No-Credit-Check Personal Loans in 2025

If you have limited credit history or bad credit (a score from 300 to the high 500s), a no-credit-check personal loan is one way to get funds when you need them. There are a variety of options that let you borrow money without a hard credit inquiry, and each comes with its own features and risks.

Compare no-credit-check loans to other borrowing alternatives, and have a plan to repay the funds to avoid financial trouble.

A no-credit-check personal loan doesn’t require a formal review of your credit history or credit score, which can be attractive for borrowers with bad credit or thin credit profiles. These types of loans can also be enticing if you don’t want a hard credit pull on your record before applying for a mortgage or auto loan.

Lenders may approve you for a no-credit-check personal loan based on a review of your income and bank statements or a valuable asset you put up as collateral. Some may perform a soft credit pull, but it won’t cause your credit score to dip like a hard credit inquiry can.

No-credit-check loans are often a few thousand dollars or less and can be used for a variety of personal reasons, including to cover an emergency or bridge an income gap. They typically have short repayment terms of a few weeks or months.

Not knowing your credit history makes the loan risky for the lender. Many lenders balance that risk by charging triple-digit annual percentage rates. The loans’ short terms can also make them difficult to repay on time, which can lead to repeat borrowing — potentially trapping borrowers in a cycle of debt.

You can get a no-credit-check loan from different kinds of lenders. Each comes with its own risks.

High-interest installment loans

Lenders offering no-credit-check, high-interest loans determine approval by reviewing applicants’ income and bank statements or reviewing information from alternative credit bureaus like Clarity Services from Experian. They may also do a soft credit pull that doesn't affect credit scores.

These loans are available online or from storefronts and often have triple-digit annual percentage rates. Loan amounts are usually a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and repayment terms are typically less than two years.

» MORE: What are high-interest loans and how do they work?

Here are a couple examples of no-credit-check, high interest installment loans:

Risks of high-interest installment loans:

• Your credit score may be damaged. Even if your lender doesn’t require a hard credit inquiry to get a loan, it could still report missed payments to the three major credit bureaus and send you to collections if you fail to repay the loan.

• Short terms can make it difficult to repay the loan on time. The lender may offer to extend your loan term to lower your monthly payment, but this keeps the borrower in debt for longer and drives up the total cost of borrowing.

» MORE: Compare the best personal installment loans

Cash advance apps

You can download a cash advance app to your mobile phone to borrow a small amount of money quickly. These apps generally don’t do hard or soft credit pulls. Instead, they review your income and bank account transaction history to determine whether you qualify for an advance and how much to give you.

Advance amounts are usually between $25 and $750. New users may not qualify for the maximum advance amount but can increase their advance amount over time. The apps typically take repayment for an advance from your next paycheck.

Here are examples of no-credit-check cash advance apps:

Risks of cash advance apps:

• High fees. Cash advance app fees can be high for what you get. Most apps charge a fee for expedited funding — often under $10. Many also ask for an optional tip or charge a subscription fee.

• Upcoming gap in your paycheck. If you can’t tolerate spending part of your upcoming paycheck to repay the app, you could end up returning to the app for more cash to make ends meet — a cycle of debt that’s difficult to break.

Buy now, pay later plans

Buy now, pay later apps usually qualify applicants with a soft credit check rather than a hard inquiry. A BNPL company may increase your loan amounts over time as you borrow and repay the app.

When you use the common pay-in-four plan most BNPL companies offer, you pay for 25% of the purchase at checkout and then rest in 25% biweekly increments over six weeks. There’s usually no interest with these payment plans, but some companies charge a late fee, and returns can be tricky.

Here are a couple examples of no-credit-check BNPL loans:

Risks of buy now, pay later:

• Difficulty budgeting. If you use multiple BNPL apps to make multiple purchases, you could find yourself struggling to keep track of payments, racking up late fees and you may even be reported to collections.

• Growing dependent on payment plans to make ends meet. Relying on these payment plans for basic needs, like groceries, can lead to a cycle of debt if you’re unable to pay off the purchase and cover the rest of your monthly expenses.

Pawnshop loans

Pawnshops will accept a variety of items — jewelry, electronics, collectibles, firearms, tools, musical instruments and more — as collateral for a pawn loan. Instead of reviewing your credit, income or bank statements, the pawnshop will assess the value of your collateral to determine approval and loan amount. The pawnshop may ask for proof of ownership to avoid making loans on stolen goods.

Payment and fees for a pawnshop loan are typically due after 30 to 60 days. You might be able to renew the loan, but it increases the cost and can lead to a cycle of debt. While defaulting on a pawn loan won’t affect your credit, you could end up forfeiting your collateral.

Risks of pawnshop loans:

• You could lose your collateral. Only consider a pawnshop loan if you’re willing to potentially part with the item you’re using as collateral.

• Renewing your loan can lend to a cycle of debt. Extending your pawn loan also increases the cost of borrowing.

Payday loans

Payday lenders may not do a soft credit inquiry or review your bank account information to determine whether you qualify. Instead they require only proof of identification, income and a bank account.

You can get a payday loan from an online or storefront lender. Loan amounts are typically $500 or less, the average annual percentage rate is around 400% and the loans are usually repaid from your next paycheck.

Because of their high rates and short repayment terms, payday loans are known to cause consumers to slip into difficult-to-break debt cycles. NerdWallet doesn’t recommend payday loans if you can avoid them.

Risks of payday loans:

• Cycle of debt risk. Plenty of research shows that consumers who get payday loans often must borrow again after repayment or pay a fee to extend repayment.

• Collections risk. These lenders don’t usually report to the credit bureaus, but borrowers who can’t repay are often subject to high fees and may be sent to collections.

Title loans

If you have a paid-off vehicle, you could leverage your car’s title as collateral to get a title loan. The lender will base your loan amount on a percentage of the vehicle’s resale value, and you typically have a month to repay the loan.

Risks of title loans:

• Could lead to repeated borrowing. The short loan terms can make it difficult to repay your balance on time, which can lead you to rolling over the loan to a new loan and increasing the cost of borrowing money.

• Potential to lose your car. Using your car title as collateral means the lender can take your vehicle if you default.

1. Check your credit and bank account histories: It’s helpful to know what lenders will see when they review your application. Even if a no-credit-check lender only does a soft credit pull, it’s helpful to check your credit reports before you apply to understand what may be working against you. Because these lenders often look at cash flow information in your bank account, it may also help to see how much money you typically have in your account after your bills are paid.

2. Do your research: The last thing you want when you apply for a loan is to be scammed, so research the lender to evaluate their legitimacy. Research multiple lenders to learn the pros and cons of borrowing with them.

3. Gather required information: No-credit-check lenders will typically ask for the basics, such as your name, birthdate, address, email, phone number and Social Security number. The lender may also ask you to connect your bank account. Be sure to have this information ready before you apply.

4. Apply: Once you request a loan, the lender may do a soft credit check, but rest assured that the lender must notify you before doing a hard inquiry, per the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The lender should give you an approval decision quickly after you apply.

5. Make a plan to repay: Before you accept a loan, make sure to understand how much you’ll be required to pay and when, so you can make a firm plan to pay on time and avoid getting stuck in a cycle of debt.

If a loan with no credit check is your best option, here are a few tips to avoid a predatory lender.

• Look for the APR. An APR helps you evaluate the loan’s affordability and compare it with other loans. Most lenders are required by law to disclose the loan’s APR before you sign a loan agreement, but cash advance apps and BNPL companies may not have to.

• Find a lender that assesses your ability to repay. Reviewing your bank account information, doing a soft credit pull, checking alternative credit bureaus and requiring proof of income are all signs that a lender wants you to repay the loan. A lender that doesn’t check your ability to repay may be counting on you to refinance the loan for one with a longer term or get a second loan to pay off the first, which is how a debt cycle begins.

• Understand the repayment terms. Whether you agree to repay the money in two weeks or a few months, know your payment date and how the lender will collect the money. If the lender debits your bank account, make sure the money will be there so you don’t overdraw.

• Review the amortization schedule. If the loan requires multiple payments, ask to see the amortization schedule, which is a table that shows how much of each payment goes toward principal and how much to interest. At least part of each payment should pay down the loan’s principal.

• Look for the lender’s license. Lenders usually must register in states where they operate. Many list their licenses on their websites. 

• Beware of scammers. A reputable lender won’t ask you to pay them before you get a loan. If the lender asks for a gift card or cash before they lend money, it’s likely a scam.

» MORE: How to spot a personal loan scam

Before you get a no-credit-check loan, consider all your alternatives. In general, the easier a loan is to get, the more expensive it could end up being.

» READ OUR GUIDE: Find alternatives to payday and other high-cost loans

Traditional personal loans

Even if you have bad credit or a limited credit history, you may still qualify for a traditional personal loan. The lender will perform a hard credit check, but these loans typically have lower APRs and longer repayment terms than no-credit-check loans. The loan amount may also be higher.

You can increase your odds of getting approved for a personal loan by opting for a secured personal loan or a co-signed or joint loan along with a co-applicant with better credit or higher income.

While banks tend to require good or excellent credit for personal loans, online lenders and credit unions may accept loan applicants with less than ideal credit. Some federal credit unions offer payday alternative loans, or PALs, which are small-dollar loans with maximum APRs of 28%. APRs for regular federal credit union personal loans are capped at 18%.

» COMPARE: Best personal loans for bad-credit borrowers

Family loans

It may be difficult to ask a loved one to help you pay a bill, cover rent or buy groceries, but it can keep you from entering into a contract with a high-interest or payday lender. You and your family member can draw up a formal agreement detailing the loan amount, repayment term and how you’ll repay them.

» MORE: How to borrow from and lend to family

Payment plans

If you’re struggling to cover an upcoming credit card bill, utility bill, medical bill, rent or mortgage payment, inquire about a payment plan. Some creditors and utility companies have hardship programs that let you reduce or extend your payments, but you may have to reach out to your lender or landlord directly.

Local financial assistance programs

There may be nonprofit organizations and charity groups in your community that help people in need with groceries, clothing, transportation, home repairs, utility bills or rent assistance. NerdWallet’s database of local financial assistance programs shares resources available in each state.

Capital Good Fund

Capital Good Fund is a nonprofit lender that accepts borrowers with thin or no credit history for emergency loans up to $1,500 in a handful of states. The lender doesn’t have a minimum credit score requirement but will review any credit history you have. Capital Good Fund also provides loans for immigration expenses and home weatherization in some states.