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Universal Credit Review

Reviews 2,965
Universal Credit
Visit Site
Universal Credit
Universal Credit
Excellent
Reviews 2,965
Sally Herigstad
Mar. 28, 2023
4 min read
Sally Herigstad
Universal Credit Summary
Universal Credit offers access to credit when you need it, no matter what you need it for. You get a fixed rate and clear pay off date. Universal Credit is powered by Upgrade, Inc., a neobank in business since 2017. It partners with banks and other financial institutions and organizations to originate loans.

Pros

  • Fixed rates and payments with a set pay off date
  • No prepayment penalties
  • Fast cash sent to your bank within a day of verifications

Cons

  • 5.25% to 9.99% origination fee, deducted from loan proceeds
  • Loans not available to residents of DC, IA, SC, WV

Universal Credit at a glance

7.6
Editorial score

Variety of loan types

Offers all loan types
10.0

Online experience

Online application but no learning resources
6.0

Customer services and support

Multiple ways of reaching lender but limited hours
6.0

Loan amount range

Loan amount up to $50K
8.0

Repayment flexibility

Loan terms up to 60 months
8.0

Universal Credit Universal Credit Visit Universal Credit

Suitable For?

You may want to apply for a personal loan from Universal Credit to get a lower interest rate than you’re paying on your credit cards, to consolidate your debts, or to borrow cash for any purpose. Universal Credit is suitable for borrowers with fair and better credit scores.

Range of Loans on Offer

Universal Credit offers fixed rate, unsecured loans with repayment terms of 36 or 60 months, for a wide rate of purposes:

  • Debt consolidation
  • Credit card payoff
  • Home improvements
  • Unexpected expenses, such as auto or home repairs, medical bills
  • Major purchases, such as weddings, moving, or vacations

Application Process & Requirements

You can apply with Universal Credit completely online. The online application guides you through these steps:

  1. Enter basic information, including how much you want to borrow and what you’ll use it for. You’ll also be asked for basic personal information, and authorization for a soft credit pull.
  2. Review loan offers and choose your loan amount, length of loan, and option for automatic payments.
  3. Enter more complete information, including phone number, SSN, employment information, and bank account information.
  4. Agree to the Truth In Lending and borrowing agreement.
  5. Receive a To-do list of anything else needed, such as verification of your email or employment.
  6. Once approved, money is sent to your bank account within one day.

To apply for a loan from Universal Credit, you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or living in the U.S. on a valid visa
  • Be age 18 or older (19 or older in some states)
  • Have a verifiable bank account
  • Have a valid email address
  • Have a minimum credit score of 580
  • Not be a resident of DC, IA, SC & WV

APRs, Loan Amounts & Repayment Terms

Universal Credit offers loans from $1,000-$50,000 at fixed rates, with set pay off dates. Your rate may be between 10.97% and 35.93%. You can choose to pay your loan off in 36 months or 60 months. There is no penalty for paying your loan off sooner.

All personal loans from Universal Credit require a 5.25% to 9.99% origination fee, which is deducted from your loan proceeds. For example, if you borrow $10,000, and you pay a 6% fee, the amount deposited in your bank account is $9,400.

Privacy & Security

Universal Credit collects information it receives from you, the credit bureaus, public information, and other sources including card verification checks. 

Your data is kept secure by the use of technical and organizational measures, including:

  • Secure data center with an industry leading infrastructure service provider
  • Security certificates to facilitate secure data transmission
  • Session time-outs
  • Passwords
  • Regular staff training in security awareness

Help & Support

You can reach Universal Credit customer support by email or phone:

  • Email: Support@universal-credit.com
  • Phone: (877) 418-9765 Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday - Sunday 6 a.m.to 5 p.m.Pacific Time

How Universal Credit Compares


Universal Credit
SoFi
APR
11.69% - 35.99%
5.99% - 18.85%
18% - 35.99%
Minimum credit score
580
680
Poor +
Loan amounts
$1,000-$50,000
Up to $100,000
$1,500 - $20,000
Loan term
36 or 60 months
24 - 48 months
24 - 60 months
Suitable for
Borrowers with fair or good credit scores
Borrowers who want to borrow a higher amount
Borrowing from a trusted lender with over 1,500 branches

Universal Credit’s lowest interest rate is higher than competitor SoFi, but lower than OneMain Financial. Universal Credit offers loans to borrowers with a wider range of credit scores than does SoFi. Universal Credit allows repayment in 60 months, vs. a maximum term of 48 months with SoFi. OneMain Financial is a lender in business over 100 years, servicing borrowers with all types of credit histories.

FAQs

Q. Is Universal Credit a bank?

A. No, Universal Credit is a lending platform that partners with banks and other financial institutions.

Q. How does a personal loan differ from using a credit card?

A. Unlike credit card accounts, your interest rate on a Universal Credit loan never changes and you know when your loan will be paid in full. 

Q. Am I assured of getting a loan if my credit score is above 580?

A. Universal Credit also looks at income, income stability, and other factors before approving loans.

Q. How can I get an interest rate discount?

A. You may qualify for a rate discount if Universal Credit pays off your credit cards directly. You also save on interest if you set up automatic payments through your bank.

Summary

Universal Credit is an online lending platform that partners with lenders to offer unsecured, personal loans to meet your cash needs. With a Universal Credit loan, you have the same interest rate and payment for the life of the loan, and you know ahead when your loan will be paid off.

Address

275 Battery Street, 23rd Floor

San Francisco, CA 94111, USA

Universal Credit Universal Credit Visit Universal Credit

Methodology

Elaborate on how you gathered information to create this review:

  • Company website 
  • Reviews on topten site
  • Fact sheet provided

This review was prepared with information from the company website and from the fact sheet provided. The information about competitors is from topten reviews.

Disclaimers

Personal loans made through Universal Credit feature Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) of 11.69%-35.99%. All personal loans have a 5.25% to 9.99% origination fee, which is deducted from the loan proceeds. Lowest rates require Autopay and paying off a portion of existing debt directly. Loans feature repayment terms of 36 to 60 months. For example, if you receive a $10,000 loan with a 36-month term and a 28.47% APR (which includes a 22.99% yearly interest rate and a 7% one-time origination fee), you would receive $9,300 in your account and would have a required monthly payment of $387.05. Over the life of the loan, your payments would total $13,933.62. The APR on your loan may be higher or lower and your loan offers may not have multiple term lengths available. Actual rate depends on credit score, credit usage history, loan term, and other factors. Late payments or subsequent charges and fees may increase the cost of your fixed rate loan. There is no fee or penalty for repaying a loan early. Personal loans issued by Universal Credit's bank partners. Information on Universal Credit's bank partners can be found at https://www.universal-credit.com/bank-partners/.

Sally Herigstad
Written by
Sally Herigstad
Sally has been writing about personal finance since 1998 and is the author of “Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills” (St. Martin’s Griffin). She is a licensed real estate broker in Washington state and a retired certified public accountant. She writes for BestMoney and enjoys helping readers make sense of the options on the market.‎
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Trustpilot reviews
See what some customers are saying about Universal Credit
Excellent • Reviews 2,965
on
Excellent
85%
Great
10%
Average
3%
Poor
1%
Bad
2%
We upload 100 to 400 Trustpilot reviews to our website daily, displaying them by default from "best" to "worst". You have the option to adjust the sorting criteria. If you wish to see all reviews, you can visit Trustpilot's website here.
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JD
Jenny Despujos
5 days ago
The experience is the best I have had…
The experience is the best I have had when it came to a loan in the United States. I believed in you from the beginning, and it was reciprocated. You believed in me. It was really excellent. I have already recommended you a lot.
JG
Janie Grimes
1 week ago
The process was very easy and quick
The process was very easy and quick, and details were presented in an understandable way.
Mark Glick
2 weeks ago
The representative was very thorough
The representative was very thorough. Went over all my options. Great experience !
Kawohikukapulani
2 weeks ago
Upgrade review
I was so worried I wouldn't get approved because I recently filed for bankruptcy but it was easy & simple & I got approved!!!
Terry Fuller
2 weeks ago
Everyone I dealt with were…
Everyone I dealt with were knowledgeable, and very nice. The process was quick and easy. Thank you
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