The honest version of "no credit check"
You can see your rate here without a hard credit check. You cannot get a loan from us, or from any responsible lender, with no credit assessment at all. Those two statements are both true and the difference between them is the whole subject of this page.
Checking your rate uses a soft credit inquiry. It is visible only to you, it does not affect your score, and other lenders cannot see it. A hard credit inquiry is recorded on your report and typically costs a few points for a few months. That happens only if you accept an offer and move to signing.
| Soft inquiry | Hard inquiry | |
|---|---|---|
| When it happens here | Checking your rate | Only if you accept an offer |
| Effect on your score | None | Usually a few points, temporarily |
| Visible to other lenders | No | Yes |
| Stays on your report | Not shown to others | Two years, affects scoring for about one |
| Needs your permission | Yes, for a rate check | Yes, explicitly |
Why a genuine no-credit-check loan should worry you
A lender that checks nothing is not being generous. It is either pricing for guaranteed losses, securing the loan against something you cannot afford to lose, or not lending at all.
- Payday lenders often skip the bureau check and rely on access to your bank account or a post-dated check instead.
- Title lenders skip it because your vehicle is the collateral.
- Advance-fee scams skip it because there is no loan; the product is the fee they ask for upfront.
An assessment protects you as well as us. Approving a payment you cannot make is not a favour, and it is the mechanism behind most debt spirals.
Three phrases that mean walk away
"Guaranteed approval." "No credit check, everyone approved." "Pay a processing fee to release your funds." No legitimate lender uses any of them. We never ask for a fee before funding a loan. See the security page for how to verify who you are dealing with.
What we check, and what it means for you
We look at income and its stability, existing debt payments, recent payment behaviour, and credit data, with the soft pull first so you can see a real rate before committing to anything. Applicants with fair, limited, or rebuilding credit regularly qualify, usually for smaller amounts at higher APRs. More detail is on bad credit installment loans.
| Amount | Term | Representative APR | Monthly payment | Total repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | 6 months | 29.9% | $90.75 | $544.50 |
| $1,000 | 12 months | 29.9% | $97.44 | $1,169.28 |
| $2,500 | 18 months | 22.9% | $165.41 | $2,977.38 |
| $5,000 | 24 months | 22.9% | $261.62 | $6,278.88 |
Sample pricing with no origination fee, for illustration. Your rate depends on your credit profile, income, and state.
How to protect your score while shopping around
- Prefer soft-pull prequalificationAny lender worth using will show you an indicative rate before a hard inquiry.
- Group applications close togetherWhere hard inquiries are unavoidable, scoring models often treat similar inquiries in a short window as a single event.
- Apply where you have a realistic chanceScattering applications produces inquiries and declines rather than offers.
- Read what you are authorisingSome forms authorise a hard pull at the point of submission. Ours does not; you are told explicitly.
- Check your report firstFree at annualcreditreport.com, the only federally authorised source. Disputing an error is cheaper than paying a higher rate because of it.
Do you report to the credit bureaus?
Yes, and that cuts both ways. On-time payments are reported to the major bureaus, so a completed loan with a clean record adds positive payment history, which is the largest single factor in most scoring models. Missed payments are reported too.
Questions about credit checks
Soft versus hard inquiries, what we check, and why a genuine no-credit-check loan is a warning rather than a feature.
Can I get a loan with no credit check at all?
Not from us, and you should be cautious about anyone offering one. Lenders that check nothing are usually relying on collateral, on direct access to your bank account, or on fees from a loan that never arrives. We use a soft inquiry to show your rate, which does not affect your score.
What is the difference between a soft and a hard credit check?
A soft inquiry is visible only to you and has no effect on your score; it is what we use to show your rate. A hard inquiry is recorded on your credit report, is visible to other lenders, and typically costs a few points for a few months. It happens only if you accept an offer.
Will checking my rate lower my credit score?
No. Rate checks use a soft inquiry. Nothing is recorded on your report and no other lender can see it.
When exactly does the hard inquiry happen?
Only after you have seen your offer and chosen to proceed to identity verification and signing. You are told explicitly before it occurs, and you can stop at any point before that.
Does a hard inquiry stay on my report forever?
It remains visible for two years but generally affects scoring for about one, and the impact is usually a few points. Multiple inquiries for the same type of credit within a short window are often treated as a single event.
Are no-credit-check loans a scam?
Not always, but the phrase is heavily used by advance-fee scams, and the legitimate products that use it are payday and title loans, which carry their own serious risks. A request for any fee before funding is the clearest signal that it is a scam.