How To Get Easy Approval
Being approved for a small loan doesn’t have to be difficult - even if mainstream lenders have turned you down before. Most people who meet the four simple conditions below go on to receive an offer.
Can You Say Yes To These?
4 Conditions for Being Approved
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Apply for a loan of less than £1,000
You can borrow up to £4,000 through Easy Loans, but if you’ve had trouble being approved elsewhere, start by applying for less than £1,000.
Our success rate for smaller loans is good - on some days, 4 out of 5 applicants are approved. It isn’t always true that a lower amount means a better chance, though. Occasionally other factors mean a slightly higher amount has a better chance of approval, so ask for what you genuinely need.
Some lenders will offer more than £4,000, but they usually want security or a guarantor. Easy Loans will never ask you for a guarantor or an upfront fee.
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Live in the UK
You don’t need to have been born here or hold a UK passport. You do need to be living in the UK, with some kind of paper trail - such as bills, a bank account or the electoral roll - showing that you’ve lived here for at least six months.
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Be aged 18 or over
No lender in the UK will lend to anyone under 18.
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Have a UK bank account
Loans can only be paid into a normal UK current account in your own name. We’re not aware of any UK lender that will send money to a European or other foreign bank account.
What Lenders Look At Next
Meeting the four conditions gets your application through the door. After that, every lender has to be satisfied that you can afford the repayments without getting into difficulty. To decide, they look at:
- Your income, and how regularly it comes in
- Your regular outgoings - rent or mortgage, bills, food and travel
- Any credit you already have, and what it costs you each month
- How you’ve managed credit in the past
Be accurate when you fill in the form. Overstating your income or understating your outgoings won’t help - lenders check, and an offer you can’t afford is no offer at all.
Things That Can Lower Your Chances - And How To Fix Them
Recent missed payments
Missed or late payments in the last few months worry lenders most. If you can, get up to date and keep up with every payment for a while before applying.
Lots of applications at once
Several full credit applications in a short space of time can look like money trouble. Our first check is a soft search, which other lenders can’t see.
Not on the electoral roll
Lenders use the electoral roll to confirm who you are and where you live. Registering to vote is free, takes a few minutes online, and can make a real difference.
Mistakes on your credit file
An old address, a debt that isn’t yours or a closed account still showing as open can all count against you. You can check your file for free and ask for errors to be corrected.
Asking for more than you can afford
If the monthly payment is too big for your budget, a lender may say no. Asking for a smaller amount, or spreading it over a longer term, can bring the payment within reach.
Income that’s hard to show
Lenders need to see money coming in regularly. Having your wages or benefits paid into the same UK current account each month makes that much easier.
If You’re Declined
If none of the lenders we work with can make you an offer, we’ll tell you straight away. Because we only use a soft search, being declined through Easy Loans doesn’t leave a mark on your credit file that other lenders can see.
Circumstances change, and so do lenders’ criteria. Our system refreshes every 30 days, so you’re welcome to apply again after that - ideally once you’ve worked on any of the points above.
If you’re struggling with money, please talk to someone before borrowing. MoneyHelper, StepChange and Citizens Advice all offer free, confidential debt help.
Quick Questions
Can I be approved with bad credit?
Yes, it’s possible. Many of the lenders we work with consider people who have been turned down by banks. Your credit history is one part of the picture, alongside your income and outgoings - a poor score doesn’t automatically rule you out.
Can I apply if I’m on benefits?
Yes. Some lenders accept benefits as part or all of your income, as long as the repayments are affordable. Choose your income type on the form and the lenders will take it into account.
Can I apply if I’m self-employed?
Yes. Lenders will want to see that your income is steady, so having it paid regularly into a UK current account in your own name helps.
If You Can Answer Yes To All Four, There’s A Good Chance You’ll Be Accepted
Every lender still checks that the repayments are affordable for you before making an offer, so we can’t promise approval - but meeting these four conditions puts you in a strong position. Checking what you could borrow uses a soft search, so it won’t affect your credit score.
Representative example: amount of credit £1,000 for 12 months. 12 monthly repayments of £115.09. Total amount repayable £1,381.08. Interest rate 64.3% pa (fixed). Representative 87% APR. Credit broker, not a lender. Warning: Late repayment can cause you serious money problems. For help, go to MoneyHelper.org.uk