Best Same-Day Emergency Loans in December 2025
We’ve named SoFi the best for same-day emergency loans overall, thanks to a long application window and no required fees
Same-day emergency loan lenders
Best for: Overall emergency loans – SoFi
- Application cutoff time for same-day loans is later than most (6 p.m. ET)
- No required fees
- Loans come with other perks like a free financial planning consultation
- Requires at least good credit
- Must borrow at least $5,000
Even with a same-day loan lender, you might not get your money the day you apply. If you apply late, the lender may not have time to review your application before closing.
With SoFi, same-day emergency loans are still possible as long as you apply by 6 p.m. ET on a business day. SoFi personal loans also come with one free financial planning consultation. This could come in handy, especially when borrowing money because of an emergency.
A SoFi personal loan won’t work for you if you need less than $5,000. And although no fees are required, you can pay an origination fee for a lower rate. Compare offers that do and don’t include the fee to see which one works better for you.
You must meet the requirements below to get a loan from SoFi:
- Age: Be the age of majority in your state (typically 18)
- Citizenship: Be a U.S. citizen, an eligible permanent resident or a non-permanent resident (a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — DACA — program recipient or asylum-seeker, for instance)
- Employment: Have a job or job offer with a start date within 90 days, or have regular income from another source
- Credit score: 680+
Best for: Home emergencies – LightStream
- Extra long loan terms can help you more easily manage your monthly payments
- No home appraisals or inspections
- Won’t lose your house if you don’t pay back your loan
- Must have good to excellent credit
- Can’t check rates without hurting your credit score
- Same-day loan cutoff time is 2:30 p.m. ET, sooner than some lenders
If you need money for an unexpected home repair, consider LightStream. You could borrow up to $100,000 and have 240 months to pay it off. Longer loan terms lead to lower monthly payments. You’ll pay more overall interest with a longer term, but it may be worth it.
LightStream’s home emergency loans are unsecured. Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) use your house as collateral. Although collateral usually means a lower rate, putting your house on the line can be risky. Home equity loans and HELOCs take longer to get, too — most require a home appraisal and inspection.
LightStream doesn’t specify its exact credit score requirements, but you must have good to excellent credit to qualify. Most of the applicants that LightStream approves have the following in common:
- At least five years of on-time payments under a variety of accounts (credit cards, auto loans, etc.)
- Stable income and can handle paying their current debt obligations
- Savings, whether in a bank account, investment account or retirement account
Best for: Bad credit emergency loans – OneMain Financial
- Can qualify with a 500 credit score
- May get your money within an hour as long as you get it sent to your debit card
- Physical branches if you want to apply in person
- All loans have an origination fee
- Due to a higher starting rate, probably not the best choice if you have strong credit
Getting a loan with bad credit isn’t always fast. Usually, the lender typically has more to review, drawing out the process. With OneMain Financial, you could have your loan within the hour if you get it sent to your debit card.
You can almost certainly find lower rates elsewhere if you have excellent credit. Also, OneMain charges an origination fee — a flat fee or a percentage, depending on your state. This makes the loan more expensive than it already is.
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 may need to provide:
- Government-issued identification (such as a driver’s license or passport)
- Proof of residence (such as a rental agreement or utility bill)
- Proof of income (such as pay stubs or tax returns)
OneMain loans are not available in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont or in U.S. territories.
Best for: First-time borrowers – Rocket Loans
- Verifies your information online so you don’t have to upload paperwork
- May feel less overwhelming to apply since there’s only two loan terms to choose from
- Can get your loan the same day as long as you sign before 4 p.m. ET
- Can’t pay via mobile app
- Can’t apply with another person and get a joint loan
- Might find a lower rate somewhere else if you have excellent credit
It can be intimidating to apply for an emergency loan. Rocket Loans’ process is easy. You’ll do everything entirely online, from application to verification. You won’t have to worry about uploading pay stubs and other documents.
Rocket Loans does have an online dashboard but unfortunately, it doesn’t have an app for its personal loans. You also can’t add a cosigner or co-borrower. This common tactic can boost your approval odds or get you a better rate.
To qualify for Rocket Loans, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:
- Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen
- Age: 18 or older
- Income: Minimum annual income of $24,000
- Residency: Can’t live in Iowa, Maryland, Nevada or West Virginia
- Credit score: 620+
Best for: U.S. Bank clients – U.S. Bank
- Can get your money within hours if you’re a U.S. Bank customer
- Personal line of credit available for current clients
- No origination fees
- Must wait one to four business days if you don’t have a U.S. Bank checking account
- Can only borrow up to $25,000 unless you’re a current client
- Might not qualify with bad credit
U.S. Bank offers same-day emergency loans to current clients. If you aren’t a client, you could consider opening a checking account before applying for your loan. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait one to four business days.
U.S. Bank also reserves its biggest loans for current clients, as well as other financing options like personal lines of credit (PLOCs).
U.S. Bank doesn’t specify its minimum credit score requirements, but you check your eligibility without impacting your score.
U.S. Bank considers the following when deciding whether to approve you for a loan:
- Credit score
- Credit history
- Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio
How to shop emergency loan rates with LendingTree
When every dollar counts, comparing your options can make a big difference. LendingTree users can save around $1,659 on average by reviewing at least six personal loan offers and choosing the one with the lowest rate. Here’s how.
Tell us what you need
Take two minutes to tell us who you are and how much money you need. It’s free, simple and secure.
Shop your offers
LendingTree users who get at least one offer receive 20 personal loan offers on average. Compare your offers side by side to get the best deal.
Get your money
Pick a lender and sign your loan paperwork. You could see money in your account in as soon as 24 hours.
How to choose an emergency loan
It’s understandable to feel rushed when money is tight, but take a moment to understand the details before you accept an emergency loan. Here are a few key things to check before you borrow.
Consider funding speed
- Time for an approval decision: Many personal loan lenders give instant or near-instant approval decisions, but not all. See how long it’ll be before you hear back about your loan application before applying.
- Time until funds are sent: Once you’ve been approved, direct deposit is usually the quickest way to get your money. All of the emergency loan lenders featured on this page offer same-day loans.
Compare costs
- Annual percentage rate (APR): APR measures the total cost of your loan, including interest and fees. The higher the APR, the more expensive the loan. Use our personal loan calculator to see how your rate can impact your bottom line.
- Origination fees: Some lenders charge an origination fee, especially if you have bad credit. Origination fees are usually a percentage of the loan amount you requested. You generally won’t pay this up front. Instead, the lender will deduct it from your loan.
- Loan terms: A loan term tells you how long you have to pay back what you borrowed. A longer loan term means a lower monthly payment but more overall interest. Longer loan terms also have higher interest rates, generally.
Look over features
- Due date flexibility: Not all lenders allow due date extensions. If possible, look for lenders that are flexible and offer financial hardship assistance.
- Mobile app availability: If you want to manage your emergency loan from your phone, choose a lender that offers a mobile app.
- Other perks: Some emergency loans come with other perks too, like SoFi’s free financial planning session.
Assess customer service
- LendingTree personal loan reviews: Read real personal loan reviews written by LendingTree users. This can give you an idea of the lender’s level of customer service.
- Complaint database: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) maintains a customer complaint database. This is a great resource to see what a lender’s pain points are, such as funding speed.
- Customer service hours: See when the lender’s customer service department is open in case you need help in the future. Also check for alternative ways to get in touch, like chat or email.
Emergency loan alternatives
If you’ve reviewed the pros and cons of emergency loans and have decided that they’re not a good fit, don’t worry. There are other options that might make more sense for your particular situation.
Paycheck advance app
Best for people with a steady paycheck
A paycheck advance app lets you borrow from your paycheck before you actually get paid. Some take the money directly from your paycheck, but most require an automatic payment on your payday.
If you’re new to a paycheck advance app, you might only be able to borrow a small amount ($10 to $50, for example).
Buy now, pay later
Best for emergency purchases
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) lets you split up purchases, usually into four equal payments paid over six weeks, with 25% down.
Most people use BNPL for clothes and accessories, but some use it to bridge the gap for essentials. According to our BNPL tracker, 25% of BNPL users have used these apps to pay for groceries.
Credit card
Best for people who can pay off their charge in 30 days
Credit cards can help in an emergency. But beware: If you can’t pay off your total balance by the end of your billing cycle, you could end up with a lot of debt.
Credit card interest usually compounds daily when you carry a balance from month to month. That means that after your billing cycle, interest gets added to your total balance every day — even if you make the minimum payment.
Applying for a credit card might help you if your emergency requires you to pay in person. While you’ll still need to wait for the physical card to arrive, many issuers provide an instant credit card number you can use for online purchases right away.
How we chose the best emergency loans
We reviewed more than 40 lenders and loan marketplaces to determine the overall best five same-day emergency loans. To make this list, the company must have the ability to send funds the same day that it approves an applicant.
From there, we assessed each lender or marketplace across four categories: eligibility and access; cost to borrow; loan terms and options; repayment support and tools.
According to our systematic rating and review process, the best same-day emergency loans come from SoFi, LightStream, OneMain Financial, Rocket Loans and U.S. Bank.
Our categories
We assess how easy it is for people to qualify and apply. This includes state availability, soft-credit prequalification, membership requirements, funding speed and whether borrowers with less-than-excellent credit can get a loan.
We evaluate how affordable the loans are based on minimum and maximum APRs, loan fees and rate discounts. Lenders with unclear or potentially predatory costs receive lower scores.
We consider repayment term flexibility, loan amount ranges and whether options like secured loans, joint loans or direct-to-creditor payments are offered — plus whether the lender clearly communicates these options.
We evaluate borrower experience after funding: customer service access, hardship or forbearance programs, payment flexibility and digital tools like mobile apps or credit monitoring.
Our process
We gather data directly from companies through their websites, disclosures and direct communication with company representatives. Our editorial team verifies and updates information regularly. We value transparency and award less favorable scores when lenders obscure or omit details.
Our editorial team applies the same scoring model and standards to every lender. Lenders cannot pay to influence our ratings.
Frequently asked questions
An emergency loan is a personal loan with same- or next-day funding. If you’re approved, the lender will usually send you your money via direct deposit. Then, you’ll pay your loan back in equal monthly installments, plus interest.
From medical bills to unexpected vet visits to car repairs, you can use an emergency loan for nearly anything.
You can get your loan the same day that you apply, depending on the lender. All of the lenders on this page offer same-day emergency loans — but when you apply also matters.
Make sure to get your application in by the lender’s cutoff time so it can review and fund your loan before the end of the business day. You can usually find this in the lender’s disclaimer section at the bottom of its main page.
The credit score needed for an emergency loan varies by lender. You may qualify for an emergency loan through OneMain Financial as long as your score is 500+. Others, like LightStream, require good to excellent credit (670+).
If you aren’t sure where you stand, check your credit score for free with LendingTree Spring. We’ll even give you personalized strategies that could boost your credit.
Not usually. Most lenders don’t process loan applications on weekends or holidays.
No, payday loans are not the same thing as emergency loans.
A payday loan is a small-dollar loan that is due in full the next time you get paid. If you can’t repay, you may have to roll your original loan into a new one — starting a cycle of debt. Payday loans are very expensive and you should avoid them if at all possible.
An emergency loan is a type of personal loan. Although it varies, loan amounts typically range from $1,000 to more than $50,000. Loan terms are longer, too — usually 12 to 60 or 84 months.
If you’re thinking about getting a payday loan, consider an emergency loan for bad credit instead. Rates will be higher and terms will be shorter than a typical emergency loan, but they’re usually better than what you’ll find with a payday lender.