How to Get a Personal Loan Without a Credit Check

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Your loan amount will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will qualify for the full amount. Minimum loan amounts vary by state: GA ($3,100), HI ($2,100), MA ($7,000), NM ($5,100), OH ($6,000). If you accept your loan by 5pm EST (not including weekends or holidays), your funds will be sent on the next business day. Loans used to fund education related expenses are subject to a 3 business day wait period between loan acceptance and funding in accordance with federal law.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 proceed with your application, we do another (hard) credit inquiry that will impact your credit score. If you take out a loan, repayment information will be reported to the credit bureaus. Although educational information is collected as part of Upstart’s rate check process, neither Upstart nor its bank partners have a minimum educational attainment requirement in order to be eligible for a loan. This offer is conditioned on final approval based on our consideration and verification of financial and non-financial information. Rate and loan amount are subject to change based upon information received in your full application. This offer may be accepted only by the person identified in this offer, who is old enough to legally enter into contract for the extension of credit, a US citizen or permanent resident, and a current resident of the US. Duplicate offers are void. Closing your loan is contingent on your meeting our eligibility requirements, our verification of your information, and your agreement to the terms and conditions on the www.upstart.com website. The full range of available rates varies by state. The average 5-year loan offered across all lenders using the Upstart platform will have an APR of 24.74% and 60 monthly payments of $26.35 per $1,000 borrowed. For example, the total cost of a $10,000 loan would be $15,808 including a $591 origination fee. APR is calculated based on 5-year rates offered in the last 1 month. There is no down payment and no prepayment penalty. Your APR will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will be approved.

Getting a personal loan without a credit check can be difficult, but there are options available. Unfortunately, many of these loans have high interest rates and fees, which can make them poor choices for most borrowers. If you know where to look and can qualify based on non-credit information, however, you might be able to get a personal loan with favorable terms.

Check Your Credit Report and Score

Before you rush to a lending partner that offers loans without requiring a credit check, it’s a good idea to check your credit. If you’ve never done this before, you might find you have a credit report and credit score that qualifies you for a personal loan.

You can request free copies of your credit reports from the three consumer credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) at AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also get a FICO® Score☉ for free based on your Experian credit report.

Lending partners don’t all use the same scoring models or necessarily check all three of your credit reports, so the score you see may not be the same one that every lending partner uses. Still, many lending partners use a FICO® Score to evaluate new credit applications, so seeing your FICO® Score can give you a good sense of where you fall in the credit score range.

If you don’t need a loan right away, taking time to establish or improve your credit scores may make sense. If you check your FICO® Score through Experian, you’ll get personalized suggestions based on your unique credit history.

Where to Get a Personal Loan With No Credit Check

Some people look for personal loans without a credit check because they have no credit. Others know they likely won’t get approved if there’s a credit check because they have poor credit. It’s an important distinction.

Personal loans are often unsecured loans, meaning they don’t require collateral. As a result, lending partners generally want to review your financial information and credit to make sure you can afford to repay the loan and that you have a history of paying your bills on time.

Lending partners that don’t require a credit check often make up for this lack of information by charging borrowers high interest rates or fees.

For example, payday loans and high-rate installment loans might not require a credit check. Or, if you own a vehicle or valuable property, you may be able to get an auto title loan or pawn loan without a credit check. But these should be last-resort options as their high costs can make them difficult to repay, often resulting in a cycle of reborrowing at astronomical rates.

However, there are increasingly new and better options for people who have no credit score. In these situations, lending partners may focus on other information, such as your relationship with the company, employment history and debt-to-income ratio.

A Few Lower-Cost Options

Here are a few options to explore if you want a personal loan without a credit check:

  • Look into early payday apps to see if you can borrow money based on your income.
  • Reach out to credit unions to see if you can get a payday alternative loan.
  • If you have an account at a community bank or small credit union, contact the local loan officer. You may be able to get a personal loan based on your income and account history.
  • Ask your employer if they offer loans to employees. Some companies have formal policies for employees who’ve been at the company for at least a few years and need a loan for an emergency expense.
  • Some online lending partners

    , such as Experian partner Upstart

  • A loan from a friend or family member could also be an option. However, lending and borrowing money can lead to strained, and sometimes ruined, relationships. If you go that route, make sure to get your agreement in writing and stick to the repayment terms you agree on.

Many of these options don’t require good credit—or any credit at all—but the lending partner may try to check your credit. In some cases, having no credit may be better than having poor credit.

How to Apply for a Personal Loan

The application process for a personal loan can vary depending on the lending partner and the type of loan. Some lending partners have streamlined online applications with step-by-step instructions you can follow. With others, your best option may be to call or visit a local branch and speak to a loan officer.

While there might not be a credit check, you may still have to prove your identity and income, and provide other documentation. When preparing to apply for a personal loan, you may want to gather:

  • A copy of a valid government-issued photo identification
  • Recent pay stubs or other proof of income, such as recent tax returns
  • Your employment history and contact information for your employers
  • Recent bank statements
  • Education history
  • Personal and professional references

Build Your Credit and Get Personal Loan Offers

Once you’ve established credit, you can also use the features and tools in a free Experian account to build, monitor and use your credit.

Experian Boost™† is a free app that you can use to connect your bank account and add utility, phone and popular streaming service bills to your Experian credit report. These extra accounts and on-time payments can help improve your FICO® Score.

Your Experian account also comes with free credit monitoring and a FICO® Score for free based on your Experian report. If you want to put your credit to use, you can use Experian CreditMatchTM to compare credit card and loan offers. In some states, you can also receive personalized offers based on your credit profile.