Personal loans, payday loans and cash advance apps are your best sources for an emergency loan. Personal loans are ideal for larger expenses, while payday loans and cash advance apps offer smaller amounts — usually between $20 and $1,500. However, payday loans can be quite expensive, while cash advance apps are typically low-cost or even free to use.
Here we break down the 10 best personal and payday loans to help you decide which is best for your situation.
Compare emergency personal loans
Get your money as soon as the same or next business day with these quick personal loans.
Payday loans, installment loans and auto title loans come with high rates and fees, which can trap you in a cycle of debt. The majority of short-term loan borrowers renew their loans at least once, piling on fees that make it even more difficult to repay.
Consider alternatives before opting for a payday, installment or title loan:
Local resources. Government agencies, nonprofits and local charities often offer free financial services and help with food, utilities and rent for those in need.
Payment extensions. Talk with your bill providers about a longer payment plan or extension on your due date if you’re behind on payments.
Credit cards. Credit cards typically charge lower interest rates than short-term loans, even on cash advances, making them a flexible, less costly alternative for up to the $500 you can typically take out with a payday loan.
How do borrowing costs vary by state?
The costs for payday and installment loans vary by state due to differences in state regulations. States with fewer consumer protections tend to have higher costs for payday and installment loans, sometimes exceeding 600% APR or more. Lenders in states like Delaware, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin tend to have the highest borrowing costs.
Learn more about emergency personal loans
Here’s a closer look at our top picks for lenders offering emergency personal loans: who they’re best for and how fast you can get funds.
LightStream
If you have good to excellent credit, LightStream is one of the best options for an emergency loan. It’s known for having competitive rates, no origination fees, fast funding, high loan amounts and repayment flexibility. It offers a generous autopay discount, and its “Rate Beat” program is unique in the industry. If you get a better rate offer elsewhere, it will beat it by .10%.
How fast can you get it? One business day after approval, or same-day if your approval is before 2:30 p.m. ET on a business day.
Loan details
Interest rate: 7.49% to 25.49%
Loan amount: $5,000 to $100,000
Loan term: 24 to 144 months
Minimum income: Not stated
Incomes it accepts: Employment & alternative sources of income
Minimum credit score: 660
States served: All 50 states
Accepts bad credit: No
Instant approval: No
Credit check required: Yes
Tips to get your money fast
Apply early in the day. Apply online and close the loan before 2:30 p.m. ET on a business day to get your money the same day.
Upstart personal loans are best for employed borrowers and college graduates with a limited credit history. It accepts credit scores as low as 300 and considers factors like your education and work experience — not just your credit score. Its rates start lower than many lenders, but it charges an origination fee between 0% and 12%, depending on your credit history.
How fast can you get it? Typically within one business day after approval.
Loan details
Interest rate: 7.80% to 35.99%
Loan amount: $1,000 to $50,000
Loan term: 36 or 60 months
Minimum income: $12,000
Incomes it accepts: Employment & alternative sources of income
Minimum credit score: 300
States served: All states
Accepts bad credit: Yes
Instant approval: No
Credit check required: Yes
Tips to get your money fast
Apply early in the day. Apply online and close the loan before 5 p.m. ET on a business day to get your funds the next business day.
Avant personal loans are aimed at fair to good credit borrowers, with most Avant customers having a credit score between 600 and 700 — although it may accept scores as low as 550. Its rates cap out at 35.99% APR, with funding as soon as the next business day. Avant charges an origination fee of up to 9.99% on its loans.
How fast can you get it? Typically within one business day after approval.
Loan details
Interest rate: 9.95% to 35.99%
Loan amount: $2,000 to $35,000
Loan term: 12 to 60 months
Minimum income: Not stated
Incomes it accepts: Employment & alternative sources of income
Minimum credit score: Around 550 to 600
States served: Most states
Accepts bad credit: Yes
Instant approval: No
Credit check required: Yes
Tips to get your money fast
Apply early in the day. Apply online and close the loan before 5:30 p.m. ET on a business day to get your funds the next business day.
Universal Credit, owned by Upgrade, offers bad to good credit personal loans with fast funding when you need it. Loan amounts start at a low $1,000 with repayment terms from three to five years. The company accepts lower credit scores than other lenders and offers rates on par with most personal loans. However, it charges an origination fee between 5.25% to 9.99%.
How fast can you get it? Typically within one business day after approval.
Loan details
Interest rate: 11.69% to 35.99%
Loan amount: $1,000 to $50,000
Loan term: 36 to 60 months
Minimum income: Not stated
Incomes it accepts: Employment & alternative sources of income
Minimum credit score: Around 580
States served: Most states
Accepts bad credit: Yes
Instant approval: No
Credit check required: Yes
Tips to get your money fast
Apply early in the day. Apply online early in the day during PT business hours to increase your chances of next-business-day funding.
OneMain Financial loans are a good source of emergency loans for bad credit. There’s no minimum credit score required, and you can secure your loan with collateral or apply with a co-applicant. Its minimum APR starts at a high 18% but caps out 35.99% — lower than a payday loan. But as a bad credit lender, you’ll be on the hook for an origination fee.
How fast can you get it? Typically in one to two business days after approval, or same-day to a bank-issued debit card.
Loan details
Interest rate: 18% to 35.99% APR
Loan amount: $1,500 to $20,000
Loan term: 24 to 60 months
Minimum income: Not stated
Incomes it accepts: Employment & alternative sources of income
Minimum credit score: Not stated
States served: All states except AK, AR, CT, DC, MA, RI, VT and US territories
Accepts bad credit: Yes
Instant approval: No
Credit check required: Yes
Tips to get your money fast
Apply early in the day. Apply online or at a branch and close the loan before noon in your state for same-day funding.
Fund to a bank-issued debit card. Same-day funding is only available to a bank-issued debit card.
Here’s a closer look at our top picks offering emergency payday, cash advance and installment loans.
Cleo
Cleo is a budgeting and cash advance app that lets you borrow up to $250 between paydays. While not a large amount, it’s interest-free and can be enough to cover small expenses. Cleo is also a good option for gig workers and freelancers. Unlike other cash advance apps, Cleo doesn’t require a minimum of recurring deposits to qualify for cash advances.
How fast can you get it? Three to four business days or same-day for a fee.
Loan details
Interest rate: N/A
Loan amount: Up to $250
Loan term: Next payday
Minimum income: Not stated
Incomes it accepts: Employment & alternative income
Minimum credit score: None
States served: All states
Accepts bad credit: Yes
Instant approval: No
Credit check required: No
Tips to get your money fast
Download the app. Download the Cleo app and create an account.
Link your bank account. Link your bank account so Cleo can verify your direct deposit activity. This allows you to become eligible for cash advances.
Pay an express fee. Use Cleo’s express transfer option to get your money the same day.
OppLoans is an online installment loan lender that provides bad credit emergency loans from $500 to $4,000. Its online application process is fast and only requires your personal and employment information. It only does a soft credit check, which doesn’t affect your FICO credit score. It offers funding as soon as the same day, but APRs run between 59% and 160% or higher, depending on your state.
How fast can you get it? As soon as the same day you apply.
Loan details
Interest rate: 59% to 160%+ APR
Loan amount: $500 to $4,000
Loan term: 9 to 18 months
Minimum income: Not stated
Incomes it accepts: Employment income
Minimum credit score: None
States served: Most states
Accepts bad credit: Yes
Instant approval: No
Credit check required: Soft credit check
Tips to get your money fast
Apply early in the day. Apply online and close the loan before 1:00 p.m. ET on a business day to get your funds the same day.
EarnIn is a free app that lets you borrow $150 a day and up to $750 of the money you’ve earned each pay period, with no interest. With EarnIn, your advance amount depends on the hours you’ve worked, which you can verify with a work schedule, a work email address or GPS earning.
How fast can you get it? One to three business days for free or within minutes with Lightning Speed for a fee starting at $2.99 per transfer.
Loan details
Interest rate: N/A
Loan amount: Up to $750
Loan term: Next paycheck
Minimum income: Not stated
Incomes it accepts: Employment income
Minimum credit score: None
States served: All states
Accepts bad credit: Yes
Instant approval: Yes
Credit check required: No
Tips to get your money fast
Download the app. Download the EarnIn app and set up an account.
Verify your paycheck. Follow the instructions in the app to verify your paycheck earnings.
Use Lightning Speed. Use EarnIn’s optional Lightning Speed service to get your funds within minutes. A fee applies for this service.
ACE Cash Express offers quick online or in-store payday and installment emergency cash loans to poor credit borrowers. It has over 800 store locations nationwide, and in some states, you can apply online and pick up your funds same-day. The company gets good ratings on Trustpilot, but it charges steep fees, making this option best for emergencies only.
How fast can you get it? As soon as the same day you apply.
Loan details
Interest rate: 400% to 600% (equivalent APRs)
Loan amount: $100 to $2,000 (varies by state)
Loan term: Based on your pay date
Minimum income: Not stated
Incomes it accepts: Employment & alternative sources of income
Minimum credit score: None
States served: Most states
Accepts bad credit: Yes
Instant approval: Yes
Credit check required: No
Tips to get your money fast
Apply online and send funds to a debit card or visit a store. Apply online and send the funds to a debit card for instant funding, or pick up the cash same-day from a store if there’s one near you. These options may not be available to everyone.
Are emergency personal loans better than emergency payday loans?
It depends on your needs. Most personal loans charge between 7.50% and 35.99% APR. However, the lowest rates are reserved for excellent credit borrowers. If you have bad to fair credit, your APR could be closer to 20% or even 32%. However, this is still less than what you’d pay on a payday or installment loan.
But if you only need to borrow a small amount with a payday or installment loan and you can pay it off by your next paycheck, it could be cheaper than taking out a larger personal loan with a high interest rate that you pay off over several months or years. You could also use a cash advance app with 0% interest.
How to pick the best emergency loan for bad credit
Compare your options. If you have bad to fair credit, consider a bad credit lender like Avant, OneMain Financial or Upstart. But if you have truly poor credit and don’t qualify for a personal loan, you may need to go with a payday or installment lender.
Use a cosigner or collateral. Adding a cosigner or co borrower to a personal loan application can improve your chances of qualifying or getting a better rate. OneMain Financial is one bad credit personal loan lender that allows cosigners and collateral.
Consider alternatives. While bad credit loans are an option for bad credit borrowers, borrowing against your credit card could be cheaper — without a lengthy application process. However, be mindful of high interest rates.
Can I get guaranteed approval for an emergency loan with poor credit?
There’s no such thing as guaranteed approval for an emergency loan, even with a payday or installment lender. While these bad credit lenders tend to have flexible approval requirements, like loans with no credit check, you still need to show some type of regular income to qualify — for example, from a job, government benefits or child support. You may also consider looking into cash advance apps with no credit check which offer small amounts of cash quickly.
Can I get an emergency loan with no job?
Yes, it’s possible to get an emergency loan with no job, as long as you can show some other type of regular income, such as child support or alimony, a divorce settlement, Social Security or disability benefits, pension payments, rental income, investments and other sources.
Other ways to borrow money fast
If you don’t qualify for a personal loan or you don’t want to rely on a payday or installment loan, consider these other options for borrowing money fast:
P2P lending platform. Solo Funds is one community lending platform that provides small-dollar loans. There’s 0% interest, but members are encouraged to leave tips.
Employer advance. If you need cash before payday, ask your employer. If it’s a one-time situation, HR may be willing to help by advancing part of your paycheck.
Credit card cash advance. If you have credit available, consider getting cash from an ATM in an emergency. Cash advance rates run high, so have a plan to pay it off.
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) app. BNPL apps let you purchase items you need and pay them off later. Choose from the best BNPL apps for cash-free purchases today.
Pawn store. If you have items of value, like jewelry or electronics, you could consider pawning them. But you risk losing your items if you can’t buy them back in time.
Emergency cash loans are available from personal loan lenders, payday lenders and cash advance apps — which can get you funds as soon as the same or next day. If you have fair to excellent credit, consider a personal loan. But if you have poor credit and don’t qualify for a personal loan, try a 0% interest cash advance app — or payday lender as a last resort.
Frequently asked questions
How will I receive my emergency loan funds?
You can get emergency funds in several ways. The fastest will be in cash if you apply in-store or send them to a bank-issued debit card. If you want your funds transferred to a bank, it could take one business day or longer.
How can I get an emergency loan fast?
The fastest way to get an emergency loan is to apply online or in-app with a lender that has an automated 24/7 system. For example, the EarnIn cash app allows early access to your earned wages within minutes.
How do I get an emergency loan with no credit check?
Payday and installment lenders, as well as cash advance apps, don’t require credit checks, and you could access emergency funds within minutes or hours.
Kat Aoki was a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in consumer and business lending. She’s written thousands of articles to help consumers make better decisions on their home loans, bank accounts, credit cards, cryptocurrency and more. Kat is well versed in working with leading brands in the real estate, mortgage and personal finance industries, and her expertise has been featured on Forbes Advisor, Lifewire and financial comparison sites like iSelect and realestate.com.au. She holds a BS in business administration from California State University, Sacramento and enjoys hiking and yoga in her spare time. See full bio
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Kat has written 184 Finder guides across topics including:
Thanks for getting in touch! You can find emergency short term loans on the information above. To find and compare your options, simply go to the box that says “enter your state.” Go and enter your state and it will show a list of lenders available. Take note that short term loans charge high interest when compared to other types of credit, so this needs to be taken into account before you apply.
When you have chosen the right lender for you, you will see a MORE INFO button if you want to read more about the provider via Finder review pages. You will find the providers benefits and features and how to apply to their company. Click the GO TO SITE button if you’d like to be brought to the official website of the provider. Know that this is where you get a quote or start your application. You can also click the compare box beside each loan option and compare up to 4 options side by side for easier comparison.
As a friendly reminder, carefully review the eligibility criteria of the loan before applying to increase your chances of approval. Read up on the terms and conditions and product disclosure statement and contact the bank should you need any clarifications about the policy.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Nikki
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I need an urgent loan today.
Hi Nelson,
Thanks for getting in touch! You can find emergency short term loans on the information above. To find and compare your options, simply go to the box that says “enter your state.” Go and enter your state and it will show a list of lenders available. Take note that short term loans charge high interest when compared to other types of credit, so this needs to be taken into account before you apply.
When you have chosen the right lender for you, you will see a MORE INFO button if you want to read more about the provider via Finder review pages. You will find the providers benefits and features and how to apply to their company. Click the GO TO SITE button if you’d like to be brought to the official website of the provider. Know that this is where you get a quote or start your application. You can also click the compare box beside each loan option and compare up to 4 options side by side for easier comparison.
As a friendly reminder, carefully review the eligibility criteria of the loan before applying to increase your chances of approval. Read up on the terms and conditions and product disclosure statement and contact the bank should you need any clarifications about the policy.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Nikki