Pros
- Rate discount for autopay.
- Joint loan option.
- Direct payment to creditors with debt consolidation loans.
- Wide variety of repayment term options.
Cons
- Product varies by location.
- May require in-person visit.
- No large loan amounts.
Lender | Est. APR | Loan amount | Min. credit score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
4.5 Visit Lenderon LightStream's website on LightStream's website Check Rateson NerdWallet on NerdWallet | 7.99-25.49% | $5,000-$100,000 | 660 | Visit Lenderon LightStream's website on LightStream's website Check Rateson NerdWallet on NerdWallet |
Limited-Time Offer 5.0 Visit Lenderon SoFi's website on SoFi's website | 8.99-29.99% Get a 0.50% discount | $5,000-$100,000 | None | Visit Lenderon SoFi's website on SoFi's website |
5.0 Visit Lenderon Upgrade's website on Upgrade's website Check Rateson NerdWallet on NerdWallet | 8.49-35.99% | $1,000-$50,000 | 560 | Visit Lenderon Upgrade's website on Upgrade's website Check Rateson NerdWallet on NerdWallet |
4.5 Visit Lenderon Upstart's website on Upstart's website Check Rateson NerdWallet on NerdWallet | 7.80-35.99% | $1,000-$50,000 | None | Visit Lenderon Upstart's website on Upstart's website Check Rateson NerdWallet on NerdWallet |
4.5 Check Rateson NerdWallet on NerdWallet | 11.72-17.99% | $5,000-$40,000 | 640 | Check Rateson NerdWallet on NerdWallet |
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Full Review
PNC Bank offers unsecured personal loans that can be used for almost any purpose.
Though the bank lends in all 50 states, loan details vary by ZIP code. For example, the ability to pre-qualify, which allows you to check potential loan terms with no impact to your credit score, isn’t available everywhere. Maximum loan amounts also vary by location.
You do not need to be a PNC customer to apply, but existing customers receive the most perks, including a rate discount for setting up autopay from a PNC account and a fully online application and funding process.
Table of Contents
PNC personal loans at a glance
Where PNC personal loans stand out and fall short
Do you qualify for a PNC personal loan?
How to apply for a PNC personal loan
How PNC personal loans compare
How we rate PNC personal loans
PNC personal loans at a glance
Minimum credit score | Not disclosed. |
APR | 7.49% - 30.49%. |
Fees | Late fee: $40 or 10% of the payment (whichever is greater). |
Loan amount | $1,000 to $35,000. |
Repayment terms | 6 months to 5 years. |
Time to fund after approval | Same-day funding for existing online banking customers. Other borrowers need to close at branch and funding may take 3 to 10 days. |
Loan availability | Loans available in 50 states and Washington, D.C. |
Where PNC personal loans stand out
Autopay discount: Borrowers who set up automatic payments from a PNC checking account can qualify for a rate discount of 0.25 percentage points, which means you’ll pay less in interest for the loan.
Joint loans: The lender allows co-borrowers, so you can add another person to your loan application. Adding someone with a higher credit score than you could increase your chances of getting approved for a larger loan or getting a lower rate.
Direct payment to creditors: If you want to use a PNC personal loan to consolidate debts, the bank will send loan funds directly to creditors instead of depositing them in your account. Though this isn’t a necessary requirement for a debt consolidation loan, it’s a nice perk and saves you the step of sending the funds yourself.
» COMPARE: Best debt consolidation loans
Flexible repayment terms: Borrowers at PNC can choose from a variety of repayment terms ranging from six months to five years. A longer term may mean more affordable monthly payments, while a shorter term means you'll pay less interest on the loan. It’s usually best to choose the shortest term in which you can still afford the monthly payments.
Where PNC personal loans fall short
Product varies based on location: Loan terms, including what loan amounts are available, vary by state. Enter your ZIP code on the lender’s website to find out what’s available in your area.
Funding for non-customers: Current online banking customers can receive funds in their account the same day they sign the loan documents. However, applicants who aren't customers have to visit a branch to close the loan, and funding time can range from three to 10 days, so it’s not a good option if you're a non-customer who needs money fast.
» MORE: Best loans for quick cash
No large loan amounts: PNC has you covered if you want a small- or medium-sized personal loan. But if you’re looking to cover an especially large purchase, or to fund an expensive project like a major home repair, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
» COMPARE: Best home improvement loans
Do you qualify for a PNC personal loan?
PNC doesn't publicly disclose many of its borrower requirements, including its minimum credit score. But according to the lender, it serves borrowers with good and excellent credit (690 score or higher).
To apply for a PNC personal loan, you need to:
Be at least 18 years old.
Provide date of birth and Social Security number.
Provide photo ID.
Show proof of income.
If you’re applying for a debt consolidation loan, you’ll also need to supply the names of your creditors, current balances and monthly payment amounts.
Before you apply
Check your credit. You can get your free credit report on NerdWallet or at AnnualCreditReport.com. Doing so will help you spot and fix any errors before you apply.
Calculate your monthly payments. Use a personal loan calculator to determine what APR and repayment term you’d need to get a loan with affordable monthly payments.
Make a plan to repay the loan. Review your budget to see how the loan’s monthly payments impact your cash flow. If you have to cut other expenses in order to repay the loan, it’s better to know that before you borrow.
Gather your documents. PNC may request proof of income, which can be a W-2, pay stub or tax return, as well as photo identification, like a driver’s license or passport. Having these documents handy can speed the application process.
How to apply for a PNC personal loan
Here are the steps to apply for a PNC loan.
Pre-qualify on PNC’s website, if possible. Depending on your ZIP code, you may be able to pre-qualify online. You’ll fill out a short application, including how much you want to borrow and what the funds are for. You can then preview potential loan offers. There’s no hard credit pull at this stage.
Formally apply. After viewing your loan options, or if pre-qualification isn’t available in your area, you can submit a formal personal loan application. This could require more documents, like W-2s, pay stubs and bank statements. PNC will also do a hard credit check when you apply, so your credit score could temporarily dip.
Make a plan to repay the loan. PNC reports repayments to all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), so on-time payments will help build your credit score, but missed payments will hurt it. Setting up automatic payments and keeping an eye on your budget are two ways to manage your loan payments.
Check rates on NerdWallet
Compare PNC to other lenders
Personal loan lenders offer different rates, loan amounts and special features, so it pays to weigh other options. The best personal loan is usually the one with the lowest APR.
SoFi and Discover offer similar features to PNC and accept borrowers with good to excellent credit.
PNC vs. SoFi
Similar to PNC, SoFi offers joint loans, a discount for setting up autopay and direct payment to creditors for debt consolidation loans. But SoFi’s personal loans come with larger loan amounts and perks like free financial advising. Pre-qualification is also available to all borrowers.
» MORE: Read our review of SoFi
PNC vs. Discover
Discover also sends funds directly to creditors, and borrowers can pre-qualify with a soft credit check. However, the lender doesn’t offer a joint loan option, and there’s no opportunities for a rate discount.
» MORE: Read our review of Discover
How we rate PNC personal loans
NerdWallet writers rate lenders against a rubric that changes each year based on how personal loan products evolve. Here’s what we prioritized this year:
Category | Star rating |
|---|---|
Affordability | |
Underwriting | |
Transparency | |
Loan flexibility | |
Customer experience | |
Overall |
Category definitions
Affordability (30%)
An affordable loan has low rates and fees compared to other similar loans and may offer rate discounts.
Underwriting and eligibility (25%)
The lender reviews borrowers credit reports and credit history, and tries to understand their ability to repay a loan, before making a final application decision.
Loan flexibility (20%)
A flexible loan is one that lets users customize terms and payments. That means offering a wide range of repayment term options, allowing the borrower to change their payment date, offering loans in most states and funding it quickly.
Customer experience (15%)
A good customer experience can include a fully online application process, financial education on the lender’s website and a customer service team that’s available most of the time and can be reached multiple ways.
Transparency (10%)
A transparent lender makes information about the loan easy to find on its website, including rates, terms and loan amounts. Transparency also means allowing users to pre-qualify online to preview potential loan offers and reporting payment information with the major credit bureaus.
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