A lender is defined as a natural or legal person who lends money to another person or entity, the borrower, in exchange for the return of the principal loaned plus interest. If there is no collection of interest, the creditor is not considered a lender.
The lender may be a bank lender, i.e. a financial institution that offers financing, or a non-bank lender, i.e. individuals who lend money directly or through crowlending platforms.