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Avant personal loans review
A low-cost alternative to payday loans — but expect a high administrative fee.
finder.com’s rating: 3.4 / 5.0
★★★★★
Bottom line: Avant offers a an alternative to short-term loans for eligible fair-credit borrowers. But you can likely find a better deal — and higher loan amounts — if your credit score is 670 or higher.
Details
| Min. Loan Amount | $2,000 |
|---|---|
| Max. Loan Amount | $35,000 |
| APR | 9.95% to 35.99% |
| Interest Rate Type | Fixed |
| Min. Credit Score | 580 |
| Origination Fee | Up to 4.75% |
| Late Fee | $25 |
| Loan Term | 1 to 5 years |
| Turnaround Time | As soon as the next business day |
Pros
- Open to borrowers of all credit types
- Self-employed income accepted
- Preapproval won’t impact your credit
- Available in all states except Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Nevada, New York, Vermont and West Virginia
Cons
- High rates ranging from 9.95% to 35.99%
- Administrative fee of 4.75%
- Low maximum loan amount of $35,000
- Recently settled lawsuit with the FTC
Our take on Avant
Avant personal loans are best for borrowers with less-than-perfect credit who may not qualify with lenders like SoFi or LightStream that require credit scores in the high 600s and up. With Avant, you only need a credit score of minimum 580 to qualify, and it accepts self-employed borrowers — which many other lenders don't.
But be prepared to pay a relatively high administrative fee and high starting APR with Avant. For example, if you take out a $10,000 loan, you could pay up to $475 with a 4.75% administrative fee and upwards to 35.99% in interest. Other lenders may not charge these fees, so if you have a good credit score of 670 and above, you'll likely find a better deal and lower rates elsewhere. And Avant won’t be able to help with loans over $35,000.
The company appears to get excellent ratings on Trustpilot from thousands of customers, who praise the company for a fast and easy application process. Some customers mention being able to get an Avant loan after other lenders reject their applications. But others report high interest rates and drawn-out applications.
Avant rates, fees and terms
Avant personal loans offers interest rates from 9.95% to 35.99% and come with an administration fee of up to 4.75%. Avant automatically deducts the administrative fee from your funds before transferring it to your bank account.
You can borrow between $2,000 and $35,000 and repay the loan over two to five years. Use the calculator below to see how much an Avant loan might cost you each month at different rates, terms and loan amounts.
Monthly repayments calculator
Calculate how much you could expect to pay each month
Your loan |
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| Interest rate |
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Fill out the form and click on “Calculate” to see your
estimated monthly payment.
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per month
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Based on your loan terms
| Principal | $ |
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| Interest | $ |
| Total Cost | $ |
How Avant compares to other lenders
Here’s how Avant stacks up to two other lenders that also accept fair credit borrowers.
Avant personal loans | Upgrade personal loans | Upstart personal loans |
 |  |  |
★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
Go to site
| Go to site
| Go to site
|
APR 9.95% to 35.99% | APR 7.46% to 35.97% | APR 5.6% to 35.99% |
Loan Term 1 to 5 years | Loan Term 2 to 7 years | Loan Term 3 or 5 years |
Loan Amount $2,000 to $35,000 | Loan Amount $1,000 to $50,000 | Loan Amount $1,000 to $50,000 |
Min. Credit Score 580 | Min. Credit Score 600 | Min. Credit Score 300 |
Compare even more personal loans
Avant reviews and complaints
| BBB accredited | Yes |
|---|---|
| BBB rating | A+ |
| BBB customer reviews | 1.2 out of 5 stars, based on 121 customer reviews |
| BBB customer complaints | 363 |
| Trustpilot score | 4.7 out of 5 stars, based on 22,051 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 06 July 2022 |
On Trustpilot, thousands of customers have left reviews for Avant, which are overwhelmingly positive. This is despite settling two lawsuits regarding its business practices in 2019 and 2021. The company gets a less favorable customer rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, although the number of ratings left is much lower than on Trustpilot.
Satisfied customers report being pleased with how easy it is to apply and how fast they received their funds. Less happy customers mention applications expiring before they could lock in a rate and receiving higher than expected interest rates. There are also several complaints related to the company's credit card.
How to qualify
To qualify for a loan through Avant, you must meet the following requirements:
- Credit score of at least 580
- Valid bank account
- Proof of steady income
- Live in eligible state
- US citizen or permanent resident
- At least 18 years old — 19 in Alabama
While the credit score requirement might be 580, Avant says the average customer has a credit score of 600 to 700.
What information do I need to apply?
To apply with Avant, you will need to provide some basic information and documents:
- Social Security number
- Home address
- Monthly net income
- Date of birth
- Employer contact information
- Proof of income, like a bank statement or pay stub
How the application works
To get prequalified, go to the Avant website and select Check Your Loan Options. You'll be prompted to fill out a form with your contact and residence details, your Social Security number and income. According to the website, checking your eligibility won't affect your credit score.
If approved, you’ll be shown different loan offers. Choose an offer and review the loan agreement to see your repayments, due date and applicable fees. If you're not approved, Avant may suggest you fill out an application with one of its partner lenders instead.
How Avant debt consolidation works
With Avant, funds are deposited to your bank account and not sent to your creditors directly. This means you'll need to contact your creditors to get the exact pay off amount for the day you intend to send your payment. This will help ensure that your payment covers the entire balance owed so you don't keep accumulating interest.
According to the Avant website, funds are typically deposited via ACH and are delivered the next business day after your loan is approved, as long as it's approved before 4:30 p.m. CT on weekdays.
How legit is Avant?
Avant is generally a legitimate lender. It’s an equal-housing lender that issues its loans through WebBank, a member of the FDIC. And it protects your information using SSL encryption and limits how it shares your information through its privacy settings — which you can adjust by calling in to customer service.
Avant lawsuits
In April 2019, Avant paid $3.85 million to borrowers as a settlement for a lawsuit over the way it handled loan repayments. The lawsuit alleged that Avant had engaged in the following practices, which are illegal according to federal law:
- Unauthorized withdrawals from consumer accounts
- Failure to credit payments made by check in a timely matter
- Failure to accept debit and credit card payments
- Inaccurately listing payoff amounts on borrower accounts
- Demanding additional payments after borrowers paid off a loan
- Forcing borrowers to agree to recurring automatic debits
And in 2021, Avant paid $1.6 million to the Local Consumer Aid Fund to settle allegations that it engaged in abusive collection practices, including not providing proper debt validation notices and making illegal debt collection calls to consumers.
Not sure it’s right for you? You can compare lenders like Avant or learn more about how borrowing works with our guide to personal loans.
Frequently asked questions
More information about Avant’s personal loans.
How do I cancel my application?
Cancel your application by email or phone. If you already received your loan, you can pay off your loan early, but you’ll have to pay any interest that’s accrued.
How do I take out a second loan before I pay off my current loan?
You can’t take out a second loan before your first loan is paid off. But you can refinance it with a larger loan, which can increase your loan amount.
But watch out — refinancing can extend your loan term, which means you’ll pay more in interest. With maximum rates as high as Avant’s, it can get expensive.
See other personal loan options
Use this table to compare more options you might qualify for before deciding on Avant.
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Personal loan ratings
★★★★★ Excellent
★★★★★ Good
★★★★★ Average
★★★★★ Subpar
★★★★★ Poor
We analyze top personal loan providers and rate them one to five stars based on factors that are most important to you. These factors include: rates and fees, customer reviews, loan amounts, loan processing and borrower experience.
Read the full methodology of how we rate personal loan providers.
Review by
Aliyyah Camp
aliyyah.camp@finder.comAliyyah Camp was the personal loans publisher for Finder. Aliyyah earned a BA in communication from the University of Pennsylvania.
Expert review
On the fence? Compare your other personal loan options below.
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16 Comments
January 26, 2019
I use my PayPal account for everything. Even my work paycheck is direct deposited there. Meaning I have Acct number & routing number. I see that a “valid bank account” is a requirement. Does my PayPal info qualify?
January 27, 2019
Hi Daisy,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder. I hope all is well with you. :)
I understand that you want to know if PayPal can be considered as a valid bank account. Upon checking, PayPal is not a bank account, but rather it is more like a money transfer service provider. For this reason, Avant might not consider PayPal as a bank account. You may also directly get in touch with Avanta to learn more.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
July 1, 2017
I have a loan with Avant now. Is it possible to get another for debt consolidation?
July 2, 2017
Hi Mary Ann,
Thanks for your question.
Yes, it’s possible to get another loan subject to the lender’s assessment of your eligibility for refinancing.
Warm regards,
Liezl
June 20, 2017
Is it possible to take out a loan without an income if your husband can pay it off but can not have it in his name because we want to get a house and need the loan to cover closing costs?
June 20, 2017
Hi Kteetz,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Unfortunately no, if you’re interested in finding out your rate through Avant or submitting your application, click the “Go to Site” button. You will need to meet some initial eligibility criteria, which include:
– You must be a US citizen, a permanent resident or in the US on a valid long-term visa.
– You must be at least 18 years old.
– You must have a valid bank account.
You’ll also need to gather the following information before applying:
– Your name, contact information and date of birth.
– How much you want to borrow and the purpose of the loan.
– Your annual individual income.
I hope this information has helped.
Cheers,
Harold
June 15, 2017
will a loan be approved with an open chapter 13 bankruptcy in good standing
June 15, 2017
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your question.
If you are currently bankrupt, some lenders may still consider you for a loan. Kindly note also that the fees and rates may be considerably higher on bankrupt loans.
If you are interested in exploring your possible options, please check out this page about bankrupt loans.
Cheers,
Anndy
June 5, 2017
On an Avant personal loan what is needed to verify annual income?
Thanks,
Jamie
June 19, 2017
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for your question.
For self-employed borrowers, Avant requires two most recent years’ complete, official tax documentation.
For those employed by traditional means or are receiving benefits, Avant uses their online verification tool (OVT) to check your income. Moreover, if further verification is needed, they will directly contact you and inform you of other requirements.
Cheers,
Anndy