How We Choose Lenders: Our Screening Process and What You Should Still Verify

When you submit a loan request through LendUp, lenders in our network evaluate whether they can serve your request. This page explains how those lenders get into the network, what standards we apply, what we verify before your information is shared, and - just as importantly - what we don't review and what you should verify yourself.

Lenders are not automatically included in LendUp's network. Before a lender is added, our process includes:

• State licensing verification: we verify that lenders hold required licenses for the states in which they intend to operate through our network. State licensing is a baseline legal requirement for consumer lending - it means the lender is subject to state regulatory oversight and fee caps.
• Regulatory standing review: we review available public information on a lender's regulatory history, including enforcement actions and compliance record where accessible.
• Operational review: we evaluate whether the lender's products and state coverage are consistent with the types of lending described on this site.

This screening is part of our process for adding lenders to the network, but it has limits - described below.

A borrower may reasonably ask: "At what point does LendUp verify anything before my data is sent out?" Here's how the timing works:

• Lender licensing is verified before a lender is added to the network - not at the moment of each individual request. This means the verification happens at the point of network admission, and we expect lenders to maintain their licensing after that.
• When you submit a request, it may be routed to lenders in the network who are eligible to serve your state and amount. LendUp does not re-verify a lender's license for each individual request in real time.
• Some requests may be routed through partner-operated experiences. In those cases, the partner - not LendUp - collects and controls your information, and LendUp's screening standards may not govern every step of that partner's process. See our Privacy Policy for how to identify partner-operated forms and what that means for your data.

Inclusion in the network is not permanent or unconditional. After joining, lenders are subject to:

• Ongoing compliance expectations: lenders are expected to maintain valid state licenses and operate within the regulatory requirements of each state they serve.
• Complaint review: if we receive borrower complaints about a lender's practices - through our contact page or other channels - we review the information and may take action including removing the lender from the network.
• Periodic review: we may conduct periodic review of lenders' licensing status and regulatory standing. The frequency and scope of these reviews may vary.

A lender may be removed from the network if:

• Their state licensing lapses or is revoked
• They face regulatory enforcement actions that raise concerns about their practices
• We receive a pattern of borrower complaints that suggests problematic behavior
• They fail to meet the operational standards expected of network participants

If you've had a negative experience with a lender you were connected with through LendUp, reporting it helps us monitor network quality. Contact us with details about what happened.

To be clear about the limits of what our screening covers:

• We do not pre-approve each lender's individual offer before you see it. The interest rate, fees, repayment schedule, and approval decision are set entirely by the lender - not reviewed or approved by LendUp.
• We do not review each loan transaction. We verify licensing at network admission and review complaints, but we don't have visibility into every interaction between a lender and a borrower.
• We do not guarantee a lender's customer service quality. How a lender handles your account, your questions, and your payments after the match is outside LendUp's control.
• We do not resolve disputes about loan servicing or repayment. Those are between you and the lender. LendUp does not service loans.
• We do not necessarily control partner-operated experiences. Some forms or pages on this site may be operated by partners in the network. In those cases, the partner collects and controls the information, the partner's own practices and privacy policies govern the experience, and LendUp may not have access to data submitted through those forms. See our Privacy Policy for more detail.

Our screening is a starting point, not a guarantee. Before accepting any offer from a lender you're connected with through this site, check:

• Verify the lender is licensed in your state: use your state's license lookup directory to confirm independently. This takes a few minutes and is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself.
• Check the total cost before signing: the lender is required to disclose APR, finance charge, and total of payments before you agree. If any of these are missing, don't proceed.
• Confirm the fee is within your state's cap: your state's rates and fees page shows the maximum a lender can charge. If the offer exceeds it, something is wrong.
• Read the ACH authorization carefully: you're authorizing the lender to debit your account for repayment. Understand what you're agreeing to - including the amount and timing of debits.

If you have a problem with a lender you were connected with through LendUp:

1. Contact the lender directly first. Many issues - payment questions, rate disputes, account errors - can only be resolved by the lender, since LendUp does not service loans.
2. File a complaint with your state's financial regulator if the lender doesn't resolve the issue or if you believe they're violating state law. Find your state's regulator.
3. File a complaint with the CFPB if the issue involves deceptive practices, unauthorized charges, or other federal consumer protection concerns.
4. Report fraud to the FTC if you believe you've been scammed.
5. Contact LendUp if the issue involves the matching process itself - for example, if you believe you were connected with an unlicensed lender or if the matching experience didn't work as described on this site.

Borrower reports help us monitor network quality. Even if we can't resolve a lender-specific dispute, knowing about problematic experiences helps us make better decisions about which lenders remain in the network.

The lenders in our network can change - new lenders may be added, existing lenders may be removed, and availability varies by state. Publishing a static list of lender names would quickly become outdated and could mislead borrowers about who is currently in the network. Instead, the matching process connects you with a lender based on your state, amount, and profile at the time of your request.