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Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
6.60% - 35.99%
$1,000 to $50,000
36 or 60 months
0.00% - 12.00%
300
Among all our picks for best personal loans for bad credit, Upstart has the lowest minimum credit score requirement. LendingTree users who borrowed from Upstart recommend the lender 99% of the time.
Upstart funded more than 20,000 personal loans to LendingTree users in 2024.
Upstart is an online lending platform that connects borrowers with banks and credit unions. To determine your loan eligibility, it uses AI and considers factors outside of credit history (such as your education and employment). Upstart says this allows it to approve more applicants, including those with bad or no credit.
Upstart loans are limited to just two repayment terms — 36 or 60 months — and come with much higher origination fees than some other lenders. You also can’t add a second person to your loan to try to qualify for lower rates.
Upstart has transparent eligibility requirements, including:
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
18.00% - 35.99%
$1,500 - $20,000
24 to 60 months
$25 to $500, or 1.00% - 10.00%
500
You can get your loan in as little as an hour with OneMain. This is rare — bad credit loans usually take a day or two because the underwriting department has more to review on your credit report. LendingTree users who have used OneMain Financial recommend the lender 94% of the time.
OneMain Financial funded more than 51,000 personal loans to LendingTree users in 2024.
If approved, you could get your money in just an hour with a OneMain Financial loan. All you have to do is use your debit card number to get your money directly deposited into your bank account. OneMain also has 1,300 offices across the country. If you aren’t comfortable applying online, getting in-person help could speed things along.
OneMain loans aren’t cheap. It has high rates and fees. It also calculates interest in a way that stops you from saving much (or any) interest if you pay your loan off early.
OneMain Financial isn’t very transparent about its personal loan eligibility requirements, but it’s possible to qualify even with a credit score as low as 500. Before closing on a loan, you must provide:
OneMain loans are not available in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont or in U.S. territories.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
8.99% - 35.99%
$2,000 to $50,000
24 to 60 months
1.00% - 9.99%
600
Prosper is one of the only true peer-to-peer lenders around. These types of loans can be easier if you have bad credit. Plus, they offer a hardship relief program if you have trouble making payments. LendingTree users who have used Prosper recommend the lender 96% of the time.
Prosper funded more than 700 personal loans to LendingTree users in 2024.
Prosper is an online peer-to-peer lending platform, which means individual investors fund loans instead of banks or lenders. To get a Prosper loan, Prosper needs to approve your application first. Then, investors need to choose to fund your request (almost like GoFundMe). Loans are then originated by WebBank.
This may sound like jumping through hoops, but Prosper says peer-to-peer investors tend to fully fund a loan within one to three days.
Prosper also offers a 0.50% – 1.00% discount on your loan if you open a Teachers Federal Credit Union account during your application, has low credit requirements and provides a hardship relief program for borrowers.
To get a loan with Prosper, you must meet the following requirements:
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
7.99% - 35.99% (with discounts)
$1,000 to $50,000
24 to 84 months
1.85% - 9.99%
580
Upgrade has some of the longest repayment terms on our list. It also offers APR discounts for using autopay, applying all or part of your loan on current debt and using your car as collateral on a secured loan. LendingTree users who have used Upgrade recommend the lender 97% of the time.
Upgrade funded more than 5,000 personal loans to LendingTree users in 2024.
Upgrade is an online lending platform that connects borrowers with banks. Borrowers can receive their loans as quickly as one business day after approval. Upgrade also offers discounts for autopay and repaying 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 qualify for a loan through Upgrade, you must meet the requirements below:
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
7.99% - 29.99%
$2,000 - $50,000
36 to 84 months
0.99% - 9.99%
580
With its secured loans, Best Egg allows consumers with bad credit to increase their approval odds by using their home fixtures as collateral. LendingTree users who have used Best Egg recommend the lender 98% of the time.
Best Egg funded nearly 24,000 personal loans to LendingTree users in 2024.
Best Egg is an online lender with a unique secured personal loan offering: you can use your home’s permanent fixtures as collateral. If you don’t own your home or prefer a loan without collateral, Best Egg offers unsecured loans at APRs ranging from 6.99% to 35.99%.
You could get your loan one to three business days after Best Egg approves you. In most cases, Best Egg will allow you to postpone up to two payments over the life of your loan.
Best Egg uses your home’s permanent fixtures as collateral, but it doesn’t need to appraise those fixtures’ value. Instead, Best Egg will review your credit history and home equity to see if you qualify.
You must also meet the requirements below to qualify for a Best Egg loan:
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
7.90% - 35.99%
$1,000 to $40,000
24 to 72 months
0.00% - 8.00%
600
Unlike some other competitors, LendingClub allows applicants to apply for a joint personal loan with a co-borrower. LendingTree users who have used LendingClub recommend the lender 96% of the time.
LendingClub funded more than 14,000 personal loans to LendingTree users in 2024.
LendingClub is an online digital bank that connects borrowers with investors. It says most of its personal loans are funded within 24 hours of approval.
As an added bonus for borrowers with low credit scores, LendingClub 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, and LendingClub states that it reserves its lowest rates for those with excellent credit.
To be eligible for a LendingClub personal loan, you must meet the following requirements:
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
8.95% - 29.99%
$5,000 to $40,000
24 to 60 months
1.50% - 5.50%
640
Happy Money personal loans are designed to help consumers consolidate high-interest debts. While many of the best lenders charge APRs up to 35.99%, Happy Money caps its rates at 29.99%.
Happy Money funded nearly 20 personal loans to LendingTree users in 2024.
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 if you have bad credit, this lender’s personal loan rates may be lower than your current credit card rates.
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 get a personal loan with Happy Money, the company requires:
Take two minutes to tell us who you are and how much money you need. We’ll take care of the rest. It’s free, simple and secure.
We’ll send you offers from up to five trusted lenders. Compare your offers side by side to see which one will save you the most money.
Choose a lender and finalize your loan quickly. Some people see money in their accounts within 24 hours, depending on the lender they choose.
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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.
Two lenders on our list (Upstart and OneMain Financial) offer personal loans to borrowers with a credit score of 550 or lower. But to qualify for more lenders, there are ways to increase your approval odds.
According to our standardized rating system, the best bad credit loans come from Upstart, OneMain Financial, Prosper, Upgrade, Best Egg, LendingClub and Happy Money.
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 30 lenders that offer personal loans to determine the overall best seven 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:
According to our systematic rating and review process, the best personal loans for bad credit come from Upstart, OneMain Financial, Prosper, Upgrade, Best Egg, LendingClub and Happy Money.
On a monthly basis, LendingTree experts evaluate and fact-check our top lender picks.
