Boodle vs Atlas Finance
Both are short-term credit providers in South Africa. This comparison shows only what each one publishes about itself, with the source and date attached. Where a field is blank in the source it is shown as not disclosed — it is never filled in with a guess.
Both providers
ordered by what each discloses · how we rank| Lender · NCR registration | Amount | Term | Interest | Basis | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boodle NCRCP5361 | R500 – R8 000 | 1–6 months | Up to 5%/mo capped | ✓ Lender-confirmed | View details |
| Atlas Finance NCRCP3994 | R500 – R20 000 | 1–9 months | Up to 5%/mo capped | ✓ Lender-confirmed | View details |
- Boodle✓ Lender-confirmedNCRCP5361
- Amount
- R500 – R8 000
- Term
- 1–6 months
- Interest
- Up to 5%/mo capped
- Provider
- Boodle (Pty) Ltd
- Atlas Finance✓ Lender-confirmedNCRCP3994
- Amount
- R500 – R20 000
- Term
- 1–9 months
- Interest
- Up to 5%/mo capped
- Provider
- Atlas Finance
Every figure is transcribed from the provider’s own published material. Where a provider does not disclose something, this table says so rather than estimating it. Last checked 10 August 2026. ZarCash may earn a commission when you apply through a partner — it never changes this order. Affiliate disclosure
What it costs — work it out
Set the amount and the term and see the instalment and the total repayable, with every fee the National Credit Act allows and VAT included. An estimate at the legal maximum — not a quote, and not an offer.
Rates and fees use the NCA caps for short-term credit agreements: interest 5%/month (3% repeat), initiation fee R165 + 10% of the amount over R1 000 (max R1 050), service fee R60/month, VAT 15% on fees.
| Principal — what you receive | R3 000 |
|---|---|
| Interest (5%/mo × 3 months) | R450 |
| Initiation fee | R365 |
| Service fee (3 × R60) | R180 |
| VAT on fees (15%) | R82 |
| Total cost of credit | R1 077 |
Check these three things before you sign — here or anywhere
- The lender’s NCRCP number is published on its own site, and it checks out in the National Credit Regulator’s register.
- The pre-agreement quote breaks out the total cost of credit: interest, initiation fee, service fee and VAT — as one figure you can compare.
- Nobody asks you for an upfront “release fee”. A registered credit provider never charges you before it pays out.
Side by side
Transcribed from each provider’s own source, checked 10 August 2026.
| Detail | Boodle | Atlas Finance |
|---|---|---|
| Legal credit provider | Boodle (Pty) Ltd | Atlas Finance |
| Role | Direct short-term lender | Direct lender |
| NCR number | NCRCP5361 | NCRCP3994 |
| Amount | R500 – R8 000 | R500 – R20 000 |
| Term | 1 month – 6 months | 1 month – 9 months |
| Product | Short-term credit; the official quotation example states 5% monthly interest. | Cash loans; online and branch network. |
| Eligibility | Affordability assessment; DebiCheck repayment flow. | Amount and term depend on affordability and credit score. |
| Verification basis | Verified on the lender’s own site | Verified on the lender’s own site |
| Last checked | 10 August 2026 | 10 August 2026 |
Neither column is a quote. Your amount, term and rate come from the affordability assessment and appear on the pre-agreement quote, which is the only binding document.
What the National Credit Act allows a lender to charge
Maximums for short-term credit under the National Credit Act 34 of 2005. A registered lender may charge less — never more.
| Charge | Legal maximum | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Interest — first loan | 5% per month | Applies to your first short-term loan in a calendar year. |
| Interest — repeat loan | 3% per month | Applies to further short-term loans taken in the same calendar year. |
| Initiation fee | R165 + 10% above R1 000, capped at R1 050 | Charged once, on the amount you borrow. Excludes VAT. |
| Service fee | R60 per month | Charged monthly for the life of the loan. Excludes VAT. |
| VAT | 15% on the fees | Added to the initiation and service fees — not to interest. |
Fee caps are published excluding VAT. With 15% VAT a R1 050 initiation fee costs you R1 207,50 and a R60 service fee costs R69 a month. Always compare the VAT-inclusive figure on your pre-agreement quote.
How to choose between them
Where both are registered and both disclose their terms, price is largely fixed by the same caps — so the deciding factors are usually which one your affordability assessment passes with, and which discloses more before you apply.
On amount, Boodle advances R500 – R8 000 and Atlas Finance advances R500 – R20 000. If the amount you need sits near one provider's ceiling, the other may assess it more comfortably.
Apply to one at a time. Each application logs a credit enquiry, and a cluster of enquiries in a short period makes the next assessment more cautious.
How this list is ordered
Lenders are ordered by how much they actually disclose, not by what they pay. A provider that publishes its legal entity, NCR number, amount range and term range on its own site ranks above one that publishes a brand name and a phone number, because you can verify the first and not the second.
Where a figure comes from a third-party comparison snapshot rather than the lender, the row says so and ranks below lender-confirmed records. We would rather show you a gap than fill it.
ZarCash may earn a commission when you apply through a link here. That relationship never changes the order — the ordering rule above is applied to the data before any commercial arrangement is considered, and a lender cannot buy a position.
Related
Sources and last checked
- National Credit Regulator — register of credit providers — Regulator, as at 10 August 2026.
- National Credit Act 34 of 2005 and its regulations — Government, as at 10 August 2026.
Page last checked 10 August 2026. Statutory caps and lender terms change — confirm anything you intend to rely on with the provider or the National Credit Regulator. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.