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Avant personal loans: 2024 review

Updated on Aug. 6, 2024

At a glance

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with Bankrate
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4.7
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
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Availability
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Affordability
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2
Customer Experience
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Transparency
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6

About Bankrate Score

Bankrate take: Avant's low minimum credit score and short terms make it a good choice for borrowers with bumpy credit who want to pay off their loans quickly. 

Lender Details

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Loan amount

$2,000 - $35,000

Rates Icon

APR from

9.95% to 35.99%

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Term lengths

24 to 60 months

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Min Credit Score

550

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Funds available in

As soon as the next business day

Avant is best for short-term bad credit personal loans

Borrowers with credit scores as low as 580 may qualify for an Avant personal loan that can be paid off in one year. Most bad credit lenders set their minimum score at 600 and many lenders have a minimum payoff term of two years. A shorter term saves you interest and pays your balance down quickly, as long as you can afford the higher monthly payment. 

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Bankrate Insight: Credit score breakdown

Here is the credit score breakdown of borrowers who took out loans through Avant.

  • Bad Credit
  • Fair Credit
  • Good Credit
  • Excellent Credit
Data from 10/17/24 - 12/16/24
How do we get this data?
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Avant personal loan purposes

Avant offers an extensive list of ways personal loans can be used besides the standard emergency, debt consolidation and home improvement scenarios. The site states an Avant personal loan can be used to fund adoption or infertility procedures, cover the cost of a wedding or vacation, or provide next-day funds for a business expense.  

While no restrictions are listed on its website, it's common for personal loan lenders to prohibit using funds for gambling or any illegal activities. Some also do not allow borrowers to use funds for education expenses or business purposes.

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Bankrate insight: Loan purpose

Here is what borrowers who took out loans with Avant used their funds for.

  • Credit card refinancing
  • Debt consolidation
  • Emergency
  • Major purchase
  • Other
Data from 10/17/24 - 12/16/24
How do we get this data?
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Where Avant stands out

  • Offers loans for lower credit score borrowers: While most personal loan lenders set a minimum credit score of at least 600 for personal loans, Avant will consider lending to borrowers with a score as low as 580. 
  • Shorter minimum terms than bad credit loan competitors: Avant offers a one-year term option if you prefer to pay off your debt as quickly as possible. 
  • Customer service seven days a week: You can get weekend assistance with customer support available Monday through Sunday.

Where Avant falls short

  • High fees: Avant charges an administration fee of up to 9.99% of the loan amount. A late fee of $25 is charged if your payment is more than 10 days late, and a $15 fee for any payment that doesn’t go through your connected bank account. 
  • Lower maximum loan amounts: You won’t be able to borrow more than $35,000 with an Avant personal loan. That’s lower than the $50,000 other bad credit lenders like Upgrade and Best Egg offer. 
  • No co-signers are allowed: Avant borrowers must qualify on their own — co-signers aren’t permitted. 

Avant customer resources

Customer support

Avant offers customer service support Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT.  

Digital experience

Avant’s mobile app is available in iOS and Android formats. Borrowers can manage their loans by viewing upcoming payments, making extra payments, and getting a payoff balance quote. 

Avant mobile app users give it a 4.8 star rating on the App Store with over 134,000 ratings as of July 2024. One note: The app can only be used for unsecured loan products. 

How this lender compares

logo
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7
Bankrate Score
APR from
9.95% to 35.99%
Loan Amount
$2,000 - $35,000
Term Length
24 to 60 months
Min Credit Score
550
logo
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
4.8
Bankrate Score
APR from
7.40% – 35.99%
Loan Amount
$1,000 – $50,000
Term Length
36 or 60 months
Min Credit Score
Not disclosed
logo
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7
Bankrate Score
APR from
9.99% to 35.99%*with autopay
Loan Amount
$1,000-$50,000
Term Length
24 to 84 months
Min Credit Score
580

Avant vs. Upstart

Avant offers shorter payoff terms than Upstart which may be a good fit for borrowers with poor credit looking to pay off debt quickly. Upstart offers lower minimum APRs for qualified borrowers, with lower minimum and higher maximum loan amount options than Avant.  

Read our full Avant vs. Upstart guide

Avant vs. Upgrade

Avant offers a a lower minimum credit score of 580 compared to Upgrade’s 600 minimum. Upgrade may be a better fit for borrowers who want terms as long as 84 months versus Avant’s 60-month maximum. 

Read our full Avant vs. Upgrade guide

Do you qualify for an Avant personal loan? 

You will need to go through standard steps to qualify for an Avant personal loan, including verifying your:

  • Credit score, which must be at least 580.
  • Identity, which can be done electronically.
  • Residence, which must be in one of the 41 states serviced.
  • Employment.
  • Income, usually in the form of pay stubs.
  • Banking information for the account that will be tied to your loan.

Avant’s origination team works with borrowers to gather any information needed to complete the loan, but it can help to come prepared

How to apply for a personal loan with Avant

The application process for Avant is done digitally. However, Avant’s support staff are available seven days a week if you have questions.

  1. Get a quote: You can prequalify online without affecting your credit score. The application typically takes a few minutes to complete. 
  2. Add information and finalize your application: Avant’s automated system generates an initial approval. According to its website, the decision may be provided within minutes. 
  3. Review the loan details: Once you’re approved, you can track the progress of your application through the mobile app. Funds can be deposited into your bank account within one business day. 

How Bankrate rates Avant

Overall Score 4.7 Explanation
Availability 5.0 Same-day approval and next-day funding are possible for borrowers with scores as low as 580.
Affordability 4.2 Rates range between 9.95% and 35.99% with late fees and dishonored payment fees.
Customer Experience 5.0 Customer support every day of the week and mobile app with an entirely online loan process.
Transparency 4.6 Rates and fees consistent for all unsecured personal loan products.

Methodology

Bankrate's trusted personal loans industry expertise

48

years in business

30

lenders reviewed

20

loan features weighed

665

data points collected

Bankrate considers 20 factors when reviewing lenders. Credit requirements, APR ranges, fees, loan amounts and flexibility are all taken into account so that ratings are representative of how competitive lenders are for a wide range of credit profiles and budgets. The Bankrate Score for personal loans consists of four categories:

  • Availability: What the minimum loan amounts are, its eligibility requirements and loan turnaround are considered in this category.
  • Affordability: The interest rates, penalties and fees are measured in this section of the score. Lower rates and fees and fewer potential penalties result in a higher score.
  • Customer experience: This category covers customer service hours, if online applications are available, online account access and mobile apps.
  • Transparency: This category is measured by how accessible credit requirements, rates and fees are on the lender's page. We also considered whether prequalification was available, as all these factors are key for consumers to make an informed decision.

Editorial disclosure: All reviews are prepared by Bankrate.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the lender’s website for the most current information.

What customers think

What people across the web are saying about Avant

Positive reviews sourced from Trustpilot consistently give Avant high ratings for an easy approval process and quick funding turnaround. Multiple reviewers mention receiving their funds in 48 hours or less.

“I've had 3 loans total with this company and zero issues with any dealings with Avant. I had my own personal bank jack me around on a loan, (and I have good credit), but Avant was fast, pleasant to work with and interest rates were not as high as you would think. Defiantly my ‘go to’ company for loans.”

Trustpilot user

Most negative reviews apply to the credit card products Avant offers rather than the personal loans. 

There were no direct responses to complaints from Avant customer support representatives at the time of writing.  

Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate. Please see the issuer’s website for updated terms and conditions.

Community Avant scores

CTA Avant
PERSONAL LOAN

Avant

Dive into community reviews below and see what others think about Avant.

4.2 Star Icon
25 ratings
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Score breakdown
5 stars
56%
4 stars
24%
3 stars
12%
2 stars
4%
1 star
4%
Score by category
Overall rating 4.2 / 5
Fees & closing costs 4 / 5
Funding time 3.9 / 5
Customer service 3.8 / 5
Application process 4.2 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 3.9 / 5
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In July 2024, Bankrate collaborated with a third-party vendor to survey 1.3K loan borrowers nationwide. Bankrate and our vendor collected and summarized borrower responses to five questions on a 5-point scale, three yes/no questions, as well as open-ended reviews of their loan experience. Responses are based on individual borrower’s product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by the associated lenders, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own expert review of these loan products.

Community Reviews

See what users like you are saying about Avant.
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Describe your experience with customer service
Call was answered quickly, professional and pleasant rep, efficient, courteous, ended call without delay
Loan purpose
Emergency loan
Score by category
Fees & closing costs 3 / 5
Funding time 3 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 3 / 5
Customer service 3 / 5
Application process 3 / 5
Describe your experience with the application process
The process was so simple
Loan purpose
Cash for a big purchase
Score by category
Fees & closing costs 4 / 5
Funding time 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 4 / 5
Application process 5 / 5
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