Answers to common questions

$200 to $5,000 depending on which product fits your needs — see all four products for exact ranges. Approval reflects your income and repayment ability, not just your credit score.

Any legal personal purpose — car repair, medical bill, moving expenses, debt consolidation, emergency travel. We don't require you to specify a purpose or provide receipts.

Our APRs are capped at 35.99% (versus the 300-400%+ typical of payday loans). We offer installment terms up to 24 months so payments stay manageable. We report to credit bureaus, so on-time payments actually help you build credit — unlike payday loans, which usually don't report unless you default.

Generally no — we require existing loans to be paid off before issuing a new one. The Line of Credit product is the exception, as it's designed for ongoing use within a single approved credit line.

About 2 minutes to check your rate. If you accept an offer, the full process from application to funds in your bank account typically takes under 10 minutes on the borrower's side (plus verification time on ours).

Usually none. Our verification is mostly automated through your bank connection and public records. In some cases we may request a pay stub, tax return, or utility bill — you'll be notified within the application flow if we need anything.

Applications completed and accepted before 11 a.m. ET on a business day can qualify for same-day ACH funding when your bank supports it. Otherwise, funds arrive the next business day. Weekends and federal holidays can add 1 business day.

You'll receive a written explanation (an "adverse action notice") within 30 days. We often suggest alternative products or a reduced loan amount that might work for your situation. Being denied doesn't prevent you from re-applying in the future.

Your APR is set based on your credit profile, loan amount, term, state, and product. Full ranges are shown on our rates page. You can see your exact APR before accepting any loan.

No. Zero origination, zero application, zero prepayment penalty on most products (credit-builder has one $9 setup fee). Late payment and returned payment fees are both $15 and only charged when applicable. Every fee is disclosed before you accept.

Yes. Enrolling in autopay reduces your APR by 0.25%. It's optional and you can turn it off at any time.

No. Rate checks use a soft credit inquiry that has zero impact on your FICO score and is invisible to other lenders. A hard inquiry only occurs if you e-sign your final loan agreement.

There's no minimum FICO score requirement. We approve borrowers across the full credit spectrum. We look primarily at income, debt-to-income ratio, and banking history when making decisions.

Yes, if you make payments on time. We report to all three major bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion). Our credit-builder loan is specifically designed for this — borrowers see an average FICO gain of 32 points over 12 months.

Most borrowers use autopay via ACH from the bank account you provided at application. You can also pay manually through the borrower portal, by phone, or by mail. Autopay is optional but gives a 0.25% APR discount.

Yes, any time — and you'll save on interest. There's no prepayment penalty on any of our installment loans, emergency cash, or line of credit products.

Contact us before the due date. We have hardship options including one free deferment per year, extended repayment plans, and payment restructuring. There's a 10-day grace period before any late fee is assessed.

Yes. Ahead Lending, LLC is a state-licensed consumer lender. Our NMLS ID is #2138472. We're licensed in 34 U.S. states (see our rates page for the full list).

All borrower data is encrypted at rest and in transit with 256-bit encryption. We're SOC 2 Type II audited annually. We never sell your data to third parties. Read our full privacy policy for details.

Call us at 1-888-000-0000, email [email protected], or use the live chat in your borrower portal. Support is available 8am-10pm ET, seven days a week. Real humans, no chatbots for account questions.