FINCA RDC review

The account charges a monthly fee of $0.60, which is above €0, the median monthly fee across providers. Money transfers are priced at $0, and withdrawals are free within a monthly allowance, with fees applying after that.

The Lisungi account advertises a headline rate of 2%, and the rate type is variable, so the figure can move with the provider. That headline is below 3.08%, the median across savings accounts on the site.

The account is provided by FINCA DR Congo SA, based in Democratic Republic of the Congo and founded in 2003. It is built around a business audience. Questions on savings, the FALANGA current account or a transfer are all handled through email and phone.

Access runs through branches, FINCA Express agents nationwide, USSD on a mobile phone and the CLICK app. Withdrawals are free within a monthly allowance and fees apply after that, so regular cash users should plan around the allowance. Deposits on the easy access account start at $1.

Transfers are Instant and pay out to bank and cash pickup. The charge on a transfer is $0, and No account-to-account transfer fee (Compte Courant FALANGA) covers the FALANGA current account. Support is by email and phone if a transfer needs checking.

Currency coverage is modest. The Falanga account covers 2 currencies, against 5, the median across providers, so a business billing in a long list of currencies will find this account narrow. It suits firms whose receipts and payments stay within a small set of currencies.

FINCA RDC is built for a business audience, and the savings side is an easy access account, which suits a company that keeps cash in and draws it out through agents. A new saver can start at $1, with a mobile app for day-to-day access.

On the headline rate, 2% at FINCA RDC compares with 24.19% at Plazo ES, 3.3% at PayPal Colombia and 21.59% at AXI Card. FINCA RDC also adds a monthly fee of $0.60, so it is not the cheapest way to hold a balance.