PawnHero
PawnHero operates the first online pawnshop in the Philippines, offering short-term collateralized cash loans against luxury goods, electronics, and jewelry through a digital platform, in-house courier, and physical BGC lounge.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersManila, Philippines
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What PawnHero does
PawnHero operates the first online pawnshop in the Philippines, founded in 2015 by Manny Ayala and Nix Nolledo and headquartered in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The company provides short-term, collateralized cash loans against luxury goods (designer bags and watches), consumer electronics (smartphones, laptops, cameras, gaming consoles), Apple devices, and gold and jewelry (including natural and lab-grown diamonds). It serves individual consumers seeking quick liquidity and small business owners needing short-term working capital, with primary service coverage across Metro Manila, Cavite, Antipolo, and Rizal.
The platform combines a consumer-facing web interface (pawnhero.ph) and native iOS and Android applications with an in-house courier service branded Pawntrooper that handles pickup and appraisal of collateral, plus a physical walk-in PawnHero Pawnshop Lounge in BGC. Loan approval typically completes within one day, with disbursement executed in 5-10 minutes through InstaPay and PESONet partner banks and electronic money issuers. PawnHero Pawnshop Philippines Inc. (PPPI) is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Registration No. CS201417811) and holds a Certificate of Authority from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (No. 3100285000000); all pawned items are fully insured through Pioneer Insurance Corporation. Repayment can be made via 7-Eleven (7-CONNECT), Coins.ph, GCash, BancNet, BDO, PNB, UCPB, Security Bank, or over-the-counter cash.
The revenue model is transaction-based: PawnHero charges monthly interest on pawn loans, with tiered rates varying by collateral category — 3.99%-4.99% for gold and diamond jewelry (23.94% max APR), 6.99%-12.99% for luxury items, 6.5%-12.5% for general electronics, and 10%-20% for Apple devices — plus service charges, technology fees, and documentary stamp taxes. Loan terms extend up to 180 days with up to three renewal intervals (excluding non-renewable electronics and Apple loans). The company has raised prior funding from SoftBank, 500 Global, Spiral Ventures, Kaikaku Fund, and Hatchd Digital, with the most recent disclosed round of $9.7M in August 2017.
PawnHero firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PawnHero
- Legal name
- PawnHero Pawnshop Philippines Inc.
- Website
- https://pawnhero.ph
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PawnHero operates the first online pawnshop in the Philippines, offering short-term collateralized cash loans against luxury goods, electronics, and jewelry through a digital platform, in-house courier, and physical BGC lounge.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PawnHero industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Lending / Online Pawnshop Services
- NAICS
- Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Jewelry Retailers (45831)
- SIC
- Loan Brokers (6163), Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online/Digital Pawn & Remote Collateral Lending (FSAKALAG)
Keywords
Where PawnHero is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manila
- HQ country
- Philippines
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
PawnHero business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Pawn Loan Interest: PawnHero generates revenue through interest charged on pawn loans. Interest rates vary by item category: gold/jewelry at 3.99%-4.99% monthly, luxury items at 6.99%-12.99%, electronics at 6.5%-12.5%, and Apple devices at 10%-20%. Additional fees include service charges, technology fees, and documentary stamp taxes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Gold, Platinum, Diamond Jewelry - Tier 1: 3.99% interest at 80% valuation |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Gold, Platinum, Diamond Jewelry - Tier 2: 4.99% interest at 85% valuation |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Luxury Items (Designer Bags, Watches, Shoes) - 5 tiers from 6.99% to 12.99% |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | General Electronics - 5 tiers from 6.5% to 12.5% |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Apple Devices - 2 tiers: 10% at 70% or 20% at 80% valuation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
PawnHero product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PawnHero is the first online pawnshop in the Philippines, providing collateral-based short-term cash loans secured against personal items including gold and jewelry, luxury watches and designer bags, general electronics, and Apple devices. Customers can pawn items remotely via the website or mobile app with free home pickup by an in-house courier (Pawntrooper), or visit the BGC physical Pawnshop Lounge. Loan approvals are issued within as little as 1 day with real-time disbursement via InstaPay and PESONet.
Product overview
PawnHero is the first online pawnshop in the Philippines, operating as a unified platform combining a consumer-facing web platform, native mobile application (iOS/Android), and a physical pawnshop lounge in BGC, Taguig City. The core offering centers on the PawnHero Online Pawnshop Platform, which enables customers to pawn valuable items entirely online with home pickup via the Pawntrooper courier service. The service is differentiated across four product categories: Luxury Items Pawning (designer bags, watches, accessories at 6.99-12.99% interest), Electronics Pawning (smartphones, laptops, gadgets at 6.5-12.5% interest), Apple Device Pawning (up to 80% appraisal, 10-20% interest), and Gold and Jewelry Pawning (lowest rates starting at 3.99%). All pawned items receive free insurance coverage through Pioneer Insurance Corporation. The platform integrates with multiple payment channels (InstaPay, PESONet, BancNet, BDO, PNB, UCPB, 7-Eleven, Coins.ph, Security Bank) for loan disbursement and repayment. Promotional offerings include the iHero Loyalty Program, First Time Pawner discounts, and Spin 'N Win campaigns.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PawnHero Online Pawnshop Platform The flagship online pawnshop platform of PawnHero that enables customers in the Philippines to pawn valuable items entirely online with home pickup and receive 1-day loan approval with real-time disbursement via InstaPay or PESONet.
- PawnHero Mobile App Native iOS and Android mobile application that provides complete pawning functionality including pawn ticket creation, loan renewal, redemption, in-app chat support, push notification reminders, and pawn ticket management dashboard for Filipino consumers.
- PawnHero Pawnshop Lounge (BGC Walk-in Branch) Physical pawnshop location at 7F Avecshares Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, open Monday to Saturday 9 AM to 7 PM, offering walk-in pawning with on-site appraisal and real-time cash disbursement for customers preferring in-person transactions.
- Pawntrooper Courier Service In-house certified courier service that picks up pawned collateral from customer addresses within Metro Manila, Cavite, Antipolo, and Rizal for appraisal at PawnHero's secure facility.
- Gold and Jewelry Pawn Loan Pawn loan service secured against gold, platinum, silver, diamond jewelry, and natural or lab-grown diamonds with GIA or IGI certification, offering interest rates from 3.99% to 4.99% per month with valuations up to 85% and loan terms up to 180 days with up to 3 renewal intervals.
- Luxury Items Pawn Loan Pawn loan service secured against luxury items including designer bags (Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, Prada), luxury watches (Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Panerai, Tag Heuer), designer shoes, sunglasses, and belts, with tiered interest rates from 6.99% to 12.99% depending on valuation tier chosen.
- Electronics Pawn Loan Pawn loan service secured against smartphones, laptops, tablets, televisions, cameras, gaming consoles, smart wearables, soundbars, speakers, and action cameras from brands including Apple, Samsung, Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Microsoft, with tiered interest rates from 6.5% to 12.5%, 1-month non-renewable term.
- Apple Device Pawning Program Dedicated pawning program for Apple products including MacBooks, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and AirPods, offering up to 80% appraisal, no advance interest, 1-month non-renewable loan term, and 10%-20% interest upon redemption.
- Free Collateral Insurance Coverage Complimentary insurance coverage provided through partnership with Pioneer Insurance Corporation covering all pawned items stored in PawnHero's secure facility with 24/7 security, CCTVs, and emergency alarm systems.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1 day loan approval
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use PawnHero
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PawnHero technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature4 records
PawnHero partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)coreRegulatory oversight by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). PPPI is BSP-regulated as a pawnshop under their supervision. BSP contact: (02) 8708-7807.
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)coreSEC registration and regulation. Registration No. CS201417811, Certificate of Authority No. 3100285000000.
- Pioneer Insurance CorporationcoreProvides free insurance coverage for all pawned items. All items entrusted to PawnHero are fully covered by insurance.
- InstaPay Partner Banks and Electronic Money IssuerscoreReal-time loan disbursement partners enabling immediate cash-out to customers upon loan approval. Supports InstaPay and PESONet transfers.
- 7-Eleven (7-CONNECT)supportingPayment channel partner for loan redemption and renewal payments via 7-CONNECT service at 7-Eleven branches.
- Coins.phsupportingPayment channel partner for loan redemption and renewal payments via Coins.ph e-wallet platform.
- BancNetsupportingOnline bank payment partner enabling customers to make loan payments through BancNet member banks.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PawnHero competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cebuana Lhuillier: One of the largest and most established pawnshop chains in the Philippines with thousands of branches nationwide. Direct competitor in the pawnbroking space with extensive offline reach, though primarily a traditional brick-and-mortar operator rather than digital-first.
- M Lhuillier: Major Philippine pawnshop chain with broad national footprint offering pawn loans, remittance, and financial services. Comparable in collateral-based lending to PawnHero but operating an offline-heavy model without an equivalent online-first digital pawn platform.
- Palawan Pawnshop: Large Philippine pawnshop and financial services network with hundreds of branches. Comparable target market and product offering (gold, jewelry, electronics pawning) but traditional retail delivery model.
- FirstCash Holdings: Large publicly traded pawnshop operator with operations across the US and Latin America. Comparable core business of collateral-based lending on jewelry and electronics, though at much larger scale and not digital-first.
- EZCORP: US-based pawnshop operator with growing Latin America footprint. Comparable in offering pawn loans against jewelry, electronics, and other valuable items, providing benchmark data on category mix and pawn economics.
Direct peers
- H&T Pawnbrokers: UK-listed pawnbroking chain that has invested heavily in digital pawn platforms. Comparable in offering online collateralized lending with multi-category item acceptance (jewelry, watches, luxury goods) and serves as a useful benchmark for digital pawn scale economics.
- Cash Converters: Global pawnbroker and second-hand reseller with both physical stores and online presence. Comparable hybrid online/offline pawn model with multi-category collateral acceptance and resale of unredeemed items.
Regional players
- Borrowell: Canadian fintech lending platform providing consumer credit products online. While not collateral-based, it shares PawnHero's positioning as a digital-first alternative credit provider serving underbanked consumers — useful comp for online lending penetration in emerging markets.
- Tala: Digital lending platform operating in the Philippines and other emerging markets, offering unsecured consumer loans via mobile app. Competes for the same underbanked Filipino consumers seeking quick cash, though via an unsecured rather than collateralized model.
- GCash: Philippines' leading e-wallet offering credit products (GCredit, GGives) to tens of millions of users. Competes for the same underbanked Filipino consumer seeking short-term liquidity, though via an unsecured, digital-only credit model integrated with everyday payments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PawnHero social profiles
Digital presencePawnHero compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
PawnHero financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PawnHero leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
PawnHero funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PawnHero M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PawnHero
What does PawnHero do?
PawnHero is the first online pawnshop in the Philippines, providing collateral-based short-term cash loans secured against personal items including gold and jewelry, luxury watches and designer bags, general electronics, and Apple devices. Customers can pawn items remotely via the website or mobile app with free home pickup by an in-house courier (Pawntrooper), or visit the BGC physical Pawnshop Lounge. Loan approvals are issued within as little as 1 day with real-time disbursement via InstaPay and PESONet.
Is PawnHero a public or private company?
PawnHero is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was PawnHero founded?
PawnHero was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PawnHero based?
PawnHero is headquartered in Manila, Philippines, in the Asia region.
How does PawnHero make money?
One revenue line is on record: pawn Loan Interest.
Who are PawnHero's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cebuana Lhuillier, M Lhuillier, Palawan Pawnshop, FirstCash Holdings and EZCORP. Direct peers are H&T Pawnbrokers and Cash Converters. Regional players are Borrowell, Tala and GCash.
Does PawnHero have an API?
No public API is recorded for PawnHero.
What industry is PawnHero in?
PawnHero's product category is Consumer Lending / Online Pawnshop Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKALAG, Online/Digital Pawn & Remote Collateral Lending. Its NAICS code is 52231 and its SIC code is 6163.