Your rent deposit lands two weeks before payday. The dentist says €350, payable upfront. These are the situations micro loans exist for: you borrow a small amount, pay it back in 30 days, and move on. Two providers operate in Austria, Cashper and cashpresso, and they work quite differently.
What is a micro loan?
A micro loan (Minikredit) is a short-term consumer loan between €100 and €1,500. You borrow the money, repay it in a single lump sum after 15, 30, or 60 days, and the entire process happens online. Think of it as a financial band-aid, not a long-term solution. For larger amounts or longer repayment periods, an installment loan (Ratenkredit) with monthly payments is almost always cheaper.
Requirements at a glance
| Loan amount | €100 to €1,500 |
| Term | 15, 30, or 60 days |
| Effective annual rate | from 13.46% p.a. (Cashper) |
| Minimum age | 18 years |
| Minimum income | €700 net/month |
| Residency | Austrian Meldezettel required |
| Bank account | Austrian IBAN (starting with AT) |
| KSV credit check | Credit-neutral rate inquiry |
What it actually costs
The annual rate sounds high, but you are not borrowing for a year. A €300 loan for 30 days at Cashper's representative rate of 13.46% p.a. costs about €3.13 in interest. Total repayment: €303.13. That is less than a coffee and cake at a Viennese cafe. But watch out for the express fee: if you need the money the next business day instead of waiting 3-7 days, Cashper charges €39-€99 extra. For small loans, that fee can cost more than the interest itself.
Why people choose micro loans
Speed
Credit decision in minutes. Standard payout in 3-7 business days, express next business day.
Fully online
No branch visit, no paper forms. Application, identity check, and signing all happen digitally.
KSV-neutral inquiry
Checking your rate does not leave a mark on your credit file. Only the signed contract gets recorded.
Open to residents
Available to anyone with Austrian residency (Meldezettel), including expats and EU citizens.
When a micro loan makes sense
- Covering a gap until payday (a few days to two weeks away)
- An urgent repair bill you cannot postpone (car, appliance, plumbing)
- A time-sensitive payment with a hard deadline
- A one-time shortfall where you can reliably repay on schedule
When you should look elsewhere
If you need more than €1,500 or cannot repay within 30-60 days, a micro loan is the wrong product. An installment loan from an Austrian bank starts from 5.47% p.a. and gives you 12 to 120 months to repay. If you find yourself short before payday every month, that points to a budget issue, not a loan opportunity. Free debt counseling is available at schuldenberatung.at.
Cashper vs cashpresso: the two options
Austria has two micro loan providers. They target different needs, so pick the one that fits your situation.
- Cashper: Classic micro loan. €100-€1,500, fixed term (30 or 60 days), one-time repayment. Operated by Novum Bank (Malta, MFSA-licensed). Representative rate: 13.46% p.a. Standard payout: 3-7 business days. Express (next day): €39-€99 extra.
- cashpresso: Revolving credit line. Up to €1,500 for new customers, up to €7,000 for existing ones. Monthly minimum payments, no fixed end date. Backed by Raiffeisen Bank International, regulated by Austria's FMA. No express fee, typically same-day payout.
- Both providers run a KSV-neutral credit check for rate inquiries. The actual loan contract gets recorded in your KSV file.
- For traditional micro loans with a clear end date, Cashper is the straightforward choice. For flexible spending with monthly payments, cashpresso works differently but may suit ongoing needs.
Micro loan guides
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Non-binding, KSV-neutral rate inquiry at Cashper. No commitment, no effect on your credit score.