How LendUp Works

LendUp is a loan-matching and consumer education site - not a lender. When you use this site to check your options, you submit a request and lenders in our network may evaluate it and contact you if they can serve your request. A match is not guaranteed, and the exact process may vary depending on the lender or partner involved. Here's what happens at each stage so you know what to expect before you start.

Before you provide any personal information, the educational content on this site is available to you at no cost and with no obligation. You can:

• Read guides on payday loans, installment loans, and personal loans to understand how each works
• Compare loan types using our comparison pages
• Check what's available at your credit score range
• Review your state's rules, fee caps, and lender licensing requirements
• See loan amount ranges to understand what products fit your need

None of this requires an account, an application, or personal information. The guides are here whether or not you ever use the matching service.

When you're ready to check your options, you submit a loan request through the site. During this step you'll provide information including:

• Personal details - name, address, date of birth, Social Security number
• Income and employment information
• Bank account details
• The amount you're looking for
• Contact information

This information is used to match you with lenders in our network who may be able to serve your request based on your state, the amount, and your profile.

Important: submitting a loan request through LendUp is not a direct application to a specific lender. It's a request that allows lenders in our network to evaluate whether they can make you an offer. You are not committed to borrowing by submitting this request - but you are authorizing contact.

A note on partner-operated forms: some request forms or pages on this site may be owned and operated by partners in our network. In those cases, the partner collects and controls the information you provide, and LendUp may not have access to it. The partner's own privacy practices govern that data. Our Privacy Policy describes how to identify partner-operated forms and what that means for your information.

For full details on what information is collected, how it's shared, and how it's protected, see our Privacy Policy and security practices.

After you submit, lenders in our network may evaluate your request and may contact you if they believe they can serve it. Here's what you should know:

• Your information is shared with lenders in our network as part of the matching process. This is how the service works - lenders need your information to evaluate your request. Our Privacy Policy explains exactly what is shared and with whom.
• LendUp does not make the lending decision. Each lender evaluates your request independently using their own criteria, underwriting standards, and risk models. LendUp has no role in whether you're approved, denied, or what terms you're offered.
• A match is not guaranteed. If no lender in the network can serve your request, you may not receive an offer. This doesn't mean you can't get a loan - it means this particular network didn't have a match. You can still explore other options directly through the guides on this site.
• You may be contacted by lenders or other service providers by email, phone, or text - as you authorized when you submitted the request. Our Privacy Policy describes the full scope of who may receive your information and contact you.

The exact flow may vary depending on the lender or partner involved. If your request was submitted through a partner-operated form, the partner's own process and privacy practices apply.

If a lender sends you an offer, you'll see the terms before you agree to anything. Before accepting, check:

• Total repayment: the full amount you'll pay over the life of the loan - not just the monthly payment. For payday loans, this is principal plus the flat fee. For installment loans, this is the total of payments.
• APR and fees: the lender is required to disclose the APR, finance charge, and total of payments before you agree. If these are missing, don't proceed.
• Repayment terms: when payments are due, how much each payment is, and whether the loan allows early payoff without penalty.
• The lender's identity and licensing: confirm who the lender is and that they are licensed in your state. Check your state's license lookup.

If you accept an offer, your relationship is with the lender - not with LendUp. From this point forward:

• The lender funds the loan, deposits money to your account, and sets the repayment schedule.
• The lender collects payments - typically through automatic ACH debits from your bank account on the dates specified in the agreement.
• The lender handles account questions - rates, payment amounts, due dates, payoff amounts, and any disputes about the loan terms.
• LendUp is not involved in the loan after the matching process. We don't set the terms, collect payments, modify the agreement, or resolve disputes between you and the lender.

If you have a problem with a lender you were connected with through this site, you can file a complaint with the CFPB, contact your state's financial regulator, or report fraud to the FTC. You can also contact LendUp about the matching process itself.

This distinction matters because it tells you who to contact when: questions about the site or matching process go to LendUp. Questions about your loan terms, payments, or account go to the lender. Note: some forms on this site may be operated by partners with their own privacy practices - see our Privacy Policy for how to identify these.