inDrive loan uptake surges 118% across Latin America

inDrive said loans taken out by drivers through its in-app financial service, inDrive.Money, more than doubled across Latin America in the first half of 2026, with year-on-year growth of 118%.

The increase spanned Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil. Brazil recorded growth of more than 400% after the service launched there in August 2025.

inDrive.Money offers loans to drivers working through the platform, targeting gig workers who often struggle to obtain formal credit because their incomes fluctuate and many lack conventional credit histories. The product uses data on drivers' earning patterns to support lending decisions by partner financial institutions, while repayments are deducted automatically as a share of each fare.

Across the region, Peru posted 128% growth in the number of loans taken out through the service, while Colombia recorded 88% and Mexico 71%. The figures point to rising demand for credit products designed around irregular incomes, a persistent issue for app-based workers who often fall outside traditional banking models.

Mexico has become one of the clearest indicators of repeat borrowing on the platform. An impact report developed with the MX Internet Association found that more than 11% of active drivers in the country have accessed a personal loan through inDrive.Money, and nearly half of those borrowers have taken more than one loan.

The application process is handled inside the app and shows the approved amount, monthly repayment and loan term in advance. The structure also removes the need for branch visits, paperwork or manual bank transfers.

Alexander Kurchin, General Manager of inDrive.Money, said the rise in take-up reflected a broader problem in mainstream lending markets for gig workers.

"The growth of inDrive.Money across Latin America shows there is a clear and expanding demand for fairer, more transparent access to loans among gig economy drivers. Many drivers have the income to repay a loan, but are overlooked by traditional lenders because their earnings do not fit conventional credit models. By using the alternative data we have access to, we can help our financial partners better understand drivers' real earning capacity and extend financial services to people who might otherwise be excluded. Ultimately, this is about giving drivers greater financial resilience and freedom of choice, so that an unexpected expense does not stand in their way of earning a living," said Alexander Kurchin, General Manager of inDrive.Money.

Credit gap

The expansion of lending through ride-hailing and delivery apps reflects a wider shift in how financial providers assess borrowers in the gig economy. Rather than relying mainly on payslips, fixed monthly salaries or long credit histories, some lenders are turning to behavioural and income data generated through platform work.

For drivers, small personal loans can help cover urgent costs, vehicle maintenance or short-term household spending. The repayment model used by inDrive.Money links instalments to fare income, which can reduce the need for fixed repayments detached from weekly earnings.

Brazil's growth rate stands out partly because the service is still relatively new in that market. The country is Latin America's largest economy and one of the region's busiest app-based transport markets, giving inDrive a large pool of potential users as the lending offer expands.

inDrive operates in 47 countries and says its app has been downloaded more than 400 million times. Alongside ride-hailing, it also runs intercity transport, delivery and other services, placing financial products within a broader app-based ecosystem for drivers and couriers.

Its core ride-hailing business uses a peer-to-peer pricing model that allows drivers and riders to negotiate fares directly. inDrive says its average commission rates are around 10% across its markets, a model it links to its broader effort to give drivers more control over earnings and related financial decisions.

Separate research cited by inDrive, from Oxford Economics, found that 66% of drivers surveyed in Latin America said fare negotiation helps them earn a fair income, while nearly 64% of drivers and riders in the region said it helps them complete more trips.

Against that backdrop, the growth of in-app lending suggests platforms are trying to deepen their role in drivers' financial lives beyond trip matching alone.