While bad credit can make it harder to get affordable financing, it doesn’t mean you can’t qualify for a bad credit loan. You just need to look for lenders who offer financial products to people in your credit range.
We’ve ranked and rated our partner lenders to help you find the best bad credit personal loans.
Note that we do not recommend any lender offering loans with APRs above 36%. Before turning to these loans, you should see if you can qualify for the lenders on this page, other loans with rates below 36%, or alternatives highlighted below.
In this guide:
Best Personal Loan Companies with Bad Credit
Personal loan options for bad credit
- Rates from 7.99% APR
- You can check rates without hurting your credit score
- Quick funding
- Rates from 8.13% APR1
- Low minimum loan amount
- 10-day grace period for late payment
Here are brief comments on our personal loan partners who offer loans to people with bad credit.
To improve
Rates (APR)
7.99% – 35.97%
Loan amounts
$1,000 – $35,000
Upgrading is a great option for borrowers on the upper end of the bad credit spectrum, as well as those who need smaller loans.
One of the benefits of upgrading is that you can check your eligibility and rates without affecting your credit score. Also, eligibility is based more on free cash flow compared to other lenders, so you can qualify for a lower rate with Upgrade compared to other bad credit lenders.
- Flexible credit to check rates: Yes
- Filing deadline: The next day
- Creation costs: 2.9% – 8%
- Late charge: $10
- Repayment Terms : 36 or 60 months
Reached
Rates (APR)
6.27%- 35.99%1
Loan amounts
$5,000 – $30,0002
Upstart is another great option for borrowers with bad credit because they offer competitive rates, a wide range of loan amounts, and funding as fast as one business day.3.
You can check your rates without affecting your credit score4 and use the funds for almost any expense. Note that the minimum credit score for Upstart varies depending on the state you live in.
- Flexible credit to check rates: Yes
- Filing deadline: As fast as one business day
- Creation costs: 0% – 10%
- Late charge: $5 or 15% of payment (whichever is greater)
- Repayment Terms : 36 months or 60 months
>> Learn more: How to get a loan without a credit check
How We Choose The Best Bad Credit Loans
To find the best personal loans for bad credit, our editorial team analyzed each of our lending partners for BBB rating, Trustpilot rating, interest rates, loan amounts, terms, deposit times, fees origination fees, late fees, other fees, initial credit draw availability, perks, and more. Learn more about our ratings and methodology here.
If you want to see other options, check out these reviews:
Should you take out a personal loan if you have bad credit?
Why do you need it ?
If you have bad credit and are considering a personal loan, the most important thing you can do is ask yourself why you need this loan. If you’re paying off high-interest debt or have a pressing emergency, a personal loan may be a reasonable financing option.
However, since bad credit personal loans often come with extremely high interest rates and fees, the total cost of the loan is rarely worth unnecessary shopping. As such, you may want to consider other options before using a personal loan to buy a car, renovate your home, or go on vacation.
Can you improve your credit rating first?
If you have bad credit, it’s not the end of the world. You can still qualify for loans from some lenders, but you can decide to wait and improve your credit if you get rejected for a loan or want better interest rates.
There are many ways to improve your credit, but not all are quick fixes. The best way to improve your credit is to borrow responsibly and pay down your debt over time.
If you can increase your score to even 20 points, you may qualify for different lenders and better rates. This can have a huge impact on the final cost of your loan.
Be ready to repay if you take out a loan
If you need to take out a personal loan with bad credit, it’s imperative that you make sure your budget can accommodate repayment obligations for the term of the loan.
By making regular payments, you may find that a personal loan can help you build your credit; however, failure to make timely payments can have a negative effect, leaving your score even lower than it was.
>> Learn more: Where to find small personal loans
What about payday loans?
Although a payday loan may seem like an attractive option for those with bad credit, it generally represents one of the most dangerous loan products on the market today.
Payday lenders offer immediate cash in exchange for automatic payment (by post-dated check or direct debit agreement). However, the repayment includes the loan amount plus a significant amount of interest, often around 400%.
These loans often make it even harder to get out of debt and can hurt your financial future.
>> Learn more: Alternatives for getting out of the payday loan cycle
Alternatives to personal loans for bad credit
Before taking out a loan for bad credit, it is important to determine if there are cheaper alternatives that you can turn to. The main factor in the total cost of your loan (and most financial products) is the interest rate and associated fees.
Here are some guides to other financial products you may want to explore before taking out a bad credit personal loan:
Bottom Line: Finding the Right Bad Credit Loan
Although bad credit can make it harder to get a personal loan, it’s not impossible. There are several lenders who specialize in subprime loans and are willing to work with consumers with poor or no credit.
However, keep in mind that these bad credit loans usually come with high interest rates and limited terms. As such, it’s best to think about the reason for your loan and, if possible, work on improving your credit score before applying.
1 The full range of available rates varies by state. The average 3-year loan offered to all lenders using the Upstart platform will have an APR of 21.97% and 36 monthly payments of $35 per $1,000 borrowed. For example, the total cost of a $10,000 loan would be $12,646, including an origination fee of $626. The APR is calculated based on the 3-year rates offered in the last month. There is no down payment or prepayment penalty. Your APR will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application.
2 Your loan amount will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will be eligible for the full amount. Loans are not available in West Virginia or Iowa. The minimum loan amount in MA is $7,000. The minimum loan amount in Ohio is $6,000. The minimum loan amount in NM is $5100. The minimum loan amount in GA is $3,100.
3 If you accept your loan before 5 p.m. EST (excluding weekends and holidays), you will receive your funds the next business day. Loans used to fund education-related expenses are subject to a 3 business day waiting period between loan acceptance and funding in accordance with federal law.
4 When you check your rate, we check your credit report. This initial (soft) inquiry will not affect your credit score. If you accept your rate and continue with your application, we will do another (hard) credit check which will impact your credit score. If you take out a loan, repayment information will be reported to the credit bureaus.
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