Our service turns one online request into a chance to hear from several lenders at once. You tell us how much you need, between $500 and $5,000, and a few facts about your income and situation. We share that request with lenders in our network, and any lender interested in working with you can respond with an offer or next step.
The process is free, and you are never obligated to accept a loan. Below are the four steps, followed by what happens in each one and what to watch for.
Step 1: Submit One Loan Request
The first step is a short online form that asks for your loan amount, purpose, contact details, income, and basic identity information, and most people finish it in a few minutes.
Lenders need accurate details to judge whether they can make you an offer, so the form asks for:
- The amount you want, from $500 to $5,000, and what it is for
- Your name, address, email, and phone number
- Income source, pay frequency, and approximate monthly income
- Date of birth and the last digits or full Social Security number, which lenders use to verify identity
- Whether you have a checking account for deposit and repayment
Use real numbers. An inflated income may get a first response but usually fails verification later. Before you start, our eligibility guide lists what lenders commonly look for, and the request form page walks through each field.
Step 2: Get Matched With Lenders in Our Network
After you submit, we securely share your request with participating lenders, and each lender uses its own criteria to decide whether to respond with an offer, a next step, or nothing.
Matching can take seconds or a little longer. Lenders review factors such as credit history, income, debt-to-income ratio, state of residence, and the amount you asked for. Some run a soft credit check at this stage, which does not affect your score. A lender may run a hard credit check later, usually once you choose to move forward with a full application.
Not every request is matched. If no lender responds, it does not mean you can never borrow; it may mean the amount, your state, or your current credit profile did not fit the lenders available at that moment. You may receive suggestions for related financial products from partners, which you are free to ignore.
Step 3: Compare Offers Side by Side
When a lender responds, compare the APR, any origination fee, the term in months, the monthly payment, and the total repayment amount, because the lowest monthly payment is not always the cheapest loan.
A longer term lowers each payment but adds interest. For example, a representative $2,000 personal loan repaid over 12 months at 24.99% APR would cost about $190.08 per month, or $2,280.94 in total, including $280.94 in interest. This is an estimate; actual terms come from the lender.
Check the lender's disclosures for late fees, returned-payment fees, and whether early payoff carries a penalty. Our rates guide explains how APR and fees fit together. Mainstream personal loan APRs commonly run from about 6% to 36%, and some lenders that serve lower credit scores charge more; your own APR depends on the lender, your credit profile, income, state, amount, and term.
Step 4: Decide, Sign, and Receive Funds
If you accept an offer, you complete the lender's application and sign its loan agreement directly; some lenders can send funds as soon as the next business day after approval and signing, while others take several business days.
At this stage you are working with the lender, not with us. The lender may ask for documents such as pay stubs, bank statements, or a photo ID, and it may run a hard credit check. Respond promptly, because missing documents are the most common cause of delay.
You can also decline every offer. There is no cost and no penalty for walking away. Once a loan funds, repayment, customer service, and any hardship requests go to the lender named in your agreement. Setting up autopay with the lender can help you avoid late fees and protect your credit.
What Using Our Service Costs
Submitting a request, viewing offers, and declining offers through our service costs you nothing; we are paid by lenders and partners, and any loan costs are set by the lender you choose.
Because lenders and partners compensate us, that compensation may affect which offers you see and their order. It does not change the terms a lender extends to you. You can read the full explanation in our advertiser disclosure. Never pay anyone an upfront fee to receive a loan through our network; legitimate lenders deduct fees from the loan or add them to the balance and disclose them in writing.
Tips for a Smoother Request
The smoothest requests come from borrowers who ask for only what they need, enter details that match their documents, and keep their phone and email available after submitting.
- Borrow the smallest amount that solves the problem; smaller balances cost less in total interest.
- Run a payment estimate in our loan calculator before you accept anything.
- Make sure your name and address match your ID and bank records.
- Read every offer's full disclosure before you sign, not just the summary screen.
- If you are already behind on other debts, consider a nonprofit credit counselor before adding a new payment.
The personal loan request in four steps
Every request follows the same four steps, from entering the amount your money stash can't cover to choosing whether to accept an offer from a lender.
- Submit one loan requestFill out our short online form with your loan amount from $500 to $5,000, its purpose, your contact details, and income information. The request is free and takes most people only a few minutes.
- Get matched with lendersWe securely share your request with lenders in our network. Each lender reviews it using its own criteria, which may include a soft credit check, and decides whether to respond with an offer.
- Compare your offersReview each offer's APR, origination fee, term length, monthly payment, and total repayment amount side by side. Read the lender's disclosures for late fees and prepayment rules before choosing one.
- Decide and receive fundsAccept the offer that fits your budget and sign the lender's agreement, or decline them all at no cost. Some lenders can fund as soon as the next business day after approval and signing.
