Why does Maclear offer high interest rates: what determines APR for investors?
06/24/2026
3 min
Maclear offers 14–16% APR — and up to 16.5% with bonuses — because investors lend directly to businesses, bypassing the bank margin entirely. In a traditional bank, the spread between deposit rates and lending rates stays with the bank. In crowdlending, that spread goes to the investor. Rates are fixed per project, determined by borrower risk profile, and vary from 14% to 16%+ across the rating scale.
In a traditional bank, the spread between what depositors earn and what borrowers pay stays with the bank. In crowdlending, investors lend directly to businesses — which is why the returns are structurally higher.
Maclear's borrowers are small and medium-sized businesses based primarily in Eastern Europe. Bank access for SMEs in this region is limited: base lending rates run 7–10% annually, and banks typically require hard collateral rather than lending against contracts or cash flow. Speed also has a price — a growing company will pay a premium for capital available in weeks rather than months. When a business earns significantly more on invested capital than it pays on the loan, a higher rate remains economically rational.
What determines the APR on each Maclear project?
The rate on each project reflects its individual risk profile. Maclear assigns every borrower a credit rating using a proprietary grading scale from D to AAA — mirroring the structure of major credit rating agencies:
AAA / AA / A — lower risk; asset-backed projects with strong financial history and low leverage. APR range: 14–14.5%
BBB / BB / B — medium risk; growing businesses with solid fundamentals but shorter track record or higher LTV. APR range: 14.5–15.5%
CCC / CC / C — higher risk; higher leverage or earlier-stage projects. APR range: up to 16%+
D — not listed. Projects below the minimum threshold are rejected at the due diligence stage.
Are Maclear interest rates fixed or variable?
All rates are fixed for the duration of the loan. Investors know their return before they commit, and it does not change after investment.
What is the average APR on Maclear?
Current projects on Maclear offer APR in the 14–16% range. Bonus programs — referral, loyalty, cashback — can bring the effective return up to 16.5% per year.
Risk disclosure: Interest rates shown are based on project listings as of XXXXXX and are subject to project availability. Crowdlending involves risk, including the possible loss of capital. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Regulatory disclosure: Maclear AG, registered in Switzerland, member of PolyReg SRO, a self-regulatory organization supervised by FINMA.