Mariner Finance Personal Loans: 2025 Review

Editor’s note: Mariner Finance did not respond to our most recent request for details regarding its personal loan product. We reviewed its website and attempted to contact company representatives, but some of the information presented here may not be recently verified. Due to the lack of verifiable information, NerdWallet did not give Mariner Finance’s personal loan a star rating.

Mariner Finance offers small to mid-sized personal loans online and in person. These personal loans may be an option for consumers with bad credit (629 or lower score) and those with a history of bankruptcy, but high rates and fees make this lender a less-than-ideal option for most borrowers.

Mariner also engages in some practices that may not be consumer-friendly, like mailing checks to prospective borrowers to provide unsolicited loans. Even if you have a low credit score, it’s worth your time to compare other lenders before applying with Mariner.

» MORE: Best personal loans for bad credit

Table of Contents

Mariner loans at a glance

Where Mariner personal loans stand out and fall short

How to use Mariner Finance personal loans

Lawsuits involving Mariner

Mariner personal loan reviews

Do you qualify for a Mariner personal loan?

How to apply for a Mariner personal loan

How Mariner personal loans compare

Mariner personal loans at a glance

^ Back to table of contents

Where Mariner personal loans stand out

Option to pre-qualify with a soft credit check: Mariner lets borrowers pre-qualify online to see their potential annual percentage rate (APR) without affecting their credit scores. Previewing loan offers helps you determine how the loan fits into your budget and whether to submit a formal application.

Secured loan option: Applicants can secure a Mariner personal loan with a vehicle. Secured loans often have lower APRs because the lender has something valuable to take if you fail to repay the loan. Weigh the benefit of pledging your car against the risk of losing it.

» MORE: Best secured personal loans

Option to add a co-signer: Mariner lets borrowers add a co-signer to their loan application. The co-applicant’s credit and income are taken into account and can help you get approved or get a lower rate, but the co-signer must make payments if you fail to. Mariner says the co-signer does not have to be a family member.

Where Mariner personal loans fall short

Rates are high compared to other lenders: Mariner’s starting APR is high compared to other lenders. Many personal loan lenders have single-digit starting rates.

May charge origination and one-time payment fees: Depending on your state, Mariner may charge an origination fee and a fee for making a one-time payment online or by phone. Origination fees are common with many bad-credit online lenders, but it’s rare to find a lender that charges you to make a payment.

May require an in-person visit: Borrowers can apply online for loans between $1,500 and $15,000, but you'll have to visit a branch for smaller or larger amounts. Mariner may also refer borrowers to a branch to complete their loan application. Few lenders require an in-person visit.

» MORE: Best online loans

Loan-by-mail product: To reach new customers, Mariner uses a loan-by-mail offer, or “live check,” that can be signed and cashed by the recipient. This loan requires no application, but borrowers who cash the check must repay the loan, plus interest. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports several customer complaints against Mariner’s loan-by-mail product.

^ Back to table of contents

How to use Mariner personal loans

^ Back to table of contents

Lawsuits involving Mariner

In 2022, attorneys general in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah, Washington and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against Mariner Finance, accusing the lender of deceptive and misleading practices that led to borrowers paying for add-on products they did not want or know about and refinancing their loans when they did not need to.

According to the lawsuit, Mariner set sales goals and incentives that encouraged employees to deceive and mislead consumers into adding products, like credit insurance to their loan. The lawsuit also accuses Mariner of encouraging customers to refinance their loans in order to generate new loan fees and add-ons.

Mariner called the legal complaint “meritless” in a public statement.

A federal court denied the lender’s motion to dismiss all claims. In 2024, six additional states — Illinois, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin — joined the lawsuit.

^ Back to table of contents

Mariner personal loan customer reviews

As of September 2024, Mariner Finance has 4.2 stars on Trustpilot, a website that collects consumer reviews. Customers mention positive experiences with the company’s customer service team. The lender’s mobile app received 3.8 stars across over 600 reviews on Google Play and 4.4 stars across 1,000 reviews on Apple’s App Store.

^ Back to table of contents

Do you qualify for a Mariner personal loan?

Mariner Finance doesn’t publicly disclose many of its qualification requirements. To apply for a Mariner personal loan, you need:

• A valid, government-issued photo ID.

• A Social Security number.

• Proof of residence.

• Proof of income.

• Your most recent tax return and bank statements, if self-employed.

^ Back to table of contents

How to apply for a Mariner personal loan

Here are the steps to apply for a Mariner loan.

1. Pre-qualify on Mariner’s website. Select “Apply Now” on the lender’s website and choose your loan amount and the reason for the loan. Then, enter personal information like your name, address, email, date of birth and Social Security number. There is no hard credit pull at this stage.

2. Preview loan offers. If you pre-qualify for a Mariner personal loan, review the loan offers and make sure the terms fit within your budget. To accept a loan offer, you’ll submit a formal personal loan application. This could require more documents, like W-2s, pay stubs and bank statements to confirm the information you gave during pre-qualification. In some cases, the lender may refer you to a branch to complete your application. Mariner will also do a hard credit check when you apply, so your credit score could temporarily dip.

3. Make a plan to repay the loan. Because Mariner reports payments to all three major credit bureaus, on-time payments will help build your credit score and missed payments will hurt it. Setting up automatic payments and keeping an eye on your budget are two ways to manage your loan payments.

^ Back to table of contents

Compare Mariner with other lenders

Personal loan lenders offer different rates, loan amounts and special features, so it pays to weigh other options. The best personal loan is usually the one with the lowest APR.

Both OneMain Financial and Avant offer loan amounts and repayment terms similar to Mariner.

OneMain Financial

» MORE: Read our review of OneMain Financial

Avant

» MORE: Read our review of Avant

^ Back to table of contents