How Personal Loan Pre-Approval Works
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If today's low interest rates have you thinking about a personal loan, you have plenty of great unsecured personal loan lenders from which to choose. Whether you want to consolidate debt or make an addition to your home, the first step is pre-approval. Here, we'll tell you what you need to know about the pre-approval process and discuss what you can expect after you've made it through.
We'll also cover some tips to help you navigate the process and choose the best personal loan for you.
Pre-approval is the period during which a lender determines your eligibility for a loan. It's a simple process. You provide the lender with information about your income and employment. The lender then runs a soft credit check to get a sense of how well you've handled debt in the past and whether you can easily handle the monthly payment.
After they've run the soft credit check, the lender lets you know whether you qualify for a loan with them, and if so, what your interest rate will be. It's also during this time that you'll learn more about the loan offer, including terms, origination fee, and other charges levied by the lender.
To be clear, a pre-approval isn't a binding offer. The pre-approval is based on the information in your credit report and other information you provide. The personal loan application involves more documentation.
For example, your pre-approval might be based on a certain amount of income. What happens if your lender is unable to verify your income? You could be rejected for the loan -- even though you passed the pre-approval process.
Get the best rates and terms to fit your needs. Here are a few loans we'd like to highlight, including our award winners.
| Lender | APR Range | Loan Amount | Min. Credit Score | Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apply Now for Discover Personal Loan
Powered by Credible 
5.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
7.99% - 24.99%
|
$2,500 - $40,000
|
660
|
Apply Now for Discover Personal Loan
Powered by Credible |
4.0/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
8.99% - 19.49%**
|
$2,000 - $30,000
|
740
|
|
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor |
6.70% - 35.99%³
|
$1,000 - $50,000¹
|
300
|
While many people use the term prequalify and pre-approved interchangeably, there are some differences to be aware of. Pre-approval is typically a better indicator if you qualify for a loan compared to prequalifying for a loan. Here are the differences between the two.
A prequalification is an estimate of how much you may qualify for. A lender will rely on the information you provide and not a third-party source like a credit report. The lender will give you how much you can expect to borrow based on the income, employment history, debt, and other factors you provide. A lender will not look more deeply into your financial situation until you get to the pre-approval and application stage. Since a borrower can give inaccurate information, a prequalification is not as reliable as a pre-approval.
A pre-approval is more involved and since the lender will check your credit report, it is a better indication if you qualify for a loan. You will need to submit your information to the lender and the lender will perform a soft pull on your credit report. This will not impact your credit score. Since the lender verifies the information you give, they are able to better determine if you qualify for the personal loan. When pre-approved for a loan, you will know how much you are approved for, your interest rate, and other loan terms.
No, not usually. Most personal lenders conduct what's known as a soft credit pull. Think of this as an "unofficial" credit check. The lender views a report containing your credit score and credit history, but no official credit inquiry (also known as a hard credit pull) is performed. A soft credit check has no impact on your credit score.
TIP
FICO says hard inquiries generally have a small effect on your credit score, with many people seeing less than five points taken off. This drop will be brief and your score should return back to normal within a few months.
Although most personal lenders let you check your rates without a hard credit pull, not all of them do. Are you worried that a particular lender's rate-checking process could result in a hard credit pull and adversely affect your credit score? Look for an indication on the pre-approval page that checking your rates won't affect your credit score or something similar. If there's any confusion, ask the lender before allowing them to pull your credit report.
Personal loan lenders will have different processes to get pre-approved for a personal loan, but most will require you to follow these steps:
A pre-approval letter is a document from a financial institution stating it is tentatively willing to approve a personal loan up to a certain amount. During the pre-approval process, lenders will review your credit score and other factors. Lenders will want to ensure you are creditworthy before you apply for a loan.
The pre-approval letter will typically have the amount you qualify for, the interest rate, the repayment time period, and other loan terms. Many letters will have an expiration date on when the pre-approval is good until. Pre-approval letters may also have conditions you must meet, documents you need to provide, and other personal information to apply for the loan.
Once you've decided on the personal loan that makes the most sense for you, you'll need to proceed past the lender's pre-approval process and complete a loan application.
When you apply for a personal loan, you'll be asked for information that wasn't part of the pre-approval process. For example, the lender will want to verify your income with a W-2 or 1099, pay stubs, and/or a recent tax return or two. You'll probably also need to submit a copy of your driver's license or other ID and your Social Security card.
It's also a good idea to have your bank account information handy. Lenders generally don't require you to automate your loan payments, but many offer an interest rate discount if you do. Autopay can also be a good idea if you're concerned about getting your payments in on time each month.
Expect several rounds of documentation requests before the loan is finalized. This is especially true if you're self-employed or if any part of your application is complicated. This is normal, so don't be discouraged.
Once all of your documentation is received and verified, your lender will send you a promissory note and other documents to sign. Once the documents are returned to the lender, your funds can be disbursed. Depending on your lender, funds typically show up in your bank account in anywhere from one business day to two weeks (although some loans can take a bit longer). As you shop lenders, make sure to check out their funding times if you need the money quickly.
Here's a list of lender that will allow you to fill your application online to get a pre-approved loan. The lender will conduct a soft credit check and it will not impact your credit score. You will know how much you qualify for, your APR, loan length, and other loan terms.
Looking for a personal loan but don’t know where to start? Our favorites offer quick approval and rock-bottom interest rates. Check out our list to find the best loan for you.
Some people who are pre-approved may be denied when they actually apply. A pre-approval does not necessarily guarantee a loan approval. If your credit score or other factors changed from the time you were pre-approved to when you submitted your application, the lender may deny your application.
How long a loan pre-approval lasts will depend on the lender and the type of loan. A personal loan pre-approval offer will typically have an expiration date, which may last 30 days to 60 days. Every lender is different so it is important to find out what the time period is.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
Citi® Personal Loan Disclosure
**Terms, conditions, and fees for accounts, products, programs and services are subject to change at any time. You must be at least 18 years of age (21 years of age in Puerto Rico). Co-applicants are not permitted. Existing Citi deposit and credit card customers who have been a Citi customer for less than 12 months are not eligible for a Citi® Personal Loan.
If you apply online, you must agree to receive the loan note and all other account disclosures provided with your loan origination in an electronic format and provide your signature electronically.
Rates as of 06-03-2025. Your APR may be as low as 8.99% or as high as 19.49% for the term of your loan. The lowest rate quoted assumes excellent credit, a loan term of 24 or 36 months, and includes a 0.5% APR discount for enrollment in automatic payments at the time of loan origination. Your APR will depend on a variety of factors including your creditworthiness, term of loan, and existing relationship with Citi. Citi offers personal loans with a period of repayment between 12 and 60-month terms. For example, if you borrow $10,000 for 36 months at 15.99% APR, to repay your loan you will have to make 36 monthly payments of approximately $351.52.
Existing Citigold and Citi Priority customers will receive an additional 0.25% discount to the APR. If you are in default, your APR may increase by 2.00%. Rates subject to change without notice.
To check for offers you may qualify for, Citi conducts a soft credit inquiry. If you are presented with an offer and choose to proceed with the application process, Citi will conduct a hard credit inquiry which may have an impact on your credit score.
Citi® Personal Loan proceeds cannot be used to pay for post-secondary education expenses or for business purposes. Credit cards issued by Citibank, N.A. or its affiliates, as well as Checking Plus and Ready Credit accounts, are not eligible for debt consolidation, and Citibank will not issue payoff checks for these accounts. If you are unsure of the issuer on the account, please visit https://www.citi.com/affiliatesproducts for a list of Citi products and affiliates.
If you are approved for a personal loan with Citi, you can get your funds the same day with a Citi deposit account, or up to 2 business days for a non-Citi account when using direct deposit. Or, you can select to receive a check by mail in approximately 5 business days.
Personal loans are made available by Citibank, N.A., Equal Housing lender
*Upstart Loan Disclaimer
¹ Your loan amount will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will qualify for the full amount. Minimum loan amounts vary by state: GA ($3,100), HI ($2,100), MA ($7,000).
³ The full range of available rates varies by state. A representative example of payment terms for an unsecured Personal Loan is as follows: a borrower receives a loan of $10,000 for a term of 60 months, with an interest rate of 18.60% and a 8.51% origination fee of $851, for an APR of 23.07%. In this example, the borrower will receive $9149 and will make 60 monthly payments of $258. APR is calculated based on 5-year rates offered in December 2024. There is no downpayment and no prepayment penalty. Your APR will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will be approved.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
Citi® Personal Loan Disclosure
**Terms, conditions, and fees for accounts, products, programs and services are subject to change at any time. You must be at least 18 years of age (21 years of age in Puerto Rico). Co-applicants are not permitted. Existing Citi deposit and credit card customers who have been a Citi customer for less than 12 months are not eligible for a Citi® Personal Loan.
If you apply online, you must agree to receive the loan note and all other account disclosures provided with your loan origination in an electronic format and provide your signature electronically.
Rates as of 06-03-2025. Your APR may be as low as 8.99% or as high as 19.49% for the term of your loan. The lowest rate quoted assumes excellent credit, a loan term of 24 or 36 months, and includes a 0.5% APR discount for enrollment in automatic payments at the time of loan origination. Your APR will depend on a variety of factors including your creditworthiness, term of loan, and existing relationship with Citi. Citi offers personal loans with a period of repayment between 12 and 60-month terms. For example, if you borrow $10,000 for 36 months at 15.99% APR, to repay your loan you will have to make 36 monthly payments of approximately $351.52.
Existing Citigold and Citi Priority customers will receive an additional 0.25% discount to the APR. If you are in default, your APR may increase by 2.00%. Rates subject to change without notice.
To check for offers you may qualify for, Citi conducts a soft credit inquiry. If you are presented with an offer and choose to proceed with the application process, Citi will conduct a hard credit inquiry which may have an impact on your credit score.
Citi® Personal Loan proceeds cannot be used to pay for post-secondary education expenses or for business purposes. Credit cards issued by Citibank, N.A. or its affiliates, as well as Checking Plus and Ready Credit accounts, are not eligible for debt consolidation, and Citibank will not issue payoff checks for these accounts. If you are unsure of the issuer on the account, please visit https://www.citi.com/affiliatesproducts for a list of Citi products and affiliates.
If you are approved for a personal loan with Citi, you can get your funds the same day with a Citi deposit account, or up to 2 business days for a non-Citi account when using direct deposit. Or, you can select to receive a check by mail in approximately 5 business days.
Personal loans are made available by Citibank, N.A., Equal Housing lender
*Upstart Loan Disclaimer
¹ Your loan amount will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will qualify for the full amount. Minimum loan amounts vary by state: GA ($3,100), HI ($2,100), MA ($7,000).
³ The full range of available rates varies by state. A representative example of payment terms for an unsecured Personal Loan is as follows: a borrower receives a loan of $10,000 for a term of 60 months, with an interest rate of 18.60% and a 8.51% origination fee of $851, for an APR of 23.07%. In this example, the borrower will receive $9149 and will make 60 monthly payments of $258. APR is calculated based on 5-year rates offered in December 2024. There is no downpayment and no prepayment penalty. Your APR will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will be approved.