Why this page exists
We make money when people borrow. That gives us an obvious incentive to encourage borrowing, including by people who would be better off not borrowing at all. This page sets out the limits we place on ourselves, and the things we would tell a friend before they applied.
It is a statement of practice, not a marketing page. If we fail to live up to any of it, tell us.
What we commit to
We check whether you can repay
Every application is assessed against the deposits and balance behaviour in your linked account, not just against whether we think we could collect. If the payment looks unaffordable we decline, or offer a smaller amount, even when a larger loan would earn us more.
We do not offer rollovers
There is no product here that charges a new fee to extend the same balance. Rollover lending is where most of the harm in this industry happens. You can move a payment date at no cost, which solves the same problem without adding to the debt.
We do not pursue advances
If we cannot collect a FrontPay Advance we may pause further borrowing, but we do not sell the balance, refer it to a debt collector, or report it to a credit bureau.
We publish every charge
The full fee schedule is on the disclosures page and on the homepage. Nothing is added after you sign, there is no prepayment penalty, and there is no returned-payment fee.
We show the cost honestly
Our own comparison page converts the membership fee into an APR, including the figure that makes it look worst. A lender that only publishes flattering numbers is telling you something.
What we ask of you
- Borrow the smallest amount that solves the problem. The offer screen will show you more than you need.
- Take the shortest term you can genuinely afford. On $1,000, three months costs about $224 in interest and twelve months costs about $834. The lower monthly payment is the expensive choice.
- Check the cheaper options first. They are listed below and several of them cost nothing.
- Do not borrow to repay another loan unless the new loan is genuinely cheaper and clears the old one outright.
- Talk to us early if something changes. Moving a payment date before it falls due is free and always better than a failed payment.
Signs that borrowing is not the answer
Short-term credit fixes a timing problem. It cannot fix a shortfall that repeats every month. Please pause and seek free advice if any of these are true:
- you are borrowing to make a payment on another loan;
- you have taken advances in several consecutive months;
- the payment would leave you unable to cover food, rent or utilities;
- you are borrowing to cover a gap that recurs every month rather than a one-off cost.
Cheaper alternatives
- Dial 211 — free nationwide referral to local help with rent, utilities, food and medical bills. Nothing to repay.
- Credit union payday alternative loan (PAL) — capped at 28% APR, $200 to $2,000. Cheaper than anything we offer.
- A payment plan with the biller — utilities, hospitals and landlords routinely agree them, and hospitals often reduce or forgive bills under charity care.
- LIHEAP — federal help with heating, cooling and in many states with shut-off notices.
- Employer earned wage access — many employers now offer access to wages already earned, often at no cost. Ask payroll.
- Non-profit credit counselling — free budgeting and debt help. The CFPB explains how to find a reputable agency.
If you are struggling to repay
Contact us before a payment is due rather than after it fails. We can move a due date at no cost, and where circumstances warrant it we will discuss a revised arrangement. We will not add fees to a balance because you told us early.
Email [email protected] with the account and what has changed. You do not need to explain more than you want to.
Military borrowers
The Military Lending Act gives active-duty servicemembers and their dependants extra protections, the best known being a cap of 36% Military Annual Percentage Rate on most consumer credit.
Before extending credit we check whether you are a covered borrower under that Act. Where you are, its protections apply in full and some products on this site may not be available to you as a result. If you believe you are a covered borrower and have been offered terms that do not reflect that, contact us and we will review it.
Complaints
If we get something wrong, tell us at [email protected]. If we do not resolve it, the CFPB complaints service and your state financial regulator are both open to you, and using them will not affect your account.