Responsible lendingA loan should solve a problem,
not start a bigger one.
These are the eight commitments every lender in our network agrees to, and the ones we hold ourselves to on every page. Each comes with what it means for you in practice — not a slogan.
Eight commitments
Every cost in writing before you sign
APR, finance charge, amount financed and total of payments — the Truth in Lending box — on every offer, before any signature.
For youIf an offer is missing one of the four numbers, don't sign it. Ours never are.
Checking your rate never hurts your score
Offers come from a soft inquiry. A hard inquiry happens only after you accept a specific offer and the lender finalizes the loan.
For youLook as often as you like. Being declined, or declining, leaves no mark.
No upfront fees, ever
No fee to apply, to see offers, to "unlock" funds or to speed up a deposit. Lenders pay us; you don't.
For youAnyone asking for a gift card, wire or "processing fee" in our name is a scammer. Report it.
Lower-cost options are always on the table
Credit-union PALs, hospital payment plans, 211 assistance and nonprofit counseling are written up on this site before our own product.
For youRead the alternatives page first. We'd rather lose the referral than see you overpay.
Payments sized to income, not to the limit
Lenders in our network underwrite against deposited income and bank history, and will counter-offer a smaller amount rather than approve one that doesn't fit.
For youA smaller offer than you asked for is the system working. Borrow the bill, not the ceiling.
No stacking
One installment loan at a time through our network. A second request while one is open is held until the first is paid down.
For youTwo overlapping loans is how a $500 problem becomes a $2,000 one. We won't help you get there.
Help when a month goes wrong
Lenders agree to offer a payment-date change or a plan when contacted before a due date, and to disclose late and returned-payment fees — capped by state law — in the agreement.
For youCall the lender before the draft, not after. The number is in your agreement.
Plain language, no pressure
No countdown timers, no "offer expires in 10 minutes", no "guaranteed approval", no "no credit check". Offers stay valid long enough to read.
For youSleep on it. An offer that can't survive a night isn't one worth taking.
Guardrails, in numbers
Hard maximum
Small-dollar by design. Above this, a bank or credit union personal loan is the right tool.
Longest term
Long enough to make payments fit; short enough that interest can't eclipse the principal.
Open loan at a time
Through our network. Pay it down before the next request is sent.
Prepayment penalty
Pay early, pay less. The incentive runs the right way.
Signs a loan isn't the answer right now
Tick more than two and the better move is usually a conversation with a nonprofit counselor, not another application.
None of these is a judgment. Each is a signal that the problem is bigger than this month's bill — and that there's free help for exactly that.
Free help that actually helps
Nonprofit credit counseling
NFCC-member agencies offer a free first session and debt management plans that cut card APRs. Search nfcc.org.
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Free, 24/7, every state. Rent, utility and emergency assistance you won't find by searching.
Your state regulator and the CFPB
Complaints about licensed lenders go to the state regulator (named for ten states on our states page) and to consumerfinance.gov/complaint.
And us: if a lender in our network isn't honoring the pledge above, write to [email protected] with "Pledge" in the subject. We follow up on every one.
Fair questions
Is a 35.99% APR "responsible"?
It's high — we say so on every page — and it's what small, short, higher-risk loans cost from licensed lenders, next to 300%+ for payday. Responsible, to us, means the price is printed, the payment fits, there's no rollover, and you were shown the cheaper options first. Rates & fees
What if I can't make a payment?
Contact the lender before the due date — their number is in your agreement. Lenders in our network agree to offer a date change or a plan; a late fee and, with a reporting lender, a 30-day mark follow only if a payment is missed outright.
Can I have two loans through Zebit?
Not at the same time. A new request while one is open is held until the first is substantially paid down. It's the one rule borrowers most often dislike — and the one that prevents the most harm.
How do I report a lender that broke the pledge?
Email [email protected] with "Pledge" in the subject and the lender's name. We log it, raise it with the lender and tell you what happened. Serious or repeated breaches end the relationship. Customer service
See offers that honor the pledge
Soft check, every cost printed, sized to your income — and the alternatives page one click away if it isn't.
Checking your rate does not affect your credit score.