Monestro review 2025

Read this Monestro review to learn if you should invest.

Monestro

Pros

  • An average return of 12%
  • Higher quality loans that are less risky
  • Loans are protected by a Buyback Obligation
  • Loans have a voluntary reserve
  • Loan originators have skin in the game
  • Auto-invest is available

Cons

  • No mobile app
  • No secondary market yet
  • Annual report is not available

Monestro review summary: 

Monestro P2P OŰ is a P2P lending platform for investing in consumer and credit line loans for both retail and institutional investors. At Monestro, you can invest in loans with an interest rate of 9-12%. This platform is for investors who value sustainability and higher quality loans that are less risky. The loans are protected with a buyback obligation, which means that loans that are more than 60 days late will be bought back by the loan originator. What’s unique about Monestro is its voluntary reserve which acts as an extra layer of protection in the platform, and its loan originators’ Skin in the Game.

It’s 100% free to open an account

Introduction to our Monestro review

Considering Monestro? This Monestro review can help you decide if it’s right for you. It reflects our opinion, not financial advice. Below is an outline of the topics covered.

Learn about the following in our Monestro review:

What is Monestro?

how monestro works

Monestro is an Estonia-based peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform that launched in April 2014. It focuses on connecting investors with loan originators who offer primarily consumer and credit line loans. The platform advertises returns of up to 12%.

Monestro operates as a marketplace where retail and institutional investors can invest in loans from European loan originators. These loans typically include a buyback obligation to protect investors if borrowers default.

The platform has attracted around 2,000 investors. Official figures regarding the number of loans funded have not been publicly disclosed.

Monestro P2P OÜ is not regulated, as it is not required in the jurisdiction in which it operates.

Monestro statistics:

Launched:2016
Investors:2,000 +
Interest rate:9 – 12 %
Loan period:3 – 60 months
Loan type:Consumer
Loans funded:500.000 +
Min. investment:€ 10
Max. investment:Unlimited

Monestro Trustpilot rating

Monestro has received a TrustScore of 3.3/5 based on 3 reviews on Trustpilot. One user criticized the platform for allegedly restricting withdrawals and forcing users to invest, while another praised Monestro’s reliability after a year of use. Despite the mixed feedback, prospective investors may wish to carefully examine its policies and performance track record before committing funds.

What is the return on Monestro?

Monestro’s average annual investment return is 12%. This rate places the platform in the mid-range compared to other P2P lending sites, indicating a moderately balanced approach to risk and reward for investors.

Depending on market conditions and the availability of loans, some investors might experience slight portfolio underperformance if their funds remain uninvested for longer periods — a phenomenon often referred to as cash drag.

The interest rates on Monestro ranges from 12% to 13%, which is a narrower interest rate range compared to most other platforms.

Monestro fees:

Monestro does not apply any service, deposit, or withdrawal fee.

However, a Conversion Fee is applicable according to the valid price list and daily exchange rate of SEB Bank.

How does Monestro handle taxes?

Monestro does not withhold taxes from investors’ earnings, making it easier for you to manage your own tax obligations. This practice differs from some regulated competitors like Mintos, NEO Finance, VIAINVEST, and TWINO, which withhold part of your earnings for tax purposes.

Tax report

Monestro provides a tax report designed to simplify declaring your earnings to local authorities. You can easily download your income statement from your dashboard on the platform.

Is it safe to invest on Monestro?

Monestro is not considered one of the safest P2P lending platforms in Europe due to its history of closure and subsequent relaunch, which calls its reliability into question. The platform also lacks transparency about loan performance, making it harder for investors to gauge overall risk. On a positive note, all loans on Monestro are covered by a buyback guarantee, which can provide some protection against defaults.

Monestro P2P OÜ is not regulated, which means there is no external oversight to protect investors. The lack of regulation does not necessarily imply that the platform is a scam, but potential investors should be cautious when assessing the platform’s legitimacy and safety.

Monestro buyback guarantee

On Monestro, all loans are covered by a 60-day buyback guarantee. This means that if a borrower is more than 60 days late with repayments, the loan originator automatically repurchases the loan from the investor along with accrued interest.

The Monestro buyback guarantee has a duration of 60 days, which is the industry standard. This is longer compared to Robocash and Loanch, which offer the shortest buyback duration on the market at 30 days.

Investors should keep in mind that the reliability of the Monestro buyback obligation depends on the financial stability of the loan originators. If the loan originators are unable to buy back the loans, the buyback guarantee becomes worthless.

Monestro voluntary reserve

If any Loan Originator fails to fulfill its buyback obligation, Monestro has established a financial reserve named the Voluntary Reserve to reimburse investors, by purchasing their claims.

There is no assurance that the investor will recover their investment in full or in part from the Reserve. Reimbursements are only to the extent of available funds.

Monestro makes monthly contributions to the Reserve from their own funds, and the amount of those contributions are determined depending on their risk assessment.

Typically, the monthly contribution to the Reserve is 0,35% – 0,55% of the outstanding principal amounts of all Claims.

Who can invest on Monestro?

Monestro is open to both individuals and companies.

Individuals

For individual investors, you must be:

  • at least 18 years old
  • citizens or permanent residents of the European Economic Area (European Union, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein) or Switzerland
  • have a bank account in the European Economic Area
  • have their identity successfully verified by Monestro

Companies

For family trusts, partnerships, limited liability companies and other organisations, they must:

  • have a bank account
  • be registered in the European Economic Area or Switzerland
  • the individual registering the company must have the legal right to represent the company

To comply with AML requirements, Monestro will request additional information from companies, such as:

  • registration documents,
  • information about ultimate beneficial owners,
  • identification of a company representative, and
  • any other documentation deemed necessary in each case.

If you meet these requirements, you can sign up here.

Available countries

Monestro is available in the European Economic Area (European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) and Switzerland.

Currently, investors from the UK can’t invest via Monestro.

If you are looking for similar platforms that are more widely available, you should take a look at either Bondster or Lendermarket.

Opening an account

Opening an account with Monestro is easy. Registration takes less than 5 minutes.

From here, you can set up an auto-invest strategy, or choose to invest manually in the loans you desire.

Step-by-step process:

  1. Create an account
  2. Add funds to your account
  3. Select loans and invest
  4. Earn monthly

When your account is ready to go and you have invested your funds, you can also track your investment portfolio and returns.

Do you meet the requirements for creating an account? Simply click the button below, and sign up today. That way, you will get from reading this Monestro review to actually investing yourself:

How to invest on Monestro?

Monestro allows you to invest manually by browsing available loans or automatically using an auto-invest strategy.

Monestro auto-invest

Monestro provides an auto-invest feature to automatically allocate funds into suitable loan investments based on each investor’s predefined criteria, saving time and simplifying the investment process.

The auto-invest tool enables you to configure key parameters, including portfolio size, maximum investment per loan, interest rate, loan term, and loan originators. You can also automatically reinvest all returns.

Setting up a Monestro auto-invest strategy only takes 1 minute, and your funds should be invested within a few hours. If your auto-invest is not working, it is usually due to a lack of loans that meet your criteria. This can happen when your filters are too narrow or when no suitable loans are available.

What are the best Monestro alternatives?

Some of the best alternatives to Monestro are PeerBerry, Lendermarket and Income Marketplace.

Conclusion of our Monestro review

Monestro is a decent P2P lending platform for investors who value sustainability and high quality consumer loans. The platform sets itself apart from competitors by combining a voluntary reserve with a buyback obligation and requiring loan originators to have a stake in their loans, offering a more aligned and protective arrangement for both borrowers and investors.

While Monestro provides an average return of 12% and consumer loans backed by a buyback obligation and a voluntary reserve, it does not currently support a secondary market, lacks a mobile app, and has yet to publish a public annual report.

Monestro might be worth it for investors willing to accept moderate risk in pursuit of steady returns and added safeguards. It suits those who seek a platform where loan originators share risks and protection measures are layered. It might not appeal to investors who want a robust secondary market for quick liquidity or a more transparent financial history. If you prefer a platform with comprehensive financial reporting and an active secondary market, consider other P2P lending options.

Have you decided to invest after reading this Monestro.com review? Then simply click the button below to get to their site. From here, you can sign up as an investor in just a few moments and start investing on the Monestro platform: