Should you borrow this week? A checklist
Ten honest questions to answer before you take Detour Capital or any other short-term loan.
23 October 2026 Detour Knowledge Hub 4 min read
Short-term borrowing is a tool. Used for the right thing, at the right time, it keeps your week moving. Used for the wrong thing, it moves today's problem into next week and adds a cost to it.
Go through this checklist before you ask for Detour Capital, or any other loan. It is general information to help you think, not financial advice.
Part one: what is it for?
- Is this a one-off? A repair, a licence disk, a slow week in an otherwise good month. One-offs are what short-term borrowing is for.
- Or is it a gap that shows up most weeks? If a normal week does not cover your costs, borrowing will not fix that. Changing a fixed cost will.
- Will it help you earn? Getting the car back on the road or filling up for busy shifts usually pays for itself. Spending that does not help you earn needs a harder look.
Part two: can next week carry it?
- Do you know the full amount you will pay back? On Detour Capital it is R720 on On-The-Go, R1 270 on Professional Driver and R2 870 on MyOwnBoss.
- Will your next week's Uber earnings cover that repayment AND your normal costs for the week?
- Is anything else big due next week? School fees, rent, a service?
- Do you already owe someone else? If yes, adding a second loan rarely helps.
Part three: are there other options?
- Do you have any money put away for a week like this?
- Could the workshop take part now and the rest later, or could the cost wait a week?
- Have you checked what your plan already covers? Roadside help, licence renewal and fine payment are part of some Detour plans.
How to read your answers
| If... | Then... |
|---|---|
| It is a one-off, and next week can carry the repayment | Detour Capital may be a sensible way through the week. |
| It is a gap you have most weeks | Look at your fixed costs or your plan first. Borrowing will repeat the problem. |
| Next week cannot carry the repayment | Do not borrow. Talk to us or to whoever you owe about other options. |
| You already owe someone else | Pay down what costs you most first. Do not borrow to repay a loan. |
Only borrow what you already know next week can pay back.
If you decide to go ahead
- Ask in the Detour driver app. You see what you pay back before you ask.
- Each request is assessed, so approval is not guaranteed.
- If approved, read the quotation and credit agreement before you accept.
- The money goes into your Detour Drive Account.
- The full amount comes off your next week's Uber earnings in one payment. If those earnings will not cover it, we contact you first.
Only take what next week can carry.
Go to Detour Capital
