What are my actual approval odds?

Most short-term lenders use a soft check first — invisible to other lenders, no score impact. A hard inquiry only happens after you accept the offer. If you decline at the offer stage, no inquiry is recorded.

Most lenders set $1,000/month as the floor, but it varies. Some accept $800 if income is from W-2 with consistent direct deposit. SSI and SSDI usually count. Cash-only income (waiter tips, gig deposits to PayPal) is harder to verify.

Yes, often. Short-term lenders weigh income and banking history more than credit score. A 540 with steady direct deposit and a clean checking account usually qualifies for something. Expect higher APR.

Depends on income source. Social Security, SSDI, pension, and child support count as verifiable income with most lenders. Pure unemployment benefits are harder — many lenders decline UI-only income. Self-employment with bank-verifiable deposits ($1,000+/month for 3+ months) usually qualifies.

Most common: (1) recent overdrafts visible in bank verification, (2) existing payday loans showing in the lender database, (3) bank account too new (less than 30 days), (4) state restriction, (5) requested amount too high relative to deposits.

Most lenders accept Chime and Varo if the account is 30+ days old with regular deposit history. Cash App accounts and prepaid debit cards are usually rejected — lenders need traditional ACH access for repayment.

Often yes. Most lenders auto-decline if the requested amount exceeds 30-40% of monthly income. If you make $1,500/month, asking for $300 has much higher approval odds than $800 — same lender.

Most lenders see your active loans in real-time databases (CL Verify, DataX). 1 active loan reduces approval odds noticeably. 2+ usually means decline. Wait until your current loan is paid off before applying for another, or consider a credit union PAL instead.

Standard ACH: next business day if approved before noon ET. Same-day funding requires the lender to support debit-card-push deposits AND your bank to accept them — most major banks do, but check before counting on it. Friday afternoon submissions usually fund Tuesday.

Some lenders verify employment by phone, most don't. When they do, the call is brief — they confirm you work there, not the loan details. HR isn't told you applied. If you'd rather avoid this, choose a lender that uses bank-statement verification only.

Usually: SSN, valid government ID, proof of income (recent pay stub or 60-90 days of bank statements), active checking account info, employer/source contact. Self-employed needs more bank statements. Some lenders use Plaid to skip document upload entirely.

Almost universally no — active Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy is an automatic decline at every reputable lender. After discharge, you may qualify after 6-12 months with re-established income and a clean checking account.

It's an educational estimate based on the same factors lenders weigh. Real underwriting varies by lender and includes things we can't see (your full bank transaction history, fraud signals, identity match). Use it to understand which factors hurt you most — not as a guarantee.

Most lenders block reapplications for 30 days from the same applicant. If you reapply with the same lender, they'll usually return the same decision unless something major changed (income, bank account). Better to fix the underlying issue first — overdrafts, existing debt, etc.

No. Any company claiming "guaranteed approval" is either misleading you or scamming you. Real lenders underwrite. Common scam patterns: charge an upfront "insurance fee" then disappear, or harvest your SSN to sell to other lenders/scammers.