If you’re in need of a quick sum of cash, odds are you’ve come across the popular option of seeking out a reliable payday loan provider. It’s hard to beat the opportunity and immediate access to emergency funds that these resources can offer. Plus, there are now more online personal loan services than ever before, providing 24/7 applications.
However, just as it may seem fast and easy to apply and receive money on the spot from online payday loan companies, it’s just as important to research the best company for you.
Unfortunately, way too many honest and hard-working Americans have signed up for short-term loans with companies that charge predatory rates and have questionable morals.
We know you have lots of questions about which companies are reputable, how interest rates compare, and so forth. We’ve taken the guesswork out of your search for the best online lenders. Read on for our DrCredit review, a DrCredit Comparison with other payday loan companies, and a look at DrCredit ratings among its competitors.
Table of Contents
- General Information About DrCredit
- The Pros Of DrCredit
- The Cons Of DrCredit
- Overall Reputation & Reviews For DrCredit
- Q&A For DrCredit
- Conclusion
General Information About DrCredit
DrCredit is a Tennessee-based personal loan company that has been around since 1999. They opened their online loan application page much more recently to educate and guide customers with bad credit to the best personal loan providers on the web.
While DrCredit doesn’t boast as popular an image as a personal loan company as many of the competing companies, they still have an A rating with the BBB. Today, DrCredit only operates out of its one physical headquarters location–they’re primarily an online outfit.
The service that DrCredit provides is not as a direct lender. Instead, their specialty is connecting lower-credit individuals with the ideal payday lending company for them.
DrCredit excels as an online hub for dozens of its affiliate lenders to come together and find a match with customers. Through DrCredit, they promise that even bad credit holders will be exposed to a large number of reputable lenders, ensuring you receive the lowest rates possible.
On their website, customers will be able to apply for a personal loan in less than an hour. Online you can also compare interest rates and fees, as well as the terms of their service. While their site may not be as intuitive to navigate as some of the large national payday loan companies, individuals shouldn’t have any trouble accessing the tools they need.
The Pros Of DrCredit
We realize that sometimes you need emergency funds, and when you do you need them quickly and as affordably as possible.
So without wasting any more time, let’s take a deep dive into our DrCredit review and analyze the company’s best features and what we consider lacking. We’ll also touch on DrCredit comparisons with other online services.
Top-of-the-Line Educational Resource
While the DrCredit site offers an online application for a variety of personal loans and short-term loans, the DrCredit online platform also has an invaluable blog that is worth reading. Their in-house experts have collected dozens of informational articles that offer straightforward guidance on what to look for in short-term personal loans.
The blog contains recent articles on subjects like “Unsecured Loans vs. Secured Loans, What’s the Difference?” as well as helpful listicles such as “10 Mistakes to Avoid When Paying Off Debt.” The writing style is direct and aimed at any age group.
We numbered the DrCredit blog entries on the top of the pros list because the educational material is clear and instructional. We think the blog aligns with DrCredit’s commitment to guiding the next generation of borrowers in the best practices of opening high-interest personal loans.
Free Sign-Up and Membership
Unlike many competing online personal loan providers, DrCredit has no charge for applying for personal loans, debt consolidation, or auto loans. However, it’s important to remember that DrCredit is not the direct lender. That means that they promise zero charges through their site, but not necessarily their affiliates.
Though DrCredit can’t offer any guarantees about introductory fees that its affiliate lenders may charge, you still benefit by starting with DrCredit. Borrowers can be assured at least that they’re getting access to a broader range of providers through DrCredit.
Compared to applying to a single large national payday loan company, visiting DrCredit multiplies the number of lenders who will see your application.
Another free bonus from using DrCredit is you get access to their membership program. After applying for a personal loan, debt consolidation, or auto loan, you’re automatically enrolled in their lifetime loyalty program.
Up to $25,000 Unsecured Personal Loans
DrCredit provides loans for borrowers with good, fair, and bad credit. Their personal loan amounts vary widely according to credit rating, home state, and the type of loan, but $25,000 maximum amounts are available. A DrCredit comparison to similar companies shows that their maximum loan is among the highest amounts available.
The group of affiliate lenders that DrCredit operates with gives borrowers the option of signing for secured personal loans or unsecured loans. While most personal loans are unsecured and have extraordinarily high-interest rates, people with low credit are eligible.
Although a large unsecured loan can be beneficial for those with an emergency need of funds, it’s generally a good idea to apply for the lower amounts. DrCredit advertises itself as a welcoming provider to those with bad credit, keep in mind that interest rates can skyrocket on unsecured loans.
Overall, DrCredit does a good job of informing applicants of the dangers of excessive borrowing.
The Cons Of DrCredit
Now, let’s turn to the downsides to borrowing with DrCredit in our DrCredit review. While there were many good qualities that this company has, there are also a few essential drawbacks to discuss in detail.
Poor Website Design
Right off the bat, we have to comment on the website design. While it’s perfectly possible to navigate the site and scroll between pages, it is by no means an inviting site. DrCredit is a primarily online-based lending referral site with only one physical store location. You’d think they would invest more time in their online footprint, but alas, no.
Most striking is their loan application page. It’s critical to be accurate when reporting your employment history, age, credit score, and so on–but DrCredit hasn’t made it easy. The popup windows are glitchy and typefaces are inconsistent. Overall, we wouldn’t hesitate to give a poor DrCredit rating for its site design.
If the visual appearance of your payday lending referral company doesn’t matter much to you, that’s ok. We’re only noting the web design because it doesn’t strike us as the most professional face of a company.
Unlisted Interest Rate Estimates and Lender Company Names
Although DrCredit is not an online payday lender–it’s more like a referral company or a homepage for a marketplace of lenders–they don’t go into much detail about interest rates.
We would prefer if they at least listed out a spectrum of interest rates that borrowers are likely to encounter based on credit rating. However, borrowers will have to apply to learn of the interest rates and fees that their lenders supply. By doing so, they could eliminate a step for borrowers and make their lending practices a bit more transparent.
One other thing to add about transparency. In our DrCredit review, we felt that they could increase their trustworthiness by offering a list of the lenders they work with. If they did, borrowers would be able to do their own research on the lending companies themselves.
Few Loan Types and Options
It’s common for reputable online payday loan lending services to offer a wide variety of loan types for their customers. If we turn to the national chain Check Into Cash, we count as few as six different loan types available: Auto loans, payday loans, lines of credit, installment loans, and flex loans, just to name a few. DrCredit offers the first two.
We understand that a DrCredit comparison shows that it isn’t the largest online company. For what they offer, borrowers are sure to receive a more personal customer service experience.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a payday loan provider that doubles as a bill pay service, prepaid debit card sales location, and home base for sending money orders, DrCredit provides a more exclusive line of services.
Unclear Application Requirements
Finally, we also noticed that DrCredit could benefit by posting their application requirements prominently on the home page. As it stands now, individuals are required to fill out the online application form to completion before they’re notified of their eligibility.
It’s a less problematic point, so we’re including it last on our cons list, but customers would certainly appreciate transparency in this case. DrCredit attests that its application process takes only minutes. We think that they could speed the process up more by posting application requirements clearly.
Overall Reputation & Reviews For DrCredit
Unfortunately, DrCredit doesn’t have the most visible or popular online presence. Since they’ve been in business since 1999, they certainly attract a good measure of confidence based on history. Online, however, they lack a firm audience.
ScamReport did, however, review DrCredit in passing a few years ago. According to their reviewer, DrCredit earned high marks for Service Quality and Ease of Use. They received an A rating.
Elsewhere, we noticed that the DrCredit home page has yet to be edited since 2019. They include all the relevant contact information like phone number, address, and a link to a Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube page.
Finally, we looked up DrCredit’s report on the Better Business Bureau site. As of 2021, the company is not accredited by the BBB.
Q&A For DrCredit
Financial institutions like payday loan companies often display their terms and a clear statement of their borrower requirements upfront.
Unfortunately, many payday loan companies have gathered reputations as untransparent and changeable groups. Lately, with the rise of groups like the BBB, such reputations are less and less common. Nevertheless, online lenders can sometimes lack accountability.
Below, we’ll answer some of the most relevant questions about DrCredit so readers can make an informed decision if they are their ideal online payday lending company.
Which States Does DrCredit Operate In?
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Missing: District of Columbia, Puerto Rico
Which Type Of Loans Does DrCredit Offer?
DrCredit makes signing up for personal loans online easy. We noted in our DrCredit review that all borrowers are referred to an identical application form for each loan type.
According to DrCredit’s application page, borrowers are eligible to apply for personal loans for a variety of purposes.
First are loans for people with bad credit. These are secured loans that generally come with very high-interest rates. (DrCredit doesn’t list the interest rate range, unfortunately.) Borrowers should be very hesitant to get these loans as they will often require paying interest above the original loan amount.
Next, DrCredit offers high-interest loan consolidation. These loans have a longer repayment schedule and could benefit borrowers looking to improve credit rating.
You can also apply for an auto loan through DrCredit.
Finally, DrCredit offers resources for borrowers who wish to refinance their mortgage, apply for home equity loans, and who need help getting out of debts incurred through a divorce. As we stated above, these resources are one of the best elements available on the DrCredit site.
How Do I Qualify For DrCredit Loans & Do They Require A Credit Check?
DrCredit isn’t a direct lender of personal loans like many other popular online payday loan companies such as Check Into Cash and Advance America. Instead, DrCredit operates as a referral company matching borrowers with lenders.
DrCredit, therefore, doesn’t offer any concrete list of qualifications for borrowers. They refer you to their affiliates instead.
However, DrCredit does have an application. These are the fields to fill out:
- Estimate credit score (no minimum score limit)
- Give a purpose for the loan
- Estimate monthly salary and other income
- Provide proof of residence: must own or rent a property
- Time at residence
- Employment status: must be employed or retired
- Time at Job
- Address
- Estimate total credit card debt
There are no credit score limits required, nor will they check your credit. This doesn’t mean you won’t have to provide a credit score when you match an affiliate lender. It’s more than likely that a credit score will be necessary.
Again, there are no explicit income limits or credit scores required. The application on DrCredit will be referred to the marketplace of affiliate lenders they work with. Then, if you find a match with a direct lender, you may have to provide additional information. DrCredit is more of an intermediary party connecting borrowers to a group of lenders.
How Much Does DrCredit Cost?
There are no fees or charges for using DrCredit’s application. We believe that DrCredit’s open entry provides a welcome service for borrowers who can’t necessarily apply with other lenders due to a hefty introductory fee. A good majority of online payday loan lenders charge on average $60 to $100 for signing up with them.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that DrCredit is explicitly marketing itself as an eligible lender for people with very bad credit. It can be easy for lending companies to attract borrowers with a desperate need of funds by eliminating signup fees. The flip-side to offering such easy access to loans is that companies can charge astronomical interest rates in return.
Keep in mind that, though DrCredit may seem like a humanitarian company, there are likely to be excessive interest rates and more fees down the line when borrowers sign with one of their affiliates. Thankfully, DrCredit advertises the probability of such an event on their site.
Conclusion
In our DrCredit review, we’ve read between the lines on this company’s website and come out with a DrCredit rating that keeps the pros and cons equally in mind.
DrCredit is an online service best suited for two groups of borrowers.
On the one hand, the extensive blog and financial articles collected on their site will be attractive to people who are still weighing the best lending options for them. If you’re looking for clear, straightforward information about interest rates, fees, and credit requirements that you’re likely to meet in the lending process, DrCredit is an excellent resource.
The other group of people DrCredit markets to are borrowers with exceptionally bad credit. The application is free and there is little upfront information given about high interest and fees. If you happen to fall a little lower on the credit scale, be aware that excessive fees are likely going to find you once you match up with their affiliate lenders. But this isn’t a hard-fast rule.
Like all online payday loan companies, it’s a good practice to stay skeptical of loans that seem too easy to apply for. DrCredit does a good job providing readers with info about the dangers of payday loans, but you should check out other services too.