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$5,000 loan · our maximum

Five thousand dollars, and what it takes to be offered it.

$5,000 is the top of our network's range. It's the amount where income, account history and credit all get a proper look, and where the rate you're offered can differ by a factor of three. Three borrowers below; find yours.

See your $5,000 offer Meet the three borrowers

Three people ask for $5,000.

Composite profiles built from the lenders' published criteria, not real customers. The offers are what each would realistically see on the screen.

Maya, 34Dental hygienist · Ohio
Credit score
712
Take-home
$4,300 / month
Existing debt payments
$640 / month
Account
2 years, rarely under $200
Reason
Two cards into one

Full amount, low rate. The cards she's clearing run 24–29%, so the loan cuts her monthly cost and gives the debt an end date.

Likely offer · personal loan$235.34 × 24about 11.99% APR · $5,648.26 repaid
Jordan, 41Warehouse lead · Texas
Credit score
623
Take-home
$3,600 / month
Existing debt payments
$410 / month
Account
14 months, 2 overdrafts this year
Reason
Medical balance in collections

Full amount at the fair-credit rate; the payment is 8% of take-home, which the lender likes. Twelve months would be $502.29 and save $1,057.63.

Likely offer · installment loan$295.21 × 24about 35.99% APR · $7,085.05 repaid
Sam, 27Rideshare + bartending · Arizona
Credit score
561
Take-home
$2,900 / month, uneven
Existing debt payments
$380 / month
Account
9 months, cash deposits weekly
Reason
Car he drives for work

The income is real but uneven and the account is young, so most lenders counter at $2,500–$3,500. Accepting $3,000 and reapplying for the rest after six clean payments is the usual path.

Likely offer · smaller than asked$177.13 × 24on $3,000, about 35.99% APR · a counter-offer, or a lender that passes

Illustrations at 11.99% and 35.99% APR. Representative example: $2,500 over 12 months at 35.99% APR is $251.14 a month, $3,013.71 total. Your offer shows your rate, payment and total before you sign; declining costs nothing. Gig income: loans for gig workers.

The climb from $500 to $5,000.

What a lender needs to see gets taller with the amount. Everything on the left column is still true on the right; the right just adds to it.

$500

Income arriving in the account, any kind

Account open 60–90 days

$1,000

Payment fits under ~12% of take-home

Few recent overdrafts

$2,000

Existing debt leaves room (DTI roughly under 45%)

No stack of fresh applications

$3,500

Steadier deposit pattern, 6+ months

Proof of income on request

$5,000

All of the left, plus a hard inquiry at acceptance

Score in the 600s for the full amount; lower needs strong income

Lender criteria vary and state caps apply first: several states cap small-dollar loans under $5,000. Loans by state · Requirements

Or borrow a little less.

Every $500 you don't borrow is roughly $208.51 less interest over 24 months at 35.99%. If the bill is $4,200, ask for $4,200; a round number costs real money. Slide to see the difference.

Compared with $5,000 over 24 months at 35.99% APR.

$2,000$3,500$5,000
—a month × 24
—less interest than $5,000
—total interest
—lower monthly payment

$5,000 loan
questions

More in the full FAQ.

What's the payment on a $5,000 loan?
Over 24 months: $235.34 at 11.99% APR (personal loan, good credit) or $295.21 at 35.99% (installment, fair credit). Over 12 months at 35.99%: $502.29. The three profiles above show who gets which.
What credit score do I need for $5,000?
No fixed cutoff. Below about 600 the maximum offer is usually smaller than $5,000 unless income is strong; mid-600s and up sees the full amount as a personal loan at a lower rate. Income and account history carry more weight than the score at every level.
What income do I need?
Using the 12% rule: about $2,000 a month take-home for the good-credit 24-month plan, $2,500 for the fair-credit one. Lenders will also want the existing debt payments to leave room; total debt payments above about 45% of gross income is where $5,000 becomes $3,000.
Will there be a hard credit check?
Seeing offers is soft. Accepting a $5,000 offer is the amount most likely to involve a hard inquiry and a request for pay stubs or a tax document, because the lender is carrying the most risk it carries. Decline and nothing is pulled.
Is $5,000 the maximum?
For our network, yes. Lenders cap at $5,000 and many states cap lower; your state's ceiling applies first. If you need more than that, a credit union or a bank personal loan is the next step up, and worth the slower process.

Keep reading.

Personal loansFrom 5.99% APR for stronger credit$2,000 loanPick the term that fits the monthDebt consolidationCards into one paymentRequirementsWhat lenders ask for, by amount
$200–$5,000Soft check · $0 to apply
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