Personal loans in the UK 2026: authorised lenders ranked
A ranking of UK banks, building societies and authorised lenders by their standard unsecured personal loan. Banks and building societies are confirmed in the Bank of England's PRA lists; other lenders by the firm reference number on their site. Payday and high-cost short-term lenders, brokers and comparison sites are excluded. We use the representative APR at about £10,000 over five years, or the nearest published example, as a percentage of the reference of 6.9% (the median at launch). Representative APR means at least 51% of successful applicants get that rate or better, so you may be offered more. The legal early settlement charge counts as a charge. A loan is a financial obligation: it must be repaid with interest, and the rate depends on the applicant and the lender's decision. This ranking is not a recommendation and promises neither approval nor a rate. Compare Scores only within the UK. Score is not for sale; paid placements, if any appear, will be a separate labelled block.
| # | Company | Who it serves | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novuna Personal Finance | 57 | Not verified | Yes | 100% | Licensed Free early repayment No arrangement fee Online application |
| 2 | Nationwide (loans) | 56 | Not verified | Yes | 86% | Licensed Free early repayment No arrangement fee |
| 3 | HSBC UK (loans) | 52 | Not verified | Yes | 99% | Licensed No arrangement fee Online application |
| 4 | Monzo (loans) | 47 | 2017 | Yes | 333% | Licensed Free early repayment No arrangement fee |
-
- Licensed since
- Not verified
- Licensed by the regulator
- Yes
- Published rate, % of country reference
- 100%
Pros
- Licence confirmed by the official list or a stated licence number
- Publishes how to complain
- No arrangement fee in the standard terms
- Terms state that early repayment is free
Details Visit site ↗ 67% backed by facts
-
- Licensed since
- Not verified
- Licensed by the regulator
- Yes
- Published rate, % of country reference
- 86%
Pros
- Licence confirmed by the official list or a stated licence number
- Publishes how to complain
- No arrangement fee in the standard terms
- Terms state that early repayment is free
Cons
- Online application is not open to new customers
Details Visit site ↗ 67% backed by facts
-
- Licensed since
- Not verified
- Licensed by the regulator
- Yes
- Published rate, % of country reference
- 99%
Pros
- Licence confirmed by the official list or a stated licence number
- Publishes how to complain
- No arrangement fee in the standard terms
- New customers can apply online
Cons
- A charge can apply to early repayment
Details Visit site ↗ 67% backed by facts
-
- Licensed since
- 2017
- Licensed by the regulator
- Yes
- Published rate, % of country reference
- 333%
Pros
- Licence confirmed by the official list or a stated licence number
- Publishes how to complain
- No arrangement fee in the standard terms
- Terms state that early repayment is free
Cons
- Published rate above the country reference
- Online application is not open to new customers
Details Visit site ↗ 86% backed by facts
Not ranked yet: not enough verified data
These services are known to us, but we haven't verified enough facts to rank them fairly.
- Barclays (loans) (55% backed by facts)
How we calculate the Score
35%
Licence
Whether the lender appears in the regulator's official list, or states its licence number on its site, and how long it has held a licence or registration. Where the register shows no date we use the year stated on the official site, which can be the founding year. A licence means supervision; it does not make a loan cheap or safe for you.
30%
Transparency
Whether a fees document or the full loan terms can be read without logging in, whether the lender publishes how to complain, and whether its terms state that early repayment is free. A statutory early repayment charge counts as a charge.
25%
Cost
The published rate of the standard cash loan as a percentage of the country's reference rate, the median of the rates we collected at launch (100% equals the reference; the score falls from 50% to 200%). The original rate with its example amount and term is shown beside it. The basis differs by country, so compare only within one country. We also count whether the standard terms have no arrangement fee. This factor deliberately weighs less than licence and transparency.
10%
Service
Whether a new customer can apply online, weekly hours of general support, and the maximum amount and term compared within the country. A larger or longer loan is not better for you: more time usually means more interest paid. That is why these two facts carry little weight.
What to check in a loan offer
A loan is an obligation
You commit to fixed payments for the whole term, whatever happens to your income. Late or missed payments can bring extra charges and harm your credit history, and the lender can take legal steps to recover the debt.
Verify the licence
Look the lender up in the official list of the central bank or financial regulator by its exact legal name and compare the website address. Fraudsters copy the names of real lenders. A real lender does not ask for an upfront payment to release a loan.
Read the rate as an example
The published figure is an example or a lowest rate. Your rate depends on your income, credit history, amount and term, and the lender may refuse. Read the individual offer before signing.
Look at the total to repay
Compare the total amount repayable, not only the monthly payment. A longer term lowers the payment but usually raises the interest you pay overall.
Check fees and insurance
Look for arrangement fees, early repayment charges, late payment charges and whether insurance is required. Each of these changes the real cost. The figures must be in the pre-contract information.
Know how to complain
Complain to the lender in writing first and keep the reference. If the reply does not resolve it, contact the financial ombudsman, where one exists, or the regulator. If you have trouble repaying, contact the lender early and consider free independent debt advice where available.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a recommendation to take a loan?
No. The ranking compares lenders on published facts. It is not financial advice and does not say whether a loan suits you. A loan is a financial obligation that must be repaid with interest.
Will I get the rate shown?
Not necessarily. The published rate is an example or a lowest rate, and yours depends on you and on the lender's decision. We promise neither approval nor a rate.
Who is included?
Only banks and lenders licensed by the central bank or financial regulator of their country. Microfinance and payday lenders, high-interest short-term credit, intermediaries and comparison sites are excluded.
Why is the rate shown as a percentage?
Each country publishes rates on its own basis: RRSO in Poland, the two-thirds example in Germany, representative APR in the UK, lowest advertised APR in the US, GESV in Kazakhstan, the nominal rate in Belarus. We show the rate relative to a country reference, the median at launch. The original rate with its example is on the card.
Why does cost weigh less than licence and transparency?
A low advertised rate says little if the fees are hidden or the rules are unclear. So licence and transparency together weigh 65%, and cost 25%. The weights are public and the same for all lenders.
Why do some lenders have no data?
Some sites are closed to automated reading or do not publish a fact. We leave it empty rather than guess, and an empty fact earns no points. Large lenders can be missing for the same reason, which does not say anything about their quality.
Can I compare countries?
No. Rates, laws and data sources differ, so compare Scores only within one country.
Can a lender buy a place?
No. Score is calculated by one formula and is not for sale. Paid placements, if any appear, will be a separate labelled block and do not affect Score.