Upstart Personal Loan Review: Rates, Approval Odds, and Requirements (2025)

Best for Limited Credit

4.8 _/5

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Personal Loans

• Rates are determined by more than just your credit score
• Funds can be available in as little as one business day
• Checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

• Origination fee of 9% to 12%

Rates (APR)	7.80% – 35.99%
Loan amounts	$1,000 – $75,000
Repayment terms	36 or 60 months
Min. credit score	300

Need a personal loan but don’t have much credit history?

Upstart stands out for its AI-powered approval process that looks beyond your credit score, making it our top choice for borrowers with thin or limited credit. Whether you’re new to credit or rebuilding after a gap, Upstart could offer you fast funding, flexible eligibility, and competitive rates that others won’t.

In this review, you’ll see why Upstart is best for people with little or no credit history who want a quick, accessible personal loan without a complicated application process.

Table of Contents

1. Upstart overview
2. Features
3. Eligibility
4. Rates, fees, and costs
5. How to apply
6. Pros and cons
7. Alternatives
8. Is Upstart legit?
9. Customer service
10. FAQ
    1. Can you have more than one Upstart personal loan?
    2. Can you pay off an Upstart personal loan early?
    3. What credit score do you need?
11. Final verdict

Upstart personal loan overview

Feature	Details
Loan amounts	$1,000 – $75,000
Rates (APR)	7.80% – 35.99%
Terms	36 or 60 months
Minimum credit score	300
Funding time	As fast as 1 business day
Origination fee	9% – 12%

Features and benefits

• No minimum credit score: Upstart evaluates education, job history, and potential earnings.
• Fast funding: Many borrowers receive funds the next business day.
• AI-based approvals: Broader evaluation criteria than traditional lenders.
• Easy online process: Application and management via app or desktop.

Eligibility requirements

Requirement	Details
Citizenship	U.S. resident with SSN
Income	Must have job or verifiable offer within 6 months
Age	18+
Credit history	None required; minimum score listed is 300 (the lowest possible)

Rates, fees, and costs

• Rates (APR): 7.80% – 35.99%, based on creditworthiness, income, and loan term
• Origination fee: 9% – 12% (deducted from loan proceeds)
• No prepayment penalty if you pay off early
• Late fees: Apply after a 15-day grace period

Approval odds and funding time

Upstart is known for high approval rates for borrowers with limited credit history due to its AI underwriting model. If approved, funds arrive as soon as the next business day.

How to apply

1. Check your rate online (soft credit pull)
2. Review offers tailored to your education, employment, and income
3. Submit full application (hard credit check)
4. Upload documents if requested
5. Receive funds in your bank account within 1 business day after approval

Pros and cons

Pros

• No minimum credit score

• Fast funding

• AI-based approvals for thin credit files

• No prepayment penalties

Cons

• High origination fees (up to 12%)

• Limited repayment term options (36 or 60 months)

• Higher rates for lower-credit borrowers

• No joint applications or cosigners

Upstart alternatives

If Upstart isn’t the right fit, consider these top-rated personal loan lenders:

• Credible: Great if you want to compare multiple lenders at once. Credible is a marketplace that lets you check rates from banks, credit unions, and online lenders with one quick form.
• SoFi: Ideal for borrowers with good credit who want high loan amounts and extra perks, such as financial planning and no fees.
• Upgrade: A strong option for fair credit borrowers (580+) who need flexible eligibility and may want to add a secured loan option for better rates.
• Prosper: Best for those who like peer-to-peer lending, with competitive rates and the potential for fast funding even if your credit score is in the mid-500s.

Is Upstart legit?

Yes, Upstart is a reputable online lender:

Source	Customer rating	Number of reviews
Trustpilot	4.9/5	53,699
Better Business Bureau (BBB)	1.24/5	164
Google	4.1/5	167

Customer service

Here are the ways to contact Upstart:

• Send a message via the website (must have a login)
• Call the toll-free number: 855-438-8778 (available 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific, seven days a week)
• Email [email protected] 

FAQ

Can you have more than one Upstart personal loan?

Generally only one at a time, but multiple loans may be possible depending on credit and payment history

Can you pay off an Upstart personal loan early?

Yes, there are no prepayment penalties for early repayment.

What credit score do you need?

Upstart does not list a minimum but typically approves borrowers with scores as low as 300 who meet its income and education requirements.

Final verdict

How we rated Upstart

We designed LendEDU’s editorial rating system to help readers find companies that offer the best personal loans. Our system awards higher ratings to companies with affordable solutions, positive customer reviews, and online transparency of benefits and terms.

We compared Upstart to several personal loan lenders, using hundreds of data points from company websites, public disclosures, customer reviews, and direct communication with company representatives. We weighted, scored, and combined each factor to produce a final editorial rating. This rating is expressed on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest possible score. Our take is represented in our rating and best-for designation, recapped below.