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| Lender | User ratings | Best for… | Minimum credit score | APR | Loan amounts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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User Ratings & Reviews
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services. | Bad credit loans with quick funding | 580 | 9.95% - 35.95% | $2,000 to $35,000 | See Personalized Results |
 | Debt consolidation for bad credit | 640 | 11.72% - 24.67% | $5,000 to $40,000 | See Personalized Results | |
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User Ratings & Reviews
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services. | Bad credit loans with a co-borrower | 600 | 9.57% - 35.99% | $1,000 to $40,000 | See Personalized Results |
 | Bad credit secured loans | Not specified | 18.00% - 35.99% | $1,500 to $20,000 | See Personalized Results | |
 | Bad credit loans with long terms | 580 | 8.49% - 35.99% | $1,000 to $50,000 | See Personalized Results | |
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User Ratings & Reviews
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services. | Bad credit borrowers with thin credit histories | 300 | 6.40% - 35.99% | $1,000 to $50,000 | See Personalized Results |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
No prepayment penalties May receive funds as soon as the next business day May consider household income instead of just individual income | Charges late and dishonored payment fees Charges an origination fee Can only borrow up to $35,000 |
Avant has higher interest rates than some lenders, but you may receive your loan faster than competitors. After approval, you may receive your funds within one business day. This online lender also offers a 10-day grace period with no late fees if you’re not able to make payments on time.
While Avant does charge an origination fee — up to 9.99% — it is much lower than what other lenders list. Minimum loan amounts may vary by state.
To learn more, read our full Avant personal loan review.
Avant doesn’t provide much insight into its personal loan requirements. Applicants must have a 580 minimum credit score and can’t live in the following states:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
No application or late fees No prepayment penalties May offer lower interest rates than credit cards | No joint applications available Loans can only be used toward paying off credit cards Funding timeline can be slow |
Happy Money bad credit loans are specifically available to help borrowers pay off credit card debt. While you may not be eligible for Happy Money’s lowest interest rates, their personal loan rates may be lower than those on your current credit card.
If this lender approves you, you can typically expect to see your funds deposited into your account within three to six business days. This is much slower than other lenders on this list.
To learn more, read our full Happy Money personal loan review.
You’ll need to meet the following requirements to be eligible for a personal loan with Happy Money:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
15-day grace period if you’re late on payments Allows for co-borrowers Option to pay creditors directly if using funds to consolidate debt | High maximum APRs Charges late fees Charges an origination fee between 3.00% - 8.00% |
LendingClub is a peer-to-peer lending marketplace where you can borrow up to $40,000. You may also change your due date with LendingClub, but be sure to check how changing your payment deadlines could affect your interest rates.
As an added bonus for borrowers with low credit scores, LendingClub also offers joint personal loans. The option to add a co-borrower may make it easier for some applicants with poor credit to qualify for a personal loan.
To learn more, read our full LendingClub personal loan review.
To qualify for a personal loan with LendingClub, you’ll need to:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Offers both secured and unsecured loans Ability to change your payment due date No prepayment fees | APR is higher than some other lenders Charges late fees Small maximum loan amount |
OneMain Financial has the lowest loan amount cap ($20,000) on our bad credit loans lender list, so this company may be best for those searching for bad credit small personal loans.
While OneMain Financial’s interest rates are fairly high, they may be lower than what you find with other bad credit loan companies and predatory lenders.
OneMain Financial charges late fees either ranging from $5 to $30, or as a percentage of your entire monthly payment charge (or the late portion of your monthly payment), which can range from 1.5% to 15%.
To learn more, read our full OneMain Financial personal loan review.
When you apply for a OneMain Financial bad credit loan, you’ll likely need to provide documentation such as your Social Security card, proof of residence, proof of income and a government-issued ID. OneMain Financial doesn’t provide specific details on eligibility criteria, but it does take the following into consideration:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Can receive funds in as little as one business day Offers autopay discount Offers auto secured loans | Charges $10 late fees and $10 failed payment attempt fees Charges an origination fee High maximum APR |
This online lender not only offers a wide range of loan terms that consumers can choose from. Borrowers can receive their loans as quickly as one business day after approval. Furthermore, you could get a discount on your rates if you sign up for autopay and repay some of your current debts directly.
However, not only does Upgrade charge an origination fee (ranging from (1.85% - 9.99%), but if borrowers are unable to keep up with their payments, this online lender also charges late and failed payment attempt fees.
To learn more, read our full Upgrade personal loan review.
While Upgrade doesn’t offer clear-cut criteria on its website, to qualify for a personal loan, you must:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Loans can be used toward education-related expenses Can receive funds in one business day Flexible loan amount options | No option to apply with a co-borrower Limited loan terms High maximum APR |
Like Upgrade, Upstart offers flexible loan amounts to borrowers, providing larger personal loans for poor credit than many other conventional lenders. Its application process may make it easier for some consumers with thin credit histories to qualify, since this lender also takes into account your education, areas of study and employment history.
Upstart loans are limited to just two repayment terms — 36 and 60 months — and come with much higher origination fees than some other lenders.
To learn more, read our full Upstart personal loan review.
Aside from meeting Upstart’s minimum credit score requirements, potential borrowers will also have to meet the following criteria:
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The easiest way to get a loan if you have bad credit may be to seek a payday loan or pawn shop loan, since you’re not required to submit to a credit check for either. However, it’s typically best to avoid these types of loans, as they can be predatory and often involve exorbitant fees and high interest rates. Instead, consider applying for a loan with a reputable lender that offers personal loans to borrowers with bad credit.
While many trustworthy lenders won’t offer you a personal loan if you have a credit score of 550 or lower, there are other ways you may be eligible to get a loan.
The list above outlines what we believe to be some of the best companies for loans for bad credit. To apply for a loan with the lenders mentioned in this article, you’ll typically need to submit to a credit check and verify your identity, address, income and employment status.
How much money you’ll be able to borrow with a bad credit loan will vary from lender to lender. Personal loans typically range anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000, though certain lenders may offer even smaller or larger loans in some cases.
Unfortunately, if you have bad credit and you receive a personal loan, chances are that you may be paying higher rates. This can make it more challenging to get out of debt, particularly if you’re already struggling financially. If you find yourself buried in debt, you can consider other options, such as bankruptcy.
There is no such thing as a no-credit-check loan. What you may encounter are predatory offers from unscrupulous lenders who’ll charge you exorbitant interest rates or offer unfavorable terms (or both), and require you to put up collateral, like your vehicle or next paycheck. These products are commonly known as payday loans.
While payday loans don’t require a credit check, they do often come with triple-digit APRs and short repayment periods. Because it can be easy to roll over your original payday loan into a new one, you could get stuck in an infinite cycle of debt that’s hard to escape.
We reviewed more than 28 lenders that offer personal loans to determine the overall best six lenders with a credit score requirement at or below 640. To make our list, lenders must offer competitive annual percentage rates (APRs). From there, we prioritize lenders based on the following factors:
LendingTree reviews and fact-checks our top lender picks on a monthly basis.
