Bondora Go & Grow Review 2025 | €25 Bonus + 6% Interest
As someone who reviews investment platforms regularly, I've seen countless products promising exceptional returns for minimal effort. Bondora Go & Grow caught my attention because it occupies an interesting middle ground between traditional savings accounts and more complex P2P lending investments.
Unlike typical peer-to-peer platforms that require loan selection and portfolio management, Bondora Go & Grow aims to be the "set and forget" option with its advertised 6% p.a. returns and daily interest payments. But the question remains: is the simplicity and potential return worth the underlying risks?
This review dives deep into Bondora's flagship investment product, examining its features, benefits, and most importantly, the risks that aren't always emphasized in their marketing materials.
What is Bondora Go & Grow?
Bondora Go & Grow is an automated investment product offered by Bondora, an Estonian fintech company established in 2008. It functions as a simplified way for retail investors to gain exposure to consumer loans across several European countries without needing to select individual loans or manage a complex portfolio.
The core concept is straightforward: you deposit money into your Go & Grow account, and Bondora automatically invests it across a highly diversified portfolio of consumer loans that they originate. Your investment earns a target return (currently up to 6% p.a.) with interest calculated and added to your account daily.
This product represents a significant departure from Bondora's original peer-to-peer lending model, where investors would select specific loans. Since its launch in 2018, Go & Grow has become enormously popular, eventually leading Bondora to phase out its more complex investment products in favor of this simplified approach.
How Bondora Go & Grow Works
When you invest in Go & Grow, your money is pooled with other investors' funds and automatically distributed across thousands of consumer loans that Bondora originates in countries including Estonia, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Latvia.
The investment process is remarkably simple:
- Create a Bondora account and complete the verification process
- Deposit funds into your Bondora wallet via bank transfer
- Transfer money from your wallet to your Go & Grow account
- Watch your investment grow with daily interest payments
Perhaps the most appealing feature for many investors is that your money remains accessible. You can request withdrawals at any time, with funds typically transferred back to your bank account within 1-3 business days.
Key Features of Bondora Go & Grow
- Target return of up to 6% p.a. (reduced from the previous 6.75% in April 2025)
- Daily interest calculation and crediting to maximize compound growth
- High liquidity with the ability to withdraw "anytime" (with important caveats)
- No management fees or annual charges (just a €1 withdrawal fee)
- Fully automated investment process requiring minimal user involvement
- €1 minimum investment making it accessible to nearly everyone
An important technical aspect to understand is how Bondora maintains its target return. The actual internal rate of return (IRR) generated by the underlying loan portfolio historically exceeds the advertised target rate. The excess returns are retained as reserves, designed to absorb potential losses from loan defaults and help maintain the stability of the advertised return for investors.
The Advantages of Bondora Go & Grow
Exceptional Simplicity
From a user experience perspective, Go & Grow excels at accessibility. The platform is designed to be intuitive for even complete beginners. The entire investment process is automated – once your money is in the Go & Grow account, there's nothing else to do but watch it grow.
This simplicity clearly resonated with investors. Before Bondora phased out its legacy products in 2023, Go & Grow accounted for over 96% of all investments on the platform, demonstrating the strong market preference for automated, low-effort investment solutions.
Daily Interest Accrual
One of the most psychologically satisfying aspects of Go & Grow is seeing your investment grow every single day. Rather than waiting for monthly or quarterly interest payments, you watch your balance increase daily, maximizing the power of compound interest.
This daily feedback loop creates a sense of constant progress and can be highly motivating for consistent investing. It's a small but meaningful difference from traditional investments where returns are less visibly frequent.
High Liquidity (With Caveats)
Go & Grow's liquidity is one of its strongest selling points compared to traditional P2P investments. Under normal market conditions, you can request withdrawals at any time, with access typically being near-instantaneous.
This stands in stark contrast to conventional P2P models where capital is often locked into specific loans for months or years, or where exiting early requires navigating a secondary market, potentially selling loan parts at a discount.
However – and this is important – this liquidity comes with a significant caveat. During periods of market stress, Bondora can activate a "partial payout" mechanism, where withdrawals are processed incrementally over time rather than all at once.
Competitive Target Return
While the current 6% p.a. target return is lower than what many traditional P2P platforms advertise, it significantly outpaces most traditional savings accounts. For investors seeking a middle ground between the rock-bottom rates of bank deposits and the higher risks and complexity of manual P2P investing, Go & Grow offers an appealing compromise.
The Risks of Bondora Go & Grow
While the benefits are prominently featured in Bondora's marketing, understanding the risks is critical for making an informed investment decision.
Not a Savings Account: Capital Is At Risk
The most fundamental risk that investors must understand is that Go & Grow is an investment product, not a savings account. Your capital is fully at risk, and there is no guarantee you will receive the advertised 6% return or even get your initial investment back.
No Deposit Guarantee Protection
Unlike bank savings accounts, investments in Bondora Go & Grow are not covered by any government-backed deposit guarantee scheme. In the European Union, bank deposits are typically protected up to €100,000 per depositor, per bank. Investments through Bondora don't benefit from such protection.
This absence of a safety net is perhaps the single most critical difference for retail investors weighing Go & Grow against insured savings options. The potential for higher returns comes directly with the acceptance of this higher risk of capital loss.
Multiple Risk Factors
Investing in Go & Grow exposes you to several interconnected risks:
Credit Risk: The fundamental risk stems from the underlying assets – unsecured consumer loans. Borrowers may fail to repay, leading to losses within the portfolio. While Bondora employs credit scoring models and diversifies investments across thousands of loans, this only mitigates rather than eliminates credit risk. Economic downturns can significantly increase default rates.
Platform Risk: This encompasses risks related to Bondora itself, including operational failures, financial instability, or even insolvency. Although Bondora has a history of profitability (consistently since 2016) and uses segregated accounts for investor cash, platform failure could still disrupt loan servicing and potentially impact your investment.
Liquidity Risk: Investors may face the risk that they may not be able to withdraw their entire investment instantly during periods of market stress.
Interest Rate Risk: Bondora explicitly reserves the right to change the target return rate. This has occurred previously (reduction from 6.75% to 6% in April 2025), and future reductions are possible if the underlying portfolio's performance deteriorates.
Limited Transparency
While Bondora makes a significant amount of information publicly available about its overall operations, there's a concerning lack of detailed, real-time transparency specifically for the Go & Grow portfolio.
Critical information gaps include the precise composition of the portfolio (exact distribution by risk grade, country, loan status), its actual ongoing performance metrics (beyond the capped return), and crucial details about the size and management of the internal return buffer.
This opacity makes it difficult for investors to independently verify the effectiveness of Bondora's risk mitigation strategies or to accurately gauge the true health and resilience of the portfolio supporting their investment.
Who Should Consider Investing in Bondora Go & Grow?
Based on its features, benefits, and risks, here's who might find Bondora Go & Grow most suitable:
Potentially Suitable For:
- Investors with a moderate risk tolerance who understand the fundamental differences between investments and insured savings accounts
- Those seeking returns higher than bank deposits who are willing to accept the associated risks
- Investors who value simplicity and automation over maximum potential returns
- Those who appreciate high (though conditional) liquidity and daily interest accrual
- Individuals looking to diversify a portion of their investment portfolio into alternative assets
Less Suitable For:
- Highly risk-averse individuals requiring guaranteed capital preservation
- Investors seeking the highest possible returns available within the P2P lending market
- Hands-on investors who desire control over individual loan selection and risk parameters
- Individuals who require absolute, unconditional, immediate liquidity under all market conditions
- Those for whom detailed transparency regarding the underlying investment portfolio is essential
How to Get Started with Bondora Go & Grow
If you've decided that Bondora Go & Grow aligns with your investment goals and risk tolerance, here's how to get started:
- Create an account: Visit Bondora's website and complete the registration process. By using this referral link, you'll receive a €25 bonus after successfully signing up
- Verify your identity: Complete KYC verification by uploading identification documents
- Add funds: Transfer money from your bank account to your Bondora wallet
- Start investing: Move your funds from your wallet to your Go & Grow account
- Monitor your investment: Track your daily returns through the platform or mobile app
For investors who want to explore other options before committing, I recommend using our Broker Match tool to find the investment platform that best suits your specific needs and preferences.
Conclusion: A Unique but Risky Middle Ground
Bondora Go & Grow occupies an interesting niche in the investment landscape, positioning itself between traditional savings accounts and more complex P2P lending platforms. Its strengths lie in its exceptional simplicity, daily interest accrual, and typically high liquidity – features that have clearly resonated with hundreds of thousands of European investors.
However, prospective investors must recognize the trade-offs involved. The 6% target return comes with real risks to capital that don't exist with insured bank deposits. The simplified user experience, while appealing, may inadvertently obscure the true risk profile for less experienced investors.
For those with the appropriate risk tolerance who value simplicity and conditional liquidity over maximum returns, Go & Grow can serve as a reasonable addition to a diversified investment portfolio. Just ensure you're investing money you can afford to lose, and never treat it as a replacement for properly insured emergency funds.
If you're interested in exploring other investment platforms with different risk-reward profiles, check out our comprehensive broker reviews for detailed comparisons of various options available to European investors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bondora Go & Grow safe?
Bondora Go & Grow is not "safe" in the same way a bank deposit is. Your investment is not covered by any deposit guarantee scheme, and your capital is at risk. Bondora mitigates risks through diversification and segregated client accounts, but there's no guarantee you'll get your money back in full.
Can I lose money with Bondora Go & Grow?
Yes, it is possible to lose money. Risks include borrower defaults, platform issues, and market downturns affecting loan performance. Unlike bank deposits, there is no government-backed insurance protecting your investment.
How is the 6% return generated?
The return comes from interest payments on the consumer loans that your money is invested in. Bondora spreads your investment across thousands of individual loan pieces to diversify risk. The actual internal rate of return on the entire portfolio typically exceeds 6%, with excess returns retained as a buffer against defaults.
How quickly can I withdraw my money?
Under normal market conditions, withdrawals are processed near-instantly, and funds typically arrive in your bank account within 1-3 business days. However, during periods of market stress, Bondora can activate its "partial payout" mechanism, where withdrawals are processed incrementally over time.
How does Bondora Go & Grow compare to other P2P platforms?
Compared to most P2P platforms, Bondora Go & Grow offers greater simplicity and liquidity but lower potential returns. The 6% target return is below what many P2P platforms advertise (often 8-12%), but the automated nature and easier access to funds make it more approachable for beginners and passive investors.
Is Bondora regulated?
Bondora AS, the parent company, holds relevant credit provider licenses in Estonia, Finland, and Latvia. However, the Go & Grow product itself operates in a less clearly defined regulatory space. There is no specific regulatory license that applies directly to the Go & Grow investment product, which represents a regulatory risk factor.
If you decide to try Bondora Go & Grow, consider using our referral link to receive a €25 starting bonus after successfully signing up. This bonus gives you an immediate head start on your investment journey.
Disclaimer. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Bondora Go & Grow is an investment product, not a savings account. Your capital is at risk, and investments are not covered by any deposit guarantee scheme. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The information provided is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Always conduct your own research and consider consulting a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
