Compare 12 Lenders Before You Pick a Today Cash Loan

Compare lenders on total cost first: the APR including fees, the origination fee taken from your proceeds, the term length and a monthly payment you can carry. Speed and convenience matter, but only after the numbers fit your budget, even when you need cash today.

People who type today cash into a search bar usually have a bill due and little time. That pressure pushes many borrowers to accept the first offer they see, which is rarely the cheapest one. Ten minutes spent lining up two or three offers can save hundreds of dollars over the life of a personal loan. A today cash search is a fine starting point, as long as the comparison comes before the signature.

• APR, not the interest rate. APR folds the origination fee into the yearly cost, so it is the fairer yardstick between two offers.
• Origination fee. The online lenders below charge from 0% to about 10%, usually deducted up front, so a $2,000 loan with a 9.99% fee puts roughly $1,800 in your account while you repay the full $2,000.
• State minimum. Several lenders set floors of $2,000 to $3,500 in certain states, which matters if you only need $600 or $800.
• Term. A longer term lowers the payment but raises total interest, and some lenders offer only three- or five-year terms.
• Funding method. Branch lenders may hand over a check or load a debit card; online lenders usually send an ACH deposit.

Small differences compound. A $1,000 personal loan at 27.99% APR over 18 months costs about $68.67 a month and $1,236.06 in total, so $236.06 is interest. Stretch $2,500 over 24 months at the same APR and the payment is $137.21, with $3,293.04 repaid. Run your own figures in our personal loan calculator and see typical ranges by credit tier on our rates page.

OneMain Financial and Mariner Finance both pair online applications with local branches, lend from $1,000 or $1,500 upward and cap APRs at 35.99%, which makes them common choices for fair-credit borrowers who want a person to talk to.

OneMain Financial lends $1,500 to $35,000 with fixed APRs from 11.99% to 35.99% and terms of 24 to 60 months. Its origination fee is either a flat $25 to $500 or 1% to 10% of the loan, subject to state limits. Several states carry higher minimums: $2,000 in North Dakota and Ohio, $2,100 in Alabama, $2,600 in Virginia, $3,000 in California and $3,100 in Georgia. Larger loans may need a vehicle as collateral, and loans secured by a vehicle generally carry lower APRs. On funding, OneMain says its debit card option can deliver money as soon as one hour after closing, while ACH deposits take about one to two banking days. The lender's own example: $6,000 at 24.99% APR over 60 months is $176.07 a month. It lists no minimum credit score and weighs credit history, income after expenses and collateral. Best fit: borrowers comparing today cash offers for $2,000 to $5,000 who value in-person help with a personal loan.

Mariner Finance lists personal loans from $1,000 to $25,000, APRs of 15.99% to 35.99% and terms of 12 to 72 months. Online loans run $1,500 to $14,000; smaller amounts may be handled at a branch, and Georgia residents can borrow only above $3,000. Mariner says loans may include origination fees but does not publish the amount, so ask for the fee in dollars before you accept. Its example shows why term length matters: a $5,000 amount financed at 30.99% APR over 48 months costs $182.91 a month and $8,779.68 in total. Checking offers uses a soft inquiry; accepting one triggers a hard inquiry. A useful feature is its 15-day satisfaction policy: repay the full balance in certified funds within 15 days and Mariner waives the finance charges. Funding timing is not published; money goes to your bank account or can be picked up as a check at a branch.

Regional Finance and Republic Finance are branch-based installment lenders concentrated in the South and Midwest; both serve borrowers with less-than-perfect credit but publish fewer rate details online than the national online lenders do.

Regional Finance advertises personal loans from $600 to $10,000 and auto-secured loans up to $45,000, with the maximum varying by state; in North Carolina the range is $700 to $7,500. Its homepage lists licenses in 20 states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Regional does not publish an APR range, term lengths or fee amounts online and says only that loan size, term and rate vary by state. It describes its credit standards as more flexible and says it looks beyond the score to income and budget. Checking offers does not affect your credit score, and loans are made by Column, N.A. or a Regional affiliate. The $600 floor is one of the lowest on this list, which helps when you need emergency money now for a small bill, but you need the APR and fee from your written offer before you can compare it fairly.

Republic Finance originates personal loans in 16 states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. The largest amount you can prequalify for online is $10,000, and secured loans up to $25,000 are offered only in branches. Republic says APRs will not exceed 36.00% and typical offers run 12 to 60 months. Its example is $7,000 at 30.04% APR over 60 months for $226.47 a month, based on an average secured loan that includes voluntary insurance. Origination fees vary by state and creditworthiness, but neither the fee amounts nor the minimum loan size are published, and funding speed is not stated. Prequalification does not touch your score. Republic notes that insurance is required on secured loans but buying it from Republic is optional, so ask what each add-on costs before you sign.

Lendmark Financial and Oportun reach borrowers outside the prime market in different ways: Lendmark through more than 550 branches in 24 states, Oportun through an app-based process that does not require any prior credit history.

Lendmark Financial Services sets a minimum of $2,000 in Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi and $3,000 in its other licensed states, with unsecured loans capped at $8,000; larger amounts need collateral. The maximum APR on new loans is 35.99%, and terms run 12 to 72 months. Lendmark's representative example is a $4,500 loan at 33.10% APR repaid in 42 monthly payments of $172. Origination or other fees may apply under state law, but amounts are not published. On speed, Lendmark reports that 67.15% of personal loan applications in a recent five-month period were approved and funded within one business day. It is licensed in 24 states, including California, Colorado, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington, and charges no prepayment penalty. An offer may not be valid if you opened a loan in the past 60 days. Best fit: someone who needs a $3,000 to $5,000 personal loan and prefers a branch.

Oportun offers unsecured personal loans from $300 to $10,000, and the lender says new customers typically receive $500 to $4,000. Amounts above $6,000 are not available to first-time borrowers through its bank partner, Georgia has a $3,100 floor and Hawaii a $1,600 floor. Oportun does not publish an APR range; its own example shows 35.95% APR on a 30-month loan repaid every two weeks. It charges an administrative fee of up to 10% of principal, so in its example a $3,333 loan puts $3,000 in the borrower's hands. A prior credit history is not required, though credit reports are still requested, which makes Oportun one of the few personal loan choices for newcomers without a U.S. credit file. Loans are offered in about 41 states. Term ranges and funding times for unsecured loans are not published beyond a note that funds go out quickly by direct deposit.

Upgrade and Avant are fully online lenders that publish complete APR and fee ranges and say funds usually go out about one business day after approval and final checks of your information.

Upgrade lends $1,000 to $50,000 at APRs of 7.74% to 35.99%, with terms of 24 to 84 months. Its origination fee runs 1.85% to 9.99% and is deducted from the proceeds. Upgrade says funds are sent within one business day once it finishes checking your details; if you have the loan paid straight to your creditors for consolidation, that payment can take up to two weeks. Applicants must be at least 18, have a bank account and email address, and be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or holder of a valid visa. Upgrade says applicants with bad credit may still be eligible, and checking your rate uses a soft inquiry. Its example of a $10,000, 36-month loan at 17.59% APR with a 5% fee deposits $9,500 and costs $341.48 a month. For a $1,000 to $5,000 need, the low floor and wide term range give flexibility, but watch the fee: on a $1,500 loan, 9.99% removes about $150.

Avant lends $2,000 to $35,000 at APRs from 9.95% to 35.99% over 24 to 60 months. Instead of an origination fee it charges an administration fee of up to 9.99%, deducted from proceeds and treated as part of the principal, so interest accrues on it. Minimum amounts vary by state. Avant's example: a $5,700 loan with a 9.99% fee leaves $5,130.57 in hand and costs $217.66 a month for 36 months at 29.95% APR. Funds are generally sent by ACH for next-business-day delivery if the loan is approved by 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, and requests for extra documents can slow that down. Checking options does not affect your credit score. Avant does not accept applications from every state and does not list the excluded states on its loan page. Best fit: fair-credit borrowers who need at least $2,000 and want a predictable ACH deposit rather than a promise to get cash today.

Upstart and LendingPoint both run online personal loan programs that weigh more than a credit score: Upstart models income and employment, while LendingPoint sets a firm income floor of $35,000 a year.

Upstart advertises loans from $1,000 to $75,000 at APRs of 6.3% to 35.99%, with terms of three or five years only. State minimums apply: $1,500 in Hawaii, $3,100 in Georgia and $7,000 in Massachusetts. Upstart does not publish an origination fee range; its representative example uses an 8.15% fee, turning a $10,000 loan into a $9,185 deposit at 23.37% APR. Its model considers factors beyond a credit score, such as income and employment, and there is no minimum education requirement. Checking your rate is a soft inquiry, while accepting a rate triggers a hard one. On timing, Upstart says funds can be sent as fast as 24 hours after approval and that 65% of customers in a recent month had transfers started within that window. The 36-month minimum term means even a $1,000 personal loan is spread over three years, which raises total interest compared with a 12-month plan.

LendingPoint lends $1,000 to $36,500 at APRs of 7.99% to 35.99% over 24 to 72 months, with an origination fee of up to 10% depending on your state. Applicants need a Social Security number, a photo ID, a personal bank account and at least $35,000 in annual income. It does not lend in Nevada or West Virginia; minimums are $3,001 in Colorado and $3,500 in Georgia, and Hawaii is listed at $1,500 or $2,000 depending on the footnote you read. LendingPoint says decisions take one to three business days after requested documents arrive and that funds are often sent by ACH the next business day. Its example: $10,000 over 48 months at 26.59% APR with a 10% fee costs $340.52 a month and $16,345.12 in total. Loans may be made by FinWise Bank, Coastal Community Bank or LendingPoint itself. Best fit: steady earners with fair credit who need $1,000 or more.

Happen Bank, the new name for LendingClub, and Best Egg both lend through banks, publish low starting APRs and tend to suit borrowers with good credit who want a lower rate rather than the smallest possible loan.

Happen Bank (formerly LendingClub) offers personal loans from $1,000 to $75,000 at APRs from 5.96% to 35.99%, with terms of 24 to 84 months. Its origination fee ranges from 0% to 8%, one of the lower ceilings on this list. Loans are available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., though some amounts, rates and terms are not offered everywhere. Happen says money can arrive in as little as 24 hours after approval and that 64% of approved loans funded on a given business day in a recent quarter went out within 24 hours. The lowest rates go to applicants with higher scores, low debt-to-income ratios and clean histories, and adding a co-borrower can help. Checking your rate is a soft inquiry. Its example: $15,262 over 36 months at 18.40% APR with a 6% fee costs $522 a month. Best fit: good-credit borrowers anywhere in the country who are weighing today cash results against a lower-rate personal loan.

Best Egg lends $2,000 to $50,000 at APRs of 6.99% to 35.99% over 36 to 60 months. The origination fee is 0.99% to 9.99% and is at least 4.99% on terms of four years or longer. State minimums are higher in Georgia ($3,001), Ohio ($5,001) and Massachusetts ($6,500), and Best Egg is not available in Iowa, Nebraska, Vermont, West Virginia or the District of Columbia. After it finishes checking your details, deposits typically arrive in one to three business days, and the lender says about half of customers get funds the next day. Loans are made by Cross River Bank or Column N.A. Its example: $5,000 over three years at 6.99% APR costs $152.83 a month. There is no prepayment penalty. Best fit: good-credit borrowers who need $2,000 to $5,000 and want a three-year payoff.

We picked lenders that can lend inside the $500 to $5,000 band, repay through fixed installments, keep APRs at or near 36% and publish their terms on their own websites, mixing branch-based and online-only formats.

• Installment repayment only. We left out lenders whose main product is a short-term loan due in a single payment.
• APR ceiling near 36%. Eleven of the twelve publish a 35.99% to 36.00% ceiling or a worked example below it; Regional Finance publishes no APR, so ask for the exact figure.
• Room for smaller loans. Each lender makes at least some personal loans between $500 and $5,000, although state minimums can push the floor higher.
• Official sources only. Every figure came from the lender's own site. Where a lender does not publish a number, the table says not published instead of filling the gap from third-party reviews.
• Two service styles. Half are branch-based or community lenders and half are online-only, so you can weigh in-person help against a fully digital process.

The table order groups lenders by type and is not a ranking. Our request form is a separate path: it passes a today cash request to lenders in our network, which may or may not include the names above. We are not a lender and do not set rates or make credit decisions. Read our advertiser disclosure to see how our service earns money, and review the eligibility basics before applying anywhere.