian consumer credit, and the arithmetic is small enough to do on a napkin. An overdraft runs at **8 to 15%** a year, an instalment loan at roughly **7.50%**, so **€4,000** sitting at **12%** costs about **€180 a year** more than it needs to. The move only works if the old **overdraft limit is cut at the same time**. Leave the line open and the balance comes back, which is the single most common way this plan fails.

Two details decide the true cost. If the old loan carried **Restschuldversicherung**, the premiums lapse pro rata and are **not refunded**, so that money is gone whatever you do next. And if the old loan was **fixed**, **§ 16 VKrG** allows the lender up to **1%** of the amount repaid, **0.5%** in the final year, with **€10,000 per 12 months** free. A **variable** old loan costs **€0** to clear, which is why refinancing out of an overdraft, itself always variable, is nearly always penalty-free.

### What residents report

- − **Revolving balance**: A cardholder in retraining carried about €3,600 on an Advanzia card and paid roughly €110 a month in interest, so the minimum payments barely reduced the debt. The thread discussed refinancing with a cheaper loan. ([r/FinanzenAT](https://www.reddit.com/r/FinanzenAT/comments/1izdrf0/kreditkartenschulden/), 2025)

Paraphrased from public posts, each dated and linked. A small sample, not a representative survey.

## What Can You Do If an Austrian Bank Refuses You?

| Option | Cost | Credit check | Size and term |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dorotheum Pfandkredit | 0.5% interest + 1.25% handling per half month, about **34.7% effective** a year | None, and no KSV entry either | 60 to 80% of jewellery value, 3 months + 2 months grace |
| cashpresso Rahmenkredit | **14.92% effective**, 60 days interest-free in partner shops | KSV1870 enquiry | Revolving facility to €7,000 |
| [TF Bank](https://partner.tfbank.de/go.cgi?pid=107&wmid=cc&cpid=3&subid=107&target=https://tfbank.at/mastercard-gold/gebuehrenfreie/) | About **9 to 14% effective**, current range unverified | Yes, credit-dependent | Swedish bank lending into Austria on an EU passport |
| aws ERP-Kredit | **0.9%** one-off arrangement fee, **0.5%** for founders | Through your own bank, with an 80% aws guarantee | Business finance only, 2% cancellation fee above €1 million |

Dorotheum tariff and aws conditions from the providers’ own published schedules, August 2026; the effective annual figure for the pawn loan is the AK Oberösterreich calculation. The [TF Bank](https://partner.tfbank.de/go.cgi?pid=107&wmid=cc&cpid=3&subid=107&target=https://tfbank.at/mastercard-gold/gebuehrenfreie/) range is unverified, so confirm it on tfbank.at.

A refusal is a scoring outcome, not a verdict on you, and the legal alternatives are a short list. The **Dorotheum Pfandkredit** is the only lawful instrument in Austria that involves **no creditworthiness check at all**, because the pledged object secures it: **0.5% interest plus a 1.25% handling fee** per half month, roughly **3.5% a month** and about **34.7% effective** a year per **AK Oberösterreich**, with a certificate fee of **€2.20 to €25**. It runs **3 months plus a 2-month grace period**, lends **60 to 80%** of the value of jewellery and **40 to 60%** on electronics, and pays out the same day in cash or by transfer.

Understand the price before you hand anything over. **€1,000** borrowed for **3 months** costs about **€105** at the **Dorotheum**, against about **€19** on an instalment loan at **7.50%**. If the loan is not redeemed inside **3 months plus the 2-month grace period**, the item is sold. That is an emergency instrument for a bridge of weeks, never a substitute for a consumer loan.

**cashpresso**, a brand of **[Raiffeisen](https://www.raiffeisen.at) Bank International**, offers a revolving facility up to **€7,000** at **14.92% effective**, with **60 days interest-free** in partner shops because the merchant funds the grace period. Miss the 60 days and you pay roughly double an instalment loan: **€1,000** revolved for a year costs about **€150** against about **€75** on a **7.50%** loan. **[TF Bank](https://partner.tfbank.de/go.cgi?pid=107&wmid=cc&cpid=3&subid=107&target=https://tfbank.at/mastercard-gold/gebuehrenfreie/)** in Sweden lends into Austria on an EU passport at roughly **9 to 14% effective**, an unverified range, and is dearer than every domestic lender, so it is only relevant after a domestic refusal.

Two gaps are worth naming because people look for them. Founders should not use a consumer loan at all: the **aws ERP-Kredit** runs through your own bank with an **80% aws guarantee** and a one-off arrangement fee of **0.9%**, or **0.5%** for founders, far below any consumer rate. The reported **WKO micro-credit** of up to **€15,000** without security is unverified, so check the programme terms directly. And there is no Austrian **student loan** market at all: the **Erste** and **ÖAMTC** student loans were discontinued, and **Studienbeihilfe**, the **Selbsterhalterstipendium** and **Familienbeihilfe** take their place.

### Kredit ohne KSV is not a product

**§ 7 VKrG** obliges every licensed lender in Austria to assess your creditworthiness before lending, and from **20 November 2026** **§ 17 Abs. 6 VKrG 2026** bans the loan when that assessment is negative. Every advert promising a **Kredit ohne KSV** or a **Kredit ohne Bonitätsprüfung** is one of two things: a **pawn loan** such as the **Dorotheum** or **cashy**, which is legal and secured by the item you hand over, or **advance-fee fraud**.

The fraud pattern never varies. You are asked for a **processing fee before the payout**, you pay it, and the correspondence stops. **Never pay anything before a loan is paid out.** Report the advert at [watchlist-internet.at](https://www.watchlist-internet.at) and to the police. Newcomers are targeted specifically, because a thin credit file is exactly the reader this advert is written for.

## Does Buy Now Pay Later Count as a Loan in Austria?

| Provider | Products | Licensed in | Credit bureau |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Klarna | Pay in 3 (€0 when on time), invoice 14 to 30 days, instalments to about 14% effective | Sweden, Klarna Bank AB | Hard enquiry on instalments; arrears go to collection and a KSV entry |
| PayPal Ratenzahlung | 3 to 24 months; 0% promotions are merchant-funded, otherwise about 9 to 15% (unverified) | Luxembourg | Enquiry on longer terms |
| Riverty | Purchase on invoice | Netherlands and Germany | Arrears go to collection and are reported |
| Cofidis Pay | Point-of-sale instalments | France, EU passport | Yes, treated as credit |
| Billie | Business-to-business BNPL | Berlin | Not a consumer loan |

Provider inventory as of August 2026. The Klarna instalment rate and the PayPal range are unverified details from earlier research, and the Austrian reminder-fee schedules at Klarna and Riverty are not published. Check the provider terms.

Until **19 November 2026** it largely does not. **Klarna**, **PayPal Ratenzahlung**, **Riverty**, **Cofidis Pay** and the business-only **Billie** sit mostly outside the **VKrG**. From **20 November 2026** the **VKrG 2026** makes **Buy Now Pay Later** a full consumer loan: a **mandatory creditworthiness assessment**, a **ban on lending after a negative assessment** (**§ 17 Abs. 6**), the **€200 de-minimis threshold removed**, and administrative fines of up to **€10,000** per breach under **§ 44 VKrG 2026**, on top of **FMA** supervision of banks under **§ 33a BWG**.

The exact line is drawn in **§ 39 Abs. 2 Z 3 VKrG 2026**. A shop that lets you pay later **itself**, with no interest, no fees, no third party offering credit and full payment within **50 days** of delivery, stays outside the act. Large online sellers that are not SMEs face two extra conditions: no third party such as **Klarna** or **Riverty** may acquire the claim, and payment must fall due within **14 days**. That is why most checkout **BNPL**, which runs through a credit provider, becomes regulated credit from **20 November 2026** while a corner shop’s tab does not. Our [guide to the 2026 consumer credit law](/banking/consumer-credit-law-2026) covers the rest of the act.

The part that already matters is the credit file. The **KSV1870** is notified even for **0% instalment** purchases, because the report follows the credit and not the interest rate. Many small instalment purchases therefore thicken your file without buying you anything, and the escalation chain is short: **payment reminder**, **Mahnung**, **debt collection**, **KSV entry**. One forgotten **€30** order can sit on the file for **5 years** after it is settled and shape the rate you are offered on a mortgage.

Used on time, **Klarna** Pay in 3 costs **€0**, because the merchant funds it. The trap is the fee cascade after a returned direct debit: a reminder charge, then a collection handover, and the marketing promise of **€0 cost** stops applying. There is also no single balance view across shops, so limits granted per merchant add up invisibly. If you use **BNPL** at all, keep it to one provider so the total is visible in one place.

## Should You Lease a Car or Take a Car Loan in Austria?

| Feature | Residual-value leasing | Car loan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rate | 8.39 to 8.56% effective, variable (Porsche Bank, 7.09% nominal) | About 6.22 to 10.52% effective on a consumer loan |
| Contract fee | About €99 to €157 | Product-dependent, often €0 |
| Comprehensive cover | Vollkasko and service compulsory, roughly €600 to €1,200 a year extra | Your choice |
| Mileage | 2,500 km tolerance before a penalty | No limit |
| Early exit | Residual value plus a penalty, and you carry the market-value gap | €0 on a variable rate, at most 1% on a fixed one (§ 16 VKrG) |
| Owner | The leasing company | You, from day one |

Leasing terms from the [Porsche Bank](https://www.porschebank.at) published conditions of 20 May 2026; the insurance band is our estimate of the extra cost of compulsory comprehensive cover. Loan rates are the representative examples in the table above.

A **leasing** instalment looks cheaper than a loan instalment because it does not repay the car’s **residual value**. The forgotten costs sit around it: **Porsche Bank** prices residual-value leasing at **8.39 to 8.56% effective**, charges a contract fee of about **€99 to €157**, and makes **Vollkasko** and servicing compulsory. The mileage tolerance is only **2,500 km** above the contract figure. Leasing still finances roughly **half of new cars** in Austria, according to the leasing association’s first-half 2025 figures.

**Leasing wins** when you change car every 3 to 4 years, keep to the mileage, use the car for a business that can deduct the instalments, or need the lowest possible monthly figure on a secure income. **The car loan wins** when you keep the car beyond **5 years**, drive more than about **20,000 km** a year, can negotiate a cash discount, or might need to get out early. Ending a lease early is the expensive case: you owe the residual value plus a penalty and carry the gap if the car is worth less than the calculated figure.

The legal picture changes on **20 November 2026**. Under **§ 41 VKrG 2026**, a consumer lease counts as a financing aid covered by the consumer-credit act whenever you must buy the car, the lessor can make you buy it, you have a purchase option at a set price, or you **guarantee a residual value** at the end. Most Austrian residual-value leases have one of those clauses, so from that date they carry the same information duties and withdrawal right as a loan.

## How We Checked This

Every rate on this page is the **representative example under the VKrG** that the lender publishes itself, read off the lender’s own pages rather than a comparison portal. Where a lender publishes no example, this page says **not published** instead of estimating one, which is why **[Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at)**, **[Raiffeisen](https://www.raiffeisen.at)**, **Volksbank**, **DenizBank**, the **Hypo Landesbanken** and **Addiko** appear as gaps rather than as rows in the ranking. The **BAWAG** line is flagged unverified for the same reason.

One lender change from the last 24 months affects that list. **[Raiffeisen](https://www.raiffeisen.at) Bank International** bid for all **Addiko Bank** shares, and its offer passed the lowered **55%** acceptance threshold with **56.16%** when the acceptance period closed on **29 July 2026**, per [RBI’s own notices](https://www.rbinternational.com/de/investoren/news/veroeffentlichung-uebernahmegesetz/addiko-schwellensenkung.html). Completion still depends on competition and supervisory approval, so an Addiko online loan signed today is an Addiko contract, and its terms stay in force after any change of owner.

Statutes are cited by section from the [Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (RIS)](https://www.ris.bka.gv.at). Star ratings convert the borrowing-sentiment score from our Austrian user-review research onto a five-point scale; where the sample was thin, the card says so. Prices were last checked on **21 September 2026** and statutes on **14 October 2026**.

This guide is general information, not credit, legal or tax advice. Your own rate depends on your **KSV1870** record, your income and the term you choose. If you are over-indebted, contact a state-recognised debt counselling service at [schuldenberatung.at](https://www.schuldenberatung.at) before you take another loan. It is free and confidential.

Sources: lender pages at austrian-anadi-bank.at, sparkasse.at, bank99.at, oberbank.at, easybank.at, santanderconsumer.at, bawag.at, bankaustria.at and raiffeisen.at; OeNB interest-rate statistics 3/2026; AK Bankenrechner and AK Oberösterreich; Dorotheum Pfand tariff; aws programme conditions; KSV1870 and CRIF Austria; GSK annual report 2025; RIS for VKrG, HIKrG, KSchG, ABGB and BWG; OGH 5 Ob 184/25g of 19 May 2026; BGBl. I Nr. 36/2026 for the VKrG 2026 (§§ 25, 39, 41, 44, 45) and § 33a BWG; BGBl. I Nr. 59/2026 for § 13a FAGG; porschebank.at leasing conditions of 20 May 2026; RBI takeover notices on Addiko, July and August 2026.

## Related Guides

[Credit Cards: Austrian credit cards compared on annual fee, foreign-transaction fee and the KSV1870 check.](/banking/credit-cards)

[Credit Card Interest Rates: What revolving credit actually costs in Austria, and how it compares with an instalment loan.](/banking/credit-card-interest-rates)

[Open a Bank Account: The Meldezettel, the AT-IBAN and the paperwork a lender will ask you for later.](/banking/open-bank-account)

[Credit Card Requirements: Income proof, residence and the KSV1870 record Austrian issuers check.](/banking/credit-card-requirements)

[Savings Accounts: Austrian deposit rates, the €100,000 guarantee and where the 27.5% KESt applies.](/banking/savings-accounts)

[Debit Cards: Spend your own balance instead: free cards with no credit line and no credit check.](/banking/debit-cards)

[Car Leasing vs Car Loan in Austria: On a €30,000 car over 48 months, a bank99 loan costs €1,581 less than leasing.](/banking/car-leasing)

[Inkasso Letters in Austria: What a Debt Collector May Charge: A 1996 regulation caps collector fees, for example €20.35 processing on claims under €73.](/banking/debt-collection)

[Austria’s Consumer Credit Act 2026 (VKrG 2026): From 20 November 2026, BNPL through Klarna becomes regulated credit with mandatory checks.](/banking/consumer-credit-law-2026)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can an expat get a personal loan in Austria?

Yes, once you have an **Austrian main residence** and an **Austrian income record**. Every lender must assess your creditworthiness first under **§ 7 VKrG**, so every bank runs a **KSV1870** check. **BAWAG** asks for at least **3 months** in a permanent Austrian job. **Austrian Anadi Bank** requires an **Austrian main residence**, and foreign income is accepted only case by case. A temporary residence permit narrows the field further.

### What is the average interest rate on an Austrian consumer loan?

The **OeNB** interest-rate statistics put the Austrian consumer-loan average at about **7.84 to 7.9% effective** per year in **March 2026**. Published representative examples run from **6.22% effective** at **Austrian Anadi Bank** to **10.52%** at **Santander** Consumer Bank. The **AK Bankenrechner** measures a gap of up to **€1,282** between the cheapest and the dearest lender on **€10,000** over **5 years**.

### Can you get a loan in Austria without a KSV check?

No. Every licensed Austrian lender must check your creditworthiness first under **§ 7 VKrG**, and from **20 November 2026** **§ 17 Abs. 6 VKrG 2026** bans lending when that check is negative. An advert for a **Kredit ohne KSV** is either a **pawn loan**, which is legal and secured by the item you hand over, or **advance-fee fraud**: you are asked for a processing fee before the payout and nobody answers afterwards. **Never pay anything before a loan is paid out.**

### How long do you have to cancel an Austrian consumer loan?

**14 calendar days** from the contract, under **§ 12 VKrG**. Repaying early is separate: **§ 16 VKrG** caps the lender’s compensation at **1%** of the amount repaid, or **0.5%** where less than a year remains, and **€10,000 per 12 months** is always free. Where the rate is **variable**, the compensation is **€0**, which covers the **bank99** and **Santander** examples on this page.

### Does a Klarna instalment purchase show up on your Austrian credit file?

Yes. The **KSV1870** is notified even for **0% instalment** purchases, because the report follows the credit, not the interest rate. A missed payment then runs **reminder, debt collection, KSV entry**, and a payment default stays on file for **5 years** after it is settled. From **20 November 2026** the **VKrG 2026** turns **Buy Now Pay Later** into a full consumer loan with a mandatory credit assessment.

### How much does a pawn loan cost in Austria?

The **Dorotheum** pawn loan charges **0.5% interest** plus a **1.25% handling fee** per half month, roughly **3.5% a month**, which **AK Oberösterreich** puts at about **34.7% effective** a year. It runs **3 months plus a 2-month grace period**, lends **60 to 80%** of the value of jewellery and **40 to 60%** on electronics, and involves **no KSV enquiry and no KSV entry**. **€1,000** over **3 months** costs about **€105**, against about **€19** on an instalment loan.

### What changes for Austrian borrowers on 20 November 2026?

The **VKrG 2026** (**BGBl. I Nr. 36/2026**) replaces the current act for contracts signed from **20 November 2026**. The **14-day** withdrawal right stays, but runs up to **12 months and 14 days** if the lender never delivered the required information (**§ 25**). Interest-free deferrals bought through a third party such as **Klarna** fall inside the act, **consumer leasing** with a purchase or residual-value clause is covered (**§ 41**), and banks must spot borrowers in difficulty early under **§ 33a BWG**.

### Can a student get a loan in Austria?

Practically not. Without a regular income the mandatory creditworthiness assessment under **§ 7 VKrG** comes out negative, and the classic student loans from **Erste Bank** and the **ÖAMTC** were **discontinued**. The realistic money is **Studienbeihilfe**, the **Selbsterhalterstipendium** and **Familienbeihilfe**. For a few hundred euros the only lawful credit left is a **cashpresso** facility, which still runs a **KSV1870** check, or a **Dorotheum** pawn loan at about **34.7% a year**.

### Can you borrow in Austria on a fixed-term permit or with subsidiary protection?

Rarely. Online scoring at **BAWAG** and the direct banks wants at least **3 months** in a permanent Austrian job, and a **fixed-term residence title** such as a **Red-White-Red Card** or **subsidiary protection** status narrows the field to branch banks deciding case by case. A **co-borrower** with an Austrian record helps most. Each refused application leaves a **KSV1870** enquiry for **12 months**, so ask a branch for a written assessment before applying online.

### Can you get a loan in Austria during parental leave (Karenz)?

It is hard, and there is **no uniform bank practice**. Scoring asks for a sustainable income, and whether **Kinderbetreuungsgeld** counts depends on the institution. The two routes that work are a **joint application** with a partner whose income carries the debt-service test, or applying **after you return to work**. Ask the bank in writing whether it counts Kinderbetreuungsgeld before the **KSV1870** enquiry is made.

### Who is liable on a joint loan with a partner in Austria?

Both of you, for the **full amount**. Co-borrowers are **jointly and severally liable**, so the bank may demand the whole instalment from either person. The upside is that **two incomes** lift the debt-service capacity. The risk is **separation**: without a written release from the bank, both stay liable until the loan is repaid or refinanced in one name, whatever a divorce settlement says between the two of you.

### What happens to an Austrian loan when the borrower dies?

The debt passes into the **estate** and the instalments stay due. Heirs who accept the inheritance take on the loan, and a **co-borrower** remains liable for all of it. This is the risk **Restschuldversicherung** is sold against, at typically **3 to 8%** of the total cost. Where the debts exceed the assets, heirs can accept only conditionally or **decline the inheritance** in the probate proceedings, which is worth discussing with the **notary** handling the estate.

### Are there payday loans in Austria?

No. The model **does not exist** in Austria, because **§ 7 VKrG** requires a creditworthiness check on every consumer loan. What a reader looking for fast small money finds instead is the **cashpresso** facility up to **€7,000** at **14.92% effective**, a bank overdraft at **8 to 15%**, or a **Dorotheum** pawn loan at about **34.7% a year**. Anything else advertised as instant cash without a check is fraud.

### Do you have to pay every fee in an Austrian debt-collection letter?

No. Under **§ 1333 Abs. 2 ABGB** a creditor can recover only the **necessary costs** of appropriate out-of-court collection, and only where they stand in **reasonable proportion** to the debt. The regulation on maximum collection-agency fees sets a **ceiling, not an entitlement**. Pay the principal and interest you actually owe promptly, dispute inflated lump sums in writing, and take the letter to the **Arbeiterkammer** or a state-recognised **debt counselling** service, both free.

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Source: https://www.how-to-austria.com/banking/loans
Last updated: Updated: October 14 2026
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