Many or all companies we feature compensate us. Compensation and editorial research influence how products appear on a page. Personal Loans Loans That Work With Your Favorite Banking Apps: Varo, Chime, and More Updated Oct 03, 2025 8-min read Written by Timothy Moore, CFEI® Written by Timothy Moore, CFEI® Expertise: Bank accounts, taxes, personal loans, student loans, auto loans, budgeting, money management, home equity Timothy Moore is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®) specializing in bank accounts, student loans, taxes, and insurance. His passion is helping readers navigate life on a tight budget. Learn more about Timothy Moore, CFEI® Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Expertise: Student loans, mortgages, personal loans, home equity, investing Kristen Barrett is a managing editor at LendEDU. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has edited and written personal finance content since 2015. Learn more about Kristen Barrett, MAT When you need money fast, emergency loans can be the only way forward. But how do personal loans and even payday loans work if you don’t have a traditional bank account, but instead use a mobile bank or digital wallet? Below, we’ll explore loans that work with your favorite banking apps, including Chime, Varo, Venmo, and Cash App. Best for Thin Credit 4.8 View Rates Powered By LendingTree View Rates Powered By LendingTree Fixed APR 7.80% – 35.99% App Compatibility Chime, Varo, Netspend, Current Bank Funding $1K – $75K Min. Credit Score 300 4.8 View Rates Powered By LendingTree Debit account Best for Fair Credit 4.6 View Rates View Rates Fixed APR 7.99% – 35.99 App Compatibility Chime, Varo, Netspend, Current Bank Funding $1K – $50K Min. Credit Score 580 4.6 View Rates Best for Military Families 4.6 View Rates View Rates Fixed APR 8.99% – 18.00% App Compatibility Chime, Varo, Netspend, Current Bank Funding $250 – $50K Min. Credit Score Not disclosed 4.6 View Rates Best Peer-to-Peer Lender 4.6 View Rates Powered By LendingTree View Rates Powered By LendingTree Fixed APR 8.99% – 35.99% App Compatibility Chime, Varo, Netspend, Current Bank Funding $2K – $50K Min. Credit Score 560 4.6 View Rates Powered By LendingTree Best for Good Credit 4.5 View Rates View Rates Fixed APR 8.99% – 35.49%* App Compatibility Chime, Varo, Netspend, Current Bank Funding $5K – $100K Min. Credit Score 650 4.5 View Rates Includes all discounts. Best for Credit Card Debt 4.5 View Rates Powered by LendingTree View Rates Powered by LendingTree Fixed APR 8.95% – 29.99% App Compatibility Chime, Varo, Netspend, Current Bank Funding $5K – $40K Min. Credit Score 640 4.5 View Rates Powered by LendingTree Best Secured Loan 4.5 View Rates Powered By LendingTree View Rates Powered By LendingTree Fixed APR 6.99% – 35.99% App Compatibility Chime, Varo, Netspend, Current Bank Funding $1K – $50K Min. Credit Score 600 4.5 View Rates Powered By LendingTree Best for Excellent Credit 4.4 View Rates Powered by LendingTree View Rates Powered by LendingTree Fixed APR 6.94% – 25.29% App Compatibility Chime, Varo, Netspend, Current Bank Funding $5K – $100K Min. Credit Score 660 4.4 View Rates Powered by LendingTree Best for Joint Loans 4.4 View Rates View Rates Fixed APR 7.90% – 35.99% App Compatibility Chime, Varo, Netspend, Current Bank Funding $1K – $40K Min. Credit Score 600 4.4 View Rates Best Credit Union 4.3 View Rates View Rates Fixed APR 8.99% – 17.99% App Compatibility Chime, Varo, Netspend, Current Bank Funding $600 – $50K Min. Credit Score 700 4.3 View Rates Table of Contents Personal loans that work with Chime, Varo, Netspend, and Current Bank About Chime About Varo About Netspend About Current Bank Do personal loans work with PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App? Personal loans that work with PayPal Personal loans that work with Venmo Personal loans that work with Cash App Payday loans that work with Chime, Varo, Netspend, and Current Do payday loans work with PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App? Loan alternatives to consider Personal loans that work with Chime, Varo, Netspend, and Current Bank Most major personal loan lenders require you to connect a checking account to your personal loan portal so you can repay the loan. You’ll often get a slight rate discount (typically 0.25%) for setting up automatic payments. Though some of the best mobile bank apps may not technically be banks (Chime, for instance, is a financial technology company, or fintech, that offers banking services but doesn’t hold a bank charter), they tend to have checking accounts with real account and routing numbers that allow you to set them up for personal loan repayment. Below, we’ve explored how some of the most popular mobile banking apps pair with our choices for the best personal loans. But remember: You’ll need to meet other eligibility criteria, such as credit score and income, to qualify for personal loans. LenderFixed rates (APR)Loan amountsLendEDU ratingVisit Site7.80% – 35.99%$1,000 – $75,0004.8/5Visit Site7.99% – 35.99$1,000 – $50,0004.6/5Visit Site8.99% – 18.00%$250 – $50,0004.6/5Visit Site8.99% – 35.99%$2,000 – $50,0004.6/5Visit Site8.99% – 35.49%*$5,000 – $100,0004.5/5Visit Site8.95% – 29.99%$5,000 – $40,0004.5/5Visit Site6.99% – 35.99%$1,000 – $50,0004.5/5Visit Site6.94% – 25.29%$5,000 – $100,0004.4/5Visit Site7.90% – 35.99%$1,000 – $40,0004.4/5Visit Site8.99% – 17.99%$600 – $50,0004.3/5 About Chime Chime is a neobank, meaning it’s not technically a real bank. However, the fintech offers a wide range of banking services, including a checking account, savings account, and credit card. Thus, you can use Chime to repay personal loans from popular lenders such as Upstart and LendingClub. About Varo Unlike Chime, Varo is an online bank that actually holds a bank charter. It’s one of the best and oldest mobile banking apps available. It’s compatible with major personal loan lenders such as Navy Federal Credit Union and SoFi. About Netspend Netspend offers a prepaid card, which you can reload money on as you need to make purchases. Personal loan lenders won’t approve you for a personal loan with a prepaid card. If this is how you do your primary banking, you won’t be able to get a traditional personal loan. However, Netspend also offers a debit account, which comes with a debit card, allows direct deposit, and includes a traditional bank account number and routing number. If you have the actual account, you should be able to take out personal loans from the above lenders, including Prosper and Best Egg. About Current Bank Like Chime, Current is not a bank but offers banking services through a partner bank. You should be able to use Current to repay personal loans through popular lenders such as Upgrade and LightStream. Do personal loans work with PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App? If you primarily rely on a peer-to-peer payment app (P2P) to handle your finances, you may run into trouble when taking out a personal loan. After all, these apps are designed primarily to transfer funds between friends and family, and with small businesses, not to make major bill payments. However, popular P2P payment apps such as Venmo and Cash App have expanded their services in recent years to offer debit cards or checking accounts that could make them compatible with personal loans. A note on using P2P payment apps as your bank Accounts with P2P payment apps don’t offer the same protection as insured, regulated bank accounts and may leave you more susceptible to fraud and irreversible charges. Consider opening a bank account instead. It’s possible to open a bank account even if you have a history of overdrafts or have had a bank close account in the past, though your options may be more limited. Here are some resources to get you started: Best Second-Chance Bank Accounts Banks and Credit Unions That Don’t Use ChexSystems Personal loans that work with PayPal PayPal allows you to get set up with an account number and routing number, as well as a debit card. That might make it possible to repay your personal loans using the digital wallet. Check with each lender you’re considering before applying, but also weigh the benefits of opening a true bank account; money that sits in PayPal is not insured. Personal loans that work with Venmo Venmo, which is owned by PayPal, also offers a debit card and now has a routing number. This means you might also be able to use Venmo to repay some personal loans, but you’ll need to check with the lender before applying. Again, reconsider using Venmo for this purpose Personal loans that work with Cash App Similarly, you can get a routing number and a debit card with Cash App, so you might be able to take out personal loans using the service. Again, reconsider this method; a true bank account is a safer way to store your spending money and your savings. Payday loans that work with Chime, Varo, Netspend, and Current We advise against payday loans because they are predatory: They have high fees (equivalent to nearly 400% APR, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) and encourage a cycle of repeat borrowing. However, if a payday loan is your only path forward, here’s how they work with your favorite mobile bank apps. Payday loanApp compatibilityState availabilityTrustpilot ratingAce Cash ExpressChime, Varo, Netspend, Current BankCA, FL, ID, IN, KS, LA, MO, OR, SC, TN, TX4.7/5Check ‘n GoChime, Varo, Netspend, Current BankAL, CA, DE, FL, ID, IN, KS, MI, MO, OK, SC, TX, UT, WI4.5/5Speedy CashChime, Varo, Netspend, Current BankAL, AK, CA, IN, KS, LA, MS, NV, ND, OR, TN, TX, WA, WY4.4/5 Do payday loans work with PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App? Payday loan lenders typically require repayment via debit cards, ACH withdrawal, or cash only—in-person, over the phone, or via an online portal. This means you won’t be able to pay via a digital payment app. However, if you have a debit card or checking account with a P2P payment app such as PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App, you might be able to make your payments that way. Check with the lender before taking out a loan. Loan alternatives to consider Personal loans aren’t your only option when you need cash, and payday loans should never be your first choice. Here are some alternatives to consider for each. Personal loan alternatives While personal loans can be used for almost anything and are helpful in several situations, consider these alternatives if they’re available to you: Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCS): If you’re a homeowner with enough equity, a home equity loan or HELOC is likely a more affordable way to fund home renovations. 0% interest balance transfer credit card: If you’re consolidating credit card debt, look for cards with 0% APR during an intro period. This may be an interest-free way to repay your debt. Explore more about balance transfer cards vs. personal loans. Payment plans: If you’re considering a personal loan to pay for a medical procedure, speak with the hospital’s finance department to see whether it can set up a low- or no-interest payment plan instead. Family and friends: If you’re looking for the best small loans, it may not be worth paying origination fees and interest. Instead, ask a loved one to loan you the money if you’re facing a financial emergency, like unexpected car repairs or vet bills. Only go this route if it won’t strain your relationship and you’re sure you can repay them quickly. Payday loan alternatives We highly advise against taking out a payday loan, even when it feels like the only path forward. Instead, consider these payday loan alternatives: Cash advance apps: Cash advance apps like Dave and EarnIn allow you to access a portion of your paycheck ahead of payday. Some of these services are totally free, but be careful: They can lead to the same cycle of debt as payday loans. Here are the best cash advance apps to consider. Need $100, like, right now? EarnIn lets eligible users access up to $100 from their earned wages with no interest or mandatory fees.¹ First-time users may be eligible for expedited funding at no cost.² A pay period is the time between your paychecks, such as weekly, biweekly, or monthly. EarnIn determines your daily and pay period limits (“Daily Max” and “Pay Period Max”) based on your income and financial risk factors as outlined in the Cash Out Maxes section of our Cash Out User Agreement. EarnIn reserves the right to adjust the Daily Max and Pay Period Max at its discretion. Your actual Daily Max will be displayed in your EarnIn account before each Cash Out.EarnIn does not charge interest on Cash Outs or mandatory fees for standard transfers, which usually take 1-2 business days. For faster transfers, you can choose the Lightning Speed option and pay a fee to receive funds within 30 minutes. Lightning Speed may not be available at all times and/or to all customers. Restrictions and terms apply; see the Lightning Speed Fee Table and Cash Out User Agreement for details and eligibility requirements. Tips are optional and do not affect the quality or availability of services.Lightning Speed is an optional service that allows you to expedite the transfer of funds for a fee. Depending on the product, the fee may be charged by EarnIn or its banking partner. Lightning Speed may not be available in all states and/or to all customers. Restrictions and terms apply. See the Lightning Speed Fee Table for details. Payday alternative loans: Credit union members may have access to payday alternative loans, small, short-term loans that are regulated by the National Credit Union Administration. These are far safer than payday loans. Personal loans with same-day funding: If you have the credit score for it, a personal loan is much better than a payday loan. And with many online lenders, you can get approved and funded the same day. Family and friends: If a payday loan feels like your only viable option, talk with family and friends before taking out the loan. Someone may be willing to give you the small loan you need. Always make a plan to pay them back ASAP. About our contributors Written by Timothy Moore, CFEI® Timothy Moore is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®) specializing in bank accounts, student loans, taxes, and insurance. His passion is helping readers navigate life on a tight budget. Edited by Kristen Barrett, MAT Kristen Barrett is a managing editor at LendEDU. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has edited and written personal finance content since 2015.