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Short-term loan provider ratings methodology

How we determine the score for our short-term loan reviews.

Our ratings

— Excellent

— Good

— Average

— Poor

9 factors we consider for our star ratings

How we rate minimum loan amount

Payday loans

— $50 to $100

— $101 to $300

— $301 or more

Installment and title loans

— Less than $1,000

— $1,000 to $1,500

— $1,501 to $2,000

— $2,001 or more

How we rate cost

— Optional fee or APR under 36%

— 36% to 200%

— 201% to 300%

— 300% to 499+%

How we rate transparency

— Clearly states fees, links to privacy policy, provides info on state laws and the like

— Clearly provides terms of service, only provides example fee structure

— Doesn’t state costs online

How we rate funding options

— Offers ACH transfer, in-store pickup and other options

— Only offers ACH transfer

— Only offers in-store pickup

How we rate turnaround time

— Same-day turnaround available

— 1 to 2 business days

— Longer than 2 business days

How we rate customer service

— Phone number, email and live chat

— Phone number and email

— Phone number or email

— No contact information

How we rate customer reviews

— Excellent customer reviews

— Good customer reviews

— Average customer reviews

— Poor customer reviews

How we rate other services

— Offers at least one perk

How we determine drawbacks

— Has one of these drawbacks

What we don’t consider

  • State availability. Not all lenders operate in all 50 states. In fact, some states ban payday and other short-term loans. Ensure your lender is licensed to operate in your state and is following state laws.

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