Cost shown before you apply, not after
See the payment first.
Choose an amount and CashOtter shows an illustrative monthly payment and total repayment. Your lender discloses your actual terms before you accept an offer.
Your cost preview
Scheduled payment
Choose an amount
- Amount you receive
- -
- Cost of borrowing
- -
- Total repayment
- -
Example at 17.99% APR over 18 months. Your APR, term and payment are set by the lender and shown before you accept any offer.
APRs typically range from 5.99% to 35.99%.
Illustration excludes lender-specific fees. Actual costs are disclosed in your loan agreement.
We share the details you enter with our lender-network partner and the lenders in its network, which California law treats as a sale. You can opt out on the Do Not Sell page.
We currently serve CA, FL, MI, LA, MO, TN, SC, AL, KY, DE, SD, WI, UT, ID, NV.
- Your information is transmitted over an encrypted connection.
- No fee to submit a request.
- Submitting a request places you under no obligation.
Before you borrow
Loans available through our network are typically offered in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on eligibility. Short-term or small-dollar loans are not intended to be long-term financial solutions and should be used responsibly.
Before you start
What you'll need
The whole list, up front. About three minutes if you have these to hand.
You're 18 or older
19 in Alabama and Nebraska, 21 in Mississippi, as those states require.
You live in a state we serve
Currently available in CA, FL, MI, LA, MO, TN, SC, AL, KY, DE, SD, WI, UT, ID, NV. Checked early in the form.
An active checking account
It must accept ACH deposits and debits. No savings or prepaid cards.
Regular, verifiable income
A regular source of income, such as a job, self-employment or benefits, plus an active checking account in your name.
A working email address
Your agreement and notices are delivered electronically.
A phone number we can reach
Used to verify the request. Marketing calls and texts are your choice.
You do not need perfect credit, and you do not need to upload documents to get started.
How it works
Four steps, and you can stop at any of them
CashOtter collects your request. The lender decides. Nothing is binding until you sign a loan agreement with them.
- 1
Tell us what you need
Choose an amount and answer eleven short questions. You can save and come back.
About 3 minutes
- 2
We share your request with our lender-network partner
One or more lenders in the network review it. CashOtter is not a lender and does not make credit decisions.
Immediately
- 3
A lender decides and shows you terms
If a lender makes an offer, you see the rate, the payment schedule and the total before you sign anything.
Usually the same day
- 4
You decide
Signing is your choice. Declining costs you nothing and there is no obligation at any point.
No deadline
Amount realism
Request up to $5,000
The lender decides the amount based on your eligibility and its underwriting criteria.
Personal installment loans
$1,000 – $5,000
Personal installment loans through our lender network
The amount a lender offers may be lower than you ask for, especially on a first loan. Your APR, term and payment are set by the lender and shown before you accept any offer.
Know what you're getting
This is an installment loan, not a payday loan
Compare repayment schedules and duration. Your actual terms are disclosed by the lender.
| Payday loan | This installment loan | |
|---|---|---|
| How you repay | One lump sum, usually on your next payday | Scheduled payments monthly across the whole term |
| How long you have | Two to four weeks | 61 days to 72 months |
| The usual failure mode | You can't cover the lump sum, so you roll it over and pay again | Missed payments may lead to consequences described in the loan agreement |
Rates & costs
Personal installment loan rates and costs
Review the network terms and illustrative examples. Open the details you want to check.
Compare loan options
Personal installment loan
- Amount
- $1,000 – $5,000
- Term
- 61 days to 72 months
- APR
- 5.99% – 35.99%
- Best for
- Personal installment loans through our lender network
Lower or higher rates may be offered depending on the lender, product and applicant. The lender must show your actual APR and total cost before you agree to anything.
After you submit
What actually happens next
Written down so you are not guessing once the form is gone.
- Who contacts you
- A lender in our partner's network that reviews your request. You may also hear from CashOtter about your request.
- How they contact you
- Email and phone, using the details you give us. If you did not tick the marketing consent box, contact is limited to your request.
- How long it takes
- Loan applications submitted through this website are reviewed directly by participating lenders. Approval decisions are made solely by the lender. If approved, some lenders may transmit funds as soon as the same business day; however, actual funding times depend on lender processing and the policies of your financial institution.
- If you are approved
- You get a loan agreement setting out the APR, every payment date and the total you will repay. Read it before you sign, it, not this page, is the binding document.
- If you are declined
- You are told. A decline here is not a credit report entry from us, and you are free to go elsewhere.
- Your data
- You can ask us to stop selling or sharing it at any time, from the Do Not Sell link in the footer. That link works today, not eventually.
Honest fit
Who this is for, and who it isn't
Review whether personal installment loan payments fit your budget for the full term.
This may make sense if
- A one-off, dated expense: a car repair, a deposit, a shut-off notice
- You have a plan for every scheduled monthly payment
- Your credit is thin or damaged and mainstream lenders have said no
- You have weighed this cost against leaving the bill unpaid
Please don't use this for
- Paying off another short-term loan, this is how people end up in a cycle
- Ongoing shortfalls where income doesn't cover the month
- Anything you could put on a credit card or a biller payment plan instead
- Discretionary spending, or a purchase that can wait a few weeks
If money is tight every month, talk to someone free first
Nonprofit counselors review your budget and negotiate with creditors, free or low-cost. Find an accredited one at nfcc.org. We are not paid for this referral.
Questions
The six things people actually ask
Including the one most sites in this category avoid.
Still the right call? Then let's get it done.
About three minutes. No fee to submit, no obligation to accept, and you can stop at any step.