Bad credit loans · $200–$5,000
A low score
isn't a no.
Lenders in the FrontPay network don't set a minimum credit score. They approve on what your bank account shows: regular income coming in, payments going out on time. Scores in the 500s are common among people we fund. What a low score changes is the rate, and you'll see that rate before you decide anything.
Where you are on the scale
matters less than you think.
FICO runs 300 to 850. Banks start saying no around 660. Our lenders keep going.
Deep rebuild
Approval possible on strong, regular income. Expect smaller amounts and short-term or installment terms.
Most of our borrowers
Installment loans $500–$2,500 are typical. Reporting here is where credit starts to move.
Fair
Full installment range; some lenders will quote personal-loan pricing with steady income.
Good and up
You're not really a bad-credit applicant. See personal loans for the lowest rates.
What lenders actually look at.
A score is a summary of your past. These four things describe your present, and they're what the approval runs on.
Income, any kind
Wages, gig earnings, benefits, a pension. Regular matters more than large. Gig income · SSI / SSDI
Bank history
Ninety days of statements: deposits landing, no string of returned payments or overdrafts. Direct deposit not required.
Existing debt
What already comes out each month. A new payment has to fit next to it, and lenders check that it does.
Your state
State law sets the maximum amount and APR, and whether short-term loans are offered at all. Check yours.
What bad credit costs, in dollars.
Monthly payment on a $1,500 installment loan over 12 months at APRs typical for each band. We'd rather you see this table than find out on the contract.
| Credit | Typical APR | Monthly | Total repaid | Cost of borrowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good (680+) | 17.99% | $137.51 | $1,650.15 | $150.15 |
| Fair (620–679) | 35.99% | $150.69 | $1,808.23 | $308.23 |
| Rebuilding (540–619) | 89.00% | $193.07 | $2,316.82 | $816.82 |
| Deep rebuild (under 540) | 149.00% | $246.85 | $2,962.18 | $1,462.18 |
Illustrative APRs; state caps apply and many states don't permit the higher bands. If the payment on your offer doesn't fit your month, decline it; nothing is reported. Pay early and the cost falls. Rates & fees · Calculator
Borrow once.
Leave with a better file.
Most installment lenders in our network report every payment to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Used well, the loan that got you through the bill also rebuilds the score that made it expensive.
- Month 1The new account appears. Your score may dip a few points from the hard inquiry; utilization doesn't change because it's a loan, not a card.
- Months 2–6Each on-time payment is reported. Payment history is 35% of a FICO score, the largest single factor. This is where thin files start to thicken.
- Months 6–12If card balances were paid down with the loan, utilization has dropped too. Many borrowers see the biggest movement here.
- PayoffA closed account "paid as agreed" stays on your file for ten years, working for you the whole time.
- Auto-pay on payday, so the payment is never late. One 30-day late undoes months of progress.
- Pay extra when you can; interest stops accruing on what you've paid down.
- Keep card balances under 30% of their limits while you repay.
- Don't take a second loan to make the first payment. Call the lender's hardship line instead.
- Don't open other new accounts for six months; each inquiry costs a few points.
- Don't pick a short-term loan if credit building is the goal; those are rarely reported.
Bad credit attracts bad actors.
Three phrases that should end the conversation. More in scam alerts.
No licensed lender can promise approval before seeing an application. Anyone who does is selling your data or planning to charge a fee and vanish.
Advance-fee fraud. Licensed lenders deduct any fee from the loan or add it to the APR; they never ask you to send money first. Report it to the CFPB.
A lender that checks nothing is pricing in a lot of defaults, and you're paying for them. Expect triple-digit APRs and a title or a paycheck as collateral.
Bad credit questions
More in the full FAQ.