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Personal Loans for Bad Credit: What Four Lenders Publish in 2026

No lender below publishes a minimum credit score, and every APR ceiling sits near 36%. This guide lists what each states on its own site and shows what the spread costs.

By The ClearValue TeamPublished

Our take (checked Nov 2026)

We checked Avant, OneMain Financial, Upgrade and Upstart. All four state APR ceilings of 35.99% [1][2][3][4], and none publishes a minimum credit score [1][2][3][4]. So a headline range tells you the best case and the worst case, not where a bad-credit borrower will land. Expect to be offered the high end of any range and plan your budget on that. We do not rank these four. Order in the table is alphabetical. Pick on the numbers in your own offer: APR, fee, term and monthly payment. If your loan need is under $2,000, check amounts first, because Avant starts at $2,000 [1] and OneMain at $1,500 [3]. If you are a member or can become one, a credit-union payday alternative loan costs less on a small balance (see our $1,000 loan guide). If you cannot comfortably afford the high-end payment in the worked example below, borrowing may make things worse, and a payment plan with your creditor is worth asking about first.

What each lender publishes (checked 2026-11-03; alphabetical, not ranked)
What each lender publishes (checked 2026-11-03; alphabetical, not ranked)
AvantOneMain FinancialUpgradeUpstart
APR range9.95% to 35.99% [1]11.99% to 35.99% [3]7.74% to 35.99% [2]6.1% to 35.99% (5-year rates offered in September 2026) [4]
Loan amount$2,000 to $35,000 [1]$1,500 to $35,000 [3]$1,000 to $50,000 [2]$1,000 to $75,000 [4]
Term24 to 60 months [1]24 to 60 months [3]24 to 84 months [2]3 or 5 years [4]
FeeAdministration fee up to 9.99% [1]Origination fee 1% to 10% or $25 to $500 flat [3]Origination fee 1.85% to 9.99%, deducted from proceeds [2]Origination fee: range not published; example 8.31% [4]
Minimum credit scoreNot published [1]Not published [3]Not published [2]Not published [4]
Late feeNot published [1]Not published [3]Not published [2]Amount not published [4]
Rate checkSays checking options does not impact your score [1]Not published [3]Soft inquiry only [2]Not published [4]
Secured optionNot published [1]Yes, secured and unsecured offers [3]Not published [2]Not published [4]

How we chose these four

We started from one question: which online lenders state, on their own site, an APR range, a loan size and a fee? We included a lender only if all three were on its product page on 2026-11-03. We left out lenders whose pages we could not load or whose terms we could only find on third-party sites. That is why the list is short.

We did not rank. Ranking would need testing or customer data we do not have. We did not run applications or review customer outcomes, and we do not claim to. The table order is alphabetical. We also did not infer underwriting rules. Where a page is silent on credit score, we say Not published.

What a 560 credit score tells you here: very little

Readers often ask which lenders approve a 560 score. None of the four pages says. Upgrade says eligibility depends on factors including credit score but gives no minimum [2]. Avant, OneMain and Upstart give no floor either [1][3][4]. Any list that names a cutoff for these lenders is repeating data we could not confirm.

What the pages do say is that price rises as credit weakens. Each lender publishes a range with the top at 35.99%, which is the ceiling a weaker file can face. The CFPB defines APR as the yearly cost of borrowing including fees [5], so use the APR, not the interest rate, to compare.

Avant

Avant states APRs of 9.95% to 35.99%, loans of $2,000 to $35,000, terms of 24 to 60 months and an administration fee of up to 9.99% [1]. The page does not publish a late fee or list excluded states by name [1]. It says checking your options does not affect your score [1].

OneMain Financial

OneMain states fixed APRs of 11.99% to 35.99%, loans of $1,500 to $35,000 and terms of 24 to 60 months [3]. It offers secured and unsecured loans [3]. The fee is either a flat $25 to $500 or 1% to 10% of the loan [3]. Several states have different minimums or maximums: for example $3,000 minimum in California and $7,000 maximum in Maine [3]. Its own example: a $6,000 loan at 24.99% APR over 60 months has a payment of $176.07, based on a customer with good credit [3]. That caveat matters. A weaker file should expect a worse offer.

Upgrade

Upgrade states APRs of 7.74% to 35.99%, loans of $1,000 to $50,000 and terms of 24 to 84 months [2]. The origination fee of 1.85% to 9.99% is taken from the proceeds [2]. That means a $5,000 loan with a 9.99% fee pays out about $4,500. Upgrade says checking your rate is a soft inquiry [2]. Its example: a $10,000, 36-month loan at 17.59% APR with a monthly payment of $341.48 and total payments of $12,293.46 [2].

Upstart

Upstart states APRs of 6.1% to 35.99% for 5-year rates offered in September 2026, with loans of $1,000 to $75,000 and terms of 3 or 5 years [4]. Its example: a $10,000, 60-month loan at a 19.12% interest rate with an 8.31% origination fee ($831) has a 23.48% APR. The borrower receives $9,169 and makes 60 payments of $261 [4]. Rates and minimums vary by state [4].

Before you sign anything

Do not pay a fee before a loan is granted. The FTC says any up-front fee a lender wants before granting a loan is a cue to walk away, and legitimate lenders will not guarantee a loan before you apply [6]. Also ask any credit union you can join about a payday alternative loan: federal rules cap that interest at 28% [7].

Worked example

Worked example: what the range means on a $5,000, 36-month loan

Inputs

  • Loan: $5,000, 36 equal monthly payments.
  • Three APRs: 17.59% (Upgrade's example APR [2]), 24.99% (OneMain's example APR, good-credit borrower [3]) and 35.99% (the ceiling all four lenders state).
  • Fees: excluded in step 1. Added in step 4.
  • Formula: P = L x r / (1 - (1 + r)^-n), r = APR / 12, n = 36. Rounded to the cent.

Steps

  1. At 17.59%: payment $179.74. Total paid = 36 x $179.74 = $6,470.64. Interest = $1,470.64.
  2. At 24.99%: payment $198.77. Total paid = $7,155.72. Interest = $2,155.72.
  3. At 35.99%: payment $228.99. Total paid = $8,243.64. Interest = $3,243.64.
  4. Fee effect: at a 9.99% fee deducted from proceeds, to receive $5,000 you must borrow $5,000 / (1 - 0.0999) = $5,554.94. The extra $554.94 is charged interest too.
  5. Spread between the 17.59% and 35.99% cases: $3,243.64 - $1,470.64 = $1,773.00 in interest, and $49.25 more per month ($228.99 - $179.74).

Result: The same $5,000 costs between about $1,471 and $3,244 in interest depending on where the lender prices you.

The ceiling roughly doubles the interest. Before you accept, check that you can pay the high-end $229 a month without missing a bill. The three APRs are illustrations taken from lender examples, not quotes. Your offer, shown after a rate check, is the only number that counts. A shorter term raises the payment but lowers total interest.

Risks and limits

  • Not guaranteed. Every lender decides case by case, and none publishes a minimum score.
  • The low end of each range is not for bad credit. OneMain says its example is for a customer with good credit [3].
  • Fees reduce what you receive. Upgrade's fee comes out of proceeds [2]. Upstart's example fee is 8.31% [4].
  • Late fees exist and amounts are not published on the pages we checked [1][2][3][4].
  • State rules change amounts and rates [3][4]. Some states are excluded; Avant does not name them on its page [1].
  • Missed payments can damage your credit. Borrow only an amount you can repay at the high-end payment.

Frequently asked

What are the best personal loans for bad credit in 2026?

We do not rank them. We checked four lenders, Avant, OneMain Financial, Upgrade and Upstart, and list what each publishes. The best loan for you is the one whose actual offer has the lowest APR plus fees at a payment you can afford.

Can I get a personal loan with a 560 credit score?

None of the four lenders publishes a minimum score [1][2][3][4], so we cannot say. Approval is the lender's decision and is never guaranteed. A rate check that uses a soft inquiry will show you whether an offer exists [1][2].

Do these lenders charge an origination fee?

Yes, in some form. Avant states an administration fee up to 9.99% [1], OneMain 1% to 10% or $25 to $500 [3], Upgrade 1.85% to 9.99% [2]. Upstart's range is not published; its example is 8.31% [4].

How much will a bad-credit personal loan cost?

On $5,000 over 36 months, between about $1,471 in interest at 17.59% and $3,244 at 35.99%, before fees. Your offer sets the real number.

Is there anything cheaper than these loans?

For small amounts, possibly. A credit-union payday alternative loan has a 28% rate cap and a fee of $20 or less [7]. Availability depends on the credit union.

Educational comparison. ClearValue is not a lender.

Explore personal loan options

Related guides

Sources

  1. [1] Avant - Personal loans — checked
  2. [2] Upgrade - Personal loans — checked
  3. [3] OneMain Financial - Personal loans — checked
  4. [4] Upstart - Personal loans — checked
  5. [5] CFPB - Auto loan answers: key terms (APR definition) — checked
  6. [6] FTC - What to know about advance-fee loans — checked
  7. [7] NCUA - Payday Alternative Loans II final rule, Federal Register (Oct 1, 2019) — checked