What Crefaz does

Crefaz (legal entity CREFAZ SOCIEDADE DE CREDITO AO MICROEMPREENDEDOR E A EPP LTDA) is a Brazilian microcredit company headquartered in Maringá, Paraná, founded in 2013 and regulated by the Banco Central do Brasil. The company extends consumer credit to underbanked Brazilian individuals and microentrepreneurs through four core products: CDC Energia (R$500–R$5,000 repaid via electricity bills over up to 24 installments), a smaller Energia product (R$400–R$4,000), Crédito Pessoal com Garantia de Veículo (R$5,000–R$100,000 secured against vehicles up to 25 years old, up to 48 installments), and Empréstimo Consignado CLT (R$1,000–R$25,000 payroll-deducted for formal-sector workers). A "Crédito Consignado Privado" product extends the consigned model to private-sector employers.

The business operates a correspondent banking model with physical partner stores in over 100 cities across 10 Brazilian states (BA, CE, ES, PE, PR, RJ, RN, RS, SC, SP), supplemented by digital channels including a website, WhatsApp, 0800 phone lines, native iOS and Android apps, and a financial education blog. The company positions itself around "Crédito Consciente" (responsible lending), emphasizing no upfront fees, no income verification for energy-bill products, and sub-24-hour credit release.

Revenue mechanics derive from interest and transaction fees on installment credit across the loan portfolio. Ownership is private with no disclosed external funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors; headcount stands at 101–250 employees. No proprietary AI/ML capabilities, patents, or technology stack details are publicly disclosed.

Name

Crefaz

Legal name

CREFAZ SOCIEDADE DE CREDITO AO MICROEMPREENDEDOR E A EPP LTDA

Website

https://site.crefaz.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Crefaz is a Banco Central-regulated Brazilian microcredit company that lends R$400–R$100,000 to underbanked consumers and microentrepreneurs via CDC Energia, vehicle-secured, and CLT consignado products, distributed through 100+ correspondent stores across 10 states plus digital channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Maringá

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Crédito Direto ao Consumidor - Energia: Credit extended to consumers, repaid in installments added to their electricity bill. The consumer pays back the loan through the energy utility invoice over up to 24 installments.
2. Crédito Pessoal com Garantia de Veículo: Secured personal credit using the borrower's vehicle (up to 25 years old) as collateral. Credit is released as a lump sum, repaid in monthly installments over up to 48 months.
3. Empréstimo Consignado CLT: Payroll-deducted loan for formal employees (CLT), with repayments deducted directly from the borrower's salary. Amounts range from R$1,000 to R$25,000.
4. Energia (Direct Energy Credit): Small-scale credit for energy-related purchases or services, directly billed through the electricity invoice. Ranges from R$400 to R$4,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Crefaz is a Brazilian microfinance and consumer credit company that originates and services installment loan products for individual borrowers and microentrepreneurs. Its four core offerings are Crédito Direto ao Consumidor - Energia (R$500–R$5,000, repaid on the energy bill, up to 24 installments), Crédito Pessoal com Garantia de Veículo (R$5,000–R$100,000 secured against vehicles up to 25 years old, up to 48 installments), Energia (R$400–R$4,000 repaid via the energy invoice), and Empréstimo Consignado CLT (R$1,000–R$25,000 payroll-deducted loan for formal CLT workers).

Product overview

crefaz operates as a credit and microfinance company offering a portfolio of loan and credit products. The main offerings include Crédito Direto ao Consumidor - Energia (energy bill installment financing from R$500 to R$5,000), Crédito Pessoal com Garantia de Veículo (vehicle-secured personal credit from R$5,000 to R$100,000), Energia (energy credit from R$400 to R$4,000), and Empréstimo Consignado CLT (consigned loans for formal employees from R$1,000 to R$25,000). The company also offers a 'Crédito Consignado Privado' product for businesses. Products target families seeking consumer financing and microentrepreneurs looking to start or invest in businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• crefaz developers: Developer portal for Crefaz API and developer resources

Products and services

• Crédito Direto ao Consumidor - Energia (Direct Consumer Credit - Energy) Consumer credit product where borrowers finance purchases through installments added to their electricity bill, with amounts from R$500 to R$5,000 and repayment in up to 24 monthly installments on the energy invoice. Targeted at individual Brazilian consumers who pay an electricity bill and need quick, documentation-light credit; available via partner stores and digital channels.
• Crédito Pessoal com Garantia de Veículo (Vehicle-Secured Personal Credit) Secured personal credit product using the borrower's vehicle (up to 25 years old) as collateral, releasing up to 70% of the FIPE table value of the vehicle as a lump sum. Amounts range from R$5,000 to R$100,000, repayable in up to 48 monthly installments. Targeted at individual borrowers with an owned vehicle who want a larger installment loan at a secured-loan rate.
• Energia (Energy-bill Credit) Small-scale credit product for energy-related purchases or services, repaid through the customer's electricity invoice. Amounts range from R$400 to R$4,000, with a simple, quick process and no income verification required. Targeted at individual consumers who pay electricity bills and want a small short-tenure loan tied to their utility expense.
• Empréstimo Consignado CLT (Payroll-Deducted Loan for CLT Workers) Payroll-deducted consumer loan for Brazilian formal-employment ("CLT") workers, with repayments deducted directly from the borrower's salary. Amounts range from R$1,000 to R$25,000. Targeted at formally employed individuals who have payroll-deduction eligibility and want a straightforward installment personal loan.

Quantifiable outcome

• Credit released within 24 hours after approval
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Partner Stores / Lojas ParceirascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrefaz operates through a network of physical partner stores across Brazil where credit products are offered. These partner locations serve as points of sale and customer service for Crefaz's credit offerings including Crédito Direto ao Consumidor - Energia, Crédito Pessoal com Garantia de Veículo, and Empréstimo Consignado CLT. The company also offers a correspondent registration program for businesses to join the network.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BMG: BMG is a Brazilian bank historically focused on payroll-deducted loans (consignado) and consumer credit, with similar target customers and product mix to Crefaz. It is a regulated competitor with overlapping consignado and personal credit offerings.
• Will Bank: Will Bank is a Brazilian digital bank focused on payroll-deducted loans (consignado) for private-sector CLT workers, directly competing with Crefaz's consignado CLT product. It targets the same formal-employee borrower segment with a digital-native distribution approach.
• Geru: Geru is a Brazilian online consumer credit company offering personal loans to underbanked borrowers through a fully digital origination process. It directly overlaps with Crefaz's documentation-light personal credit products and serves a similar borrower profile.
• Crefisa: Crefisa is one of Brazil's largest private consumer credit companies, offering personal loans, payroll-deducted loans, and refinancing to underbanked Brazilian consumers through a similar correspondent network and physical store footprint. It is the closest direct peer to Crefaz in product mix, target customer, and distribution model.
• Simplic (formerly Simplic Soluções): Simplic is a Brazilian fintech specialized in payroll-deducted loans (crédito consignado) for CLT workers, directly overlapping with Crefaz's Empréstimo Consignado CLT product. It targets the same formal-employee borrower segment with a primarily digital distribution model.
• Banco Pan: Banco Pan is a Brazilian mid-sized bank specializing in consumer credit, payroll-deducted loans (consignado), and vehicle financing, with a strong footprint in the same underbanked segments Crefaz serves. It is a regulated competitor offering overlapping products via digital and physical channels.

Broad incumbents

• C6 Bank: C6 Bank is a Brazilian digital bank with personal loan and consumer credit offerings, serving mass-affluent and middle-class Brazilian consumers. It overlaps with Crefaz's personal credit products but at a different customer tier and through a digital-only model.
• Nubank: Nubank is Brazil's largest digital bank with a consumer credit card and personal loan business reaching tens of millions of underbanked customers. While its product portfolio is broader and tech-forward, it competes for the same underbanked Brazilian borrower segment that Crefaz targets.
• Banco Inter: Banco Inter is a Brazilian digital bank offering personal credit, payroll-deducted loans, and consumer financing products as part of a broader retail banking suite. It overlaps with Crefaz's product set but operates as a full-service incumbent rather than a credit specialist.

Emerging players

• Just (formerly Justa): Just is a Brazilian microcredit fintech offering small-ticket personal loans to underbanked borrowers and microentrepreneurs. It competes in a closely adjacent niche to Crefaz, with overlapping target customers but a primarily digital and app-based origination model.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crefazoficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/crefazoficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crefazoficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/crefazoficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crefaz