Compare Bad Credit Loans
- Compare a range of loan options designed for borrowers with bad credit ratings
- Protect your credit file and see which loans you qualify for using our partner's eligibility checker*
Choose your loan type
As a result of Coronavirus (Covid-19) some loan providers have put lending restrictions in place or temporarily withdrawn their products from comparison sites and/or the wider market, therefore you may see fewer providers than normal.
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Norton Finance Personal Loan - For homeowners only
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Loan Type
Unsecured
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Representative APR
15.4% APR
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Available Amounts
£3,000 to £25,000
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Min / Max Terms
1 to 25 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be aged 18 to 80
- Must be a homeowner
- Must have a minimum income of £7,500 per year from employment, pension or benefits
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Loan Type
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Oplo Personal Loan
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Loan Type
Unsecured
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Representative APR
25.2% APR
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Available Amounts
£2,000 to £15,000
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Min / Max Terms
2 to 6 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a homeowner
- Must be aged 21 or over at the start of the loan
- Must be a UK resident (excluding the Channel Islands and Isle of Man)
- Must have a current bank account or building society account
- Must be in permanent paid employment
- Must not be currently bankrupt or in an IVA or debt management arrangement
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Loan Type
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KOYO Personal Loan
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Loan Type
Unsecured
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Representative APR
27% APR
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Available Amounts
£1,000 - £3,000
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Min / Max Terms
6 months to 3 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a permanent resident of the UK for at least 12 months (Not IOM or Channel Islands)
- Must be aged 20 or over (at start of the loan)
- Must have a current bank or building society account
- No current bankruptcies, CCJ's, or active IVAs
- Must not be unemployed
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Loan Type
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Freedom Finance Personal Loan
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Loan Type
Unsecured
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Representative APR
27.5% APR
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Available Amounts
£500 to £25,000
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Min / Max Terms
1 to 7 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be aged 18 years or over
- Must be a UK resident
- Interest rates are dependent on your individual credit score
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Loan Type
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Guarantor My Loan
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Loan Type
Guarantor
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Representative APR
48.9% APR
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Available Amounts
£1,000 to £10,000
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Min / Max Terms
1 to 5 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be aged 21-75
- Must be a UK resident
- Must not be on an active bankruptcy, IVA or equivalent
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Loan Type
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George Banco Guarantor Loan
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Loan Type
Guarantor
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Representative APR
49.7% APR
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Available Amounts
£1,000 to £15,000
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Min / Max Terms
1 to 5 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a UK resident (excludes Isle of Man and Channel Islands)
- Must have a UK bank account
- Must be aged 21 or over
- Must have a UK bank account with a valid UK debit card
- Must have a minimum income after tax of £1,000 pcm (not furloughed)
- Must not be subject to a current Individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) or bankruptcy order
- Guarantor must live in the UK with provable income, a UK bank account and no current bankruptcies or active IV's.
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Loan Type
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Buddy Guarantor Loan
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Loan Type
Guarantor
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Representative APR
49.9% APR
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Available Amounts
£1,000 to £10,000
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Min / Max Terms
1 to 5 years
Guarantor Criteria
- Must be aged 18-75
- Must be a UK resident
- Must not be on an active bankruptcy, IVA or equivalent
- Guarantor does not need to own a home
Borrower Criteria
- Must be aged 18-75
- Must be a UK resident
- Must have a good credit history
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Loan Type
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Aspire Money Personal Loan
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Loan Type
Unsecured
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Representative APR
58% APR (£4,001 to £5,000)
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Available Amounts
£50 to £25,000
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Min / Max Terms
1 to 5 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Over 18s only
- UK residents only
- Must be full time employed
- Must be earning over £1,200
- Interest rates may vary due to your circumstances and loan amount required
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Loan Type
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Likely Loans Personal Loan
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Loan Type
Unsecured
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Representative APR
59.9% APR
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Available Amounts
£500 - £5,000
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Min / Max Terms
1 to 3 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Must live in the UK (excluding the Channel Islands and Isle of Man)
- Must be aged 18 or over at start of loan
- No bankruptcies within last 12 months
- Must have a UK Bank Account and Debit Card
- Can be Tenant or Homeowner
- Must be Employed or Self Employed
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Loan Type
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SafetyNet Credit Facility
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Loan Type
Credit Line
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Representative APR
68.7% APR
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Available Amounts
£100 to £500
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Min / Max Terms
No min or max term
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a UK resident
- Aged 18 or over
- Monthly minimum income of £700
- Full-time or part-time employment or self-employed
- Must have internet banking log-in details
- Must have debit card and bank account into which salary is paid
- Must have a mobile phone and email address
- Bankruptcy, IVA, CCJs or equivalents not accepted
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Loan Type
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Bamboo Personal Loan
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Loan Type
Unsecured
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Representative APR
69.9% APR
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Available Amounts
£1,000 to £8,000
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Min / Max Terms
1 to 5 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Be aged between 18 - 72 (at time of application)
- Must be a UK resident (exlcuding the Channel Islands and Isle of Man)
- Have a net monthly income of £600+
- Must not be unemployed, a full time student or on benefits
- Must not be currently bankrupt or in an IVA
- No CCJs or defaults in last 12 months
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Loan Type
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Everyday Loans Personal Loan
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Loan Type
Unsecured
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Representative APR
99.9% APR
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Available Amounts
£1,000 - £15,000
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Min / Max Terms
18 months - 5 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be permanent UK Resident for at least 12 months (Not IOM or Channel Islands)
- Must be aged 18 or over (at start of the loan)
- Must have a current Bank or Building Society Account
- No current bankruptcies, CCJ's or IVAs
- Must not be unemployed
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Loan Type
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118 118 Personal Loan
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Loan Type
Unsecured
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Representative APR
99.9% APR
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Available Amounts
£1,000 to £5,000
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Min / Max Terms
1 to 2 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a UK resident
- Must be aged between 18 and 70 (at start of the loan)
- Must have UK Bank Account and Debit Card
- Monthly net income of more than £700
- Must be employed or Self Employed
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Loan Type
Also for Bad Credit Loans
If you are thinking of consolidating existing borrowing you should be aware that you may be extending the terms of the debt and increasing the total amount you repay.
Our service is free of charge but we receive commissions from the providers we refer you to. This table is initially ordered by representative APR. You can use the options above the table to order it according to various criteria. You may be offered different rates depending on your personal credit rating.
*Eligibility Service:
This loans comparison also contains products that can be applied for directly with the lender. These products do not form part of the eligibility service and terms should be checked carefully before proceeding.
The loans eligibility service is provided by Freedom Finance. The data you supply and submit is used to retrieve loan quotes from Freedom's panel of lenders. By using their loans eligibility service you are agreeing to Freedom's terms and conditions and privacy policy which can be found at freedomfinance.co.uk
Freedom Finance is a trading style of Freedom Finance Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Freedom Finance Limited. Registered Office. Atlantic House, Atlas Business Park, Simonsway, Manchester, M22 5PR. Registered in England & Wales 06297533. FCA No. 662079. VAT Registration Number 257 0001 44.

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How to choose a bad credit loan
Taking out a loan when you already have a poor credit rating isn’t an easy decision to make. Anyone who has struggled with debt problems in the past will be aware of how easy it is for debt to pile up and become out of control. However, sometimes the right loan can help people in such circumstances, providing it is affordable for the borrower.
Although finding a lender that offers bad credit loans isn’t as easy as finding other loans, they are still available – you just need to know where to look. We hope that our bad credit loan table will help you find some options that could work for you.
Deciding which type of bad credit loan is right
Bad credit loans come in various forms. Each type of loan is suitable for different scenarios, so it takes some careful research to ensure you are applying for the type of loan that will suit your needs and circumstances.
Main types of bad credit loan
- Secured loan: Although secured loan providers tend to offer larger sums of money over a long period of time, they are often less strict about borrowers’ credit ratings as the loan is secured against a property. If the borrower fails to repay, the lender has the option to force the sale of the property to recoup the money owed, so there is less risk involved. For borrowers, however, borrowing this way is risky so it’s vital that you are confident you can meet the repayment responsibilities before committing to a secured bad credit loan.
- Guarantor Loans: Guarantor loans are a popular, unsecured method to obtain a loan despite having a poor credit history. If you have a close friend or loved one, who is financially stable and has a good credit score, they can opt to act as a guarantor to your loan. Although you are the borrower, your guarantor pledges to cover the cost of the repayments if you are unable.
- Regular personal loan: There are various lenders who will consider lending money to people with bad credit histories. These unsecured loans usually come with higher interest rates and you will have to meet other eligibility criteria, such having a steady reliable income income, and good affordability for the repayments.
- Peer-to-peer borrowing: Some peer-to-peer loan options may consider borrowers with a poor credit rating, but interest rates will usually be high and other lending criteria will apply.
Considerations when choosing a bad credit loan
You may find that you are pleasantly surprised with the number of bad credit loans that are available to you once you start looking. Bad credit loans may be relatively easy to obtain, but usually come with high interest rates as lending to people with poor credit is viewed as higher risk.
Some borrowers opt to take out a bad credit loan to try to improve their credit rating, which can sometimes work providing you stick to your repayment plan and repay the loan in full and on schedule. Others may find that consolidating their existing debt into one simple repayment makes their debt more manageable and affordable, although it can also result in your paying more interest across the entire term of the loan.
However, borrowers need to think carefully about their situation and their requirements. To ensure you choose the right kind of loan, ask yourself:
- Are there cheaper alternatives available to me, such as a bank overdraft or the option of borrowing from a family member?
- Will I be able to borrow enough?
- Can I afford the repayments over the entire term of the loan?
- Can I repay early without incurring charges?
- What is the loan APR?
Choosing a bad credit loan FAQs
How do I get a bad credit loan?
The application process for a bad credit loan is often similar to applying for any other loan. You will usually be asked to provide identification with your name and address history, alongside information about your employment status and financial situation. You will be credit checked as a part of the application process.
Can I use a bad credit loan to pay off debt?
Yes, you will usually be able to use a bad credit loan to repay other outstanding debts. In fact, some bad credit loan providers will only lend for this purpose.
Can I get a bad credit loan for a car?
Perhaps. Many car loans are secured loans, whereby the lender retains ownership of the car until you have repaid the debt in full. Therefore, some lenders will consider borrowers with bad credit ratings.
Can I get a bad credit loan without a guarantor?
As detailed above, there are different types of bad credit loans, only one of which is a guarantor loan. The other types of bad credit loan often either charge high interest rates to offset the risk of lending or ask for security such as a car or a property in exchange for the loan.
Are bad credit loans risky?
It can be risky to take out a bad credit loan if you’re unsure if you will be able to repay the loan as agreed. If you run into financial trouble while you still have an outstanding balance on a bad credit loan, interest charges and penalties can mount up quickly, you could see your credit rating suffer even further, or you could even lose your home.