How big is the pot in a savings circle?

The pot each round is the number of members times what each pays in. Ten members paying 100 each make a pot of 1,000, and the circle runs for ten rounds so every member collects once.

Is it better to go first or last in a savings circle?

Everyone pays in and receives the same total. Going first works like an interest-free loan paid back over later rounds; going last works like saving up. The order only decides who gets the money early.

Savings circle calculator

Plan a savings circle, stokvel, chama, susu or tanda: see the pot, the date of every turn, and what your own turn means in money paid in before and after you collect. Free, no sign-up, nothing leaves your browser.

MembersEach member pays per round (£)Currency

How oftenFirst roundYour turn (1 = first)

Up to 60 members. This assumes everyone pays the same amount every round and nobody leaves early.

The pot each round

£1,000

You collect number 3 of 10. The circle ends after 10 rounds.

Paid in up to your turn

£300

Still to pay after

£700

Total in and out

£1,000

Up to and including your turn you have paid in £300; the other £700 of your pot is like an interest-free loan you pay back over the later rounds.

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How a savings circle works

A savings circle, or rotating savings and credit association (ROSCA), is a group that agrees an amount, how often to pay and the order of turns. Every member pays in each round, and one member takes the whole pot, until everyone has had a turn. They go by local names such as stokvels in South Africa, chamas in Kenya, susus in West Africa and the Caribbean, and tandas in Mexico.

Why the order matters

Every member pays in and receives the same total, so nobody earns or loses money on the sums alone. An early turn works like an interest-free loan paid back over the later rounds, and a late turn works like saving up. The main risk is a member who stops paying after taking the pot early, so clear written rules, trusted members and recorded payments all help.

Launch your own money app

SendPay lets you launch your own money app under your brand, with GBP, EUR and USD accounts, transfers, branded Visa cards, payment links, invoices and subscriptions, powered by licensed partners. A community could use subscriptions and transfers to collect and pay out a circle's money with a clear record. SendPay isn't a bank and doesn't offer lending.

What is a savings circle? All free tools