Tonga Development Bank review
Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Our verdict
Tonga Development Bank is a statutory bank in Tonga for residents who want passbook savings with on-demand withdrawals and, for existing clients, secured lending on the same relationship. The headline rate of 1% is modest, and a monthly fee plus collateral requirements decide who gains.
Key facts
- Best for
- On-demand passbook savings and same-day secured lending for residents and existing clients in Tonga.
- Headline rate
- 1%↗
- Rate type
- Variable↗
- Term
- 12 to 36 months↗
- Minimum deposit
- TOP 10↗
- Access terms
- Funds available on demand; no withdrawal fees; no interest on balances below $100.00; dormancy fee $3.00 per month if inactive more than 12 months↗
- Monthly fee
- TOP 1↗
- Account kind
- Easy access↗
- Legal entity
- Tonga Development Bank↗
- Headquarters
- Tonga↗
- Founded
- 1977↗
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Community↗
- Official website
- tdb.to
Loans
- APR
- 8% to 13%↗
- Loan amount
- TOP 15,000↗
- Arrangement fee
- Establishment fees payable in cash upfront before disbursement↗
- Credit check
- Hard↗
- Funding time
- Same day after signing and completion of the loan documentations; personal loan approval 2-3 days, term loan 1-2 weeks↗
- Lender type
- Direct lender↗
- Eligibility
- Aged 18 or older, resident of Tonga, acceptable credit history and sufficient collateral; personal loans normally for existing bank clients with 1.5x bank security value coverage↗
- Loan types
- Personal, Secured, Car, Student, Business↗
- Credit needed
- Good↗
- Features
- Same-day funding, Credit line
Mortgages
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 7 sources
Apps and profiles
- Elsewhere
- WikidataWikipediafacebook.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- Funds are available on demand and withdrawals carry no fees, and the account is listed as easy access.
- Personal loans of TOP 15,000 at an APR of 8% to 13% can be funded the same day once documents are complete.
- Mortgages cover purchase, buy to let and remortgage at an initial rate of 8% with a 90% maximum loan to value.
- Support runs on email, phone and community, so phone and email both reach the bank alongside community desks.
Cons
- The account pays a headline rate of 1%, behind 3.29% at Wise and 3.01% at bunq, and a dormancy fee follows a long period of inactivity.
- A monthly fee of TOP 1 applies to the passbook account, and opening it needs a minimum deposit of TOP 10.
- Lending runs a hard credit check, wants good credit plus collateral, and settles a setup charge in cash before funds are released.
Who it suits
- Adults resident in Tonga who want a passbook account with on-demand withdrawals and no withdrawal fees.
- Existing bank clients with acceptable credit and collateral who need a personal or car loan.
- Homebuyers and landlords weighing a mortgage for purchase, buy-to-let or remortgage, with 90% maximum loan to value.
Who should look elsewhere
- Savers chasing the top rate: Wise lists 3.29% and bunq 3.01%, both ahead of what this passbook account pays.
- Readers who want a set term rather than a variable rate, where Finteres publishes 0% to 36%.
How Tonga Development Bank compares
9.4 vs 8.0
9.4 vs 9.4
9.4 vs 9.4
9.4 vs 8.5
9.4 vs 9.4
9.4 vs 8.7
9.4 vs 8.9
9.4 vs 9.2
9.4 vs 8.7
9.4 vs 9.3
9.4 vs 9.0
9.4 vs 9.0
9.4 vs 9.0- 9.4 vs 8.0
9.4 vs 9.0
9.4 vs 8.6
9.4 vs 8.3
9.4 vs 9.5
9.4 vs 9.4
9.4 vs 9.3
9.4 vs 9.3
9.4 vs 9.3
9.4 vs 9.3
9.4 vs 9.3
9.4 vs 9.3
9.4 vs 9.2
9.4 vs 9.2
9.4 vs 9.2
9.4 vs 9.0
9.4 vs 9.0
9.4 vs 9.0
9.4 vs 9.0
9.4 vs 9.0
9.4 vs 8.9
9.4 vs 8.9
9.4 vs 8.9- 9.4 vs 8.9
9.4 vs 8.9
9.4 vs 8.8
9.4 vs 8.7
9.4 vs 8.5
9.4 vs 8.5
9.4 vs 8.5
9.4 vs 8.5
9.4 vs 8.5
9.4 vs 8.4- 9.4 vs 8.0
9.4 vs 9.0
Where Tonga Development Bank is available
- Available
- Tonga
- Licence in Tonga
- Tonga Development Bank Act 1977, checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What rate does the Tonga Development Bank passbook account pay?+
The passbook account pays a headline rate of 1% that is variable, so it can move with the bank. The minimum deposit to open it is TOP 10, and the account is listed as easy access.
What does it cost to keep the account open?+
Keeping the passbook account open costs a monthly fee of TOP 1, and opening it needs a minimum deposit of TOP 10. Loans carry their own charge, with a setup amount settled in cash before the money is released, so that cost sits outside the repayment.
Can I get my money out whenever I want?+
Yes on access: the account is listed as easy access, and the published terms say funds are available on demand with no withdrawal fees. Watch the balance, since the bank pays no return on amounts under its stated minimum, so a small sum sitting there earns nothing.
What happens if I leave the account untouched?+
The published terms charge a dormancy fee each month after a long period without activity, which can eat into a balance paying only 1%. Anyone holding a modest sum is better off moving money in and out, or closing the passbook account, rather than letting it sit.
Is the bank regulated, and is my deposit protected?+
Tonga Development Bank is a statutory bank operating in Tonga (TO) under the Tonga Development Bank Act 1977. It has traded since 1977. Ask the bank what cover applies to your balance before depositing a large lump sum.
Can I borrow from the bank as well as save?+
Yes. The bank is a direct lender and covers personal, secured and car loans. Personal loans run to TOP 15,000 at an APR of 8% to 13% across terms of 12 to 36, and the stated funding time is the same day once the paperwork is complete.
What credit do I need for a loan?+
The bank runs a hard credit check and asks for good credit, plus sufficient collateral, so borrowers with a thin credit file will struggle. Personal loans normally go to existing bank clients, with security valued above the amount borrowed.
How do I get help, and who can open an account?+
Support runs on email, phone and community, so phone and email are both available, alongside community desks. Accounts are for residents of Tonga (TO), with a minimum age to qualify, and personal lending is aimed at existing clients.
Sources
- tdb.to/about-us-contact-us-html checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Support channels
“Head Office - Nuku'alofa, Address Fatafehi, Rd, PO Box 126, Nuku'alofa, Tonga”
- tdb.to/about-us-history-html checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Legal entity, Licences
“1977 - Established under the Tonga Development Bank Act 1977 and opened for business on 1st September”
- tdb.to/accounts-a-products-savings-basic-passbook-saving-... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Access terms, Account kind, Headline rate, Minimum deposit, Monthly fee, Rate type
“Funds available on demand; No withdrawal fees; There will be a Dormancy of $3.00 per mth for accounts not active more than 12 mths”
- tdb.to/loans-faqs-html checked September 26, 2026
Backs: APR, Credit check, Eligibility, Features, Funding time, Term
“interest rates range from 8% to 13.0% per annum variables and on reducing balance basis”
- tdb.to/loans-housing-residential-and-rental checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Initial rate, Maximum loan to value, Purpose
“Residential and rental ... Variable Interest Rate 8.00% pa (from 8.00% pa interest rate)”
- tdb.to/loans-personal-others.html checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Loan amount, Credit needed, Lender type, Loan types, Arrangement fee
“Personal Loan ... Maximum Amount $15,000”
- tdb.to/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Visa-Dr-Fees-Jun-2024.pdf checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card type, Card network
“VISA DEBIT CARD FEES and LOCAL DEBIT CARD FEES”
Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Deposit protection.
Tonga Development Bank
On-demand passbook savings and same-day secured lending for residents and existing clients in Tonga.