Frequently Asked Questions

No. Every check made through our site is a soft search. It leaves a note of the search on your credit file, but it isn't seen as an application for credit and won't affect your score.

If a partner lender makes you an offer and you choose to go ahead on their website, they'll tell you before they make a full credit check. That check is recorded as an application. You can still look at the offer and walk away before that point.

You can apply for £100 to £2,750, repaid over 3 to 18 months. You'll only know exactly what's available to you once you've sent your application. Partner lenders try to match the amount and the term you asked for as closely as they can.

Yes. First-time customers can ask for anything from £100 to £2,750. Now that we no longer lend directly, there's no lower limit for new customers – you can apply for the amount you actually need.

Apart from your personal details, you'll need:

• roughly what you earn on your own, and your total household income
• roughly what you spend each month on things like rent and utility bills
• the account number and sort code of the bank account you'd like the money paid into

That's all. You won't need in-depth details, exact figures or paperwork. You must be 18 or over and live in the UK.

Yes. Almost every lender on our panel expects applications from people who've had credit problems, so the odd missed payment or a CCJ won't be anything new to them. Each lender makes its own decision, and everything is considered. (If your credit record is excellent, a high street bank will almost certainly be cheaper, so try them first.)

The only exceptions are bankruptcy and Debt Relief Orders. Our partner lenders can't consider you if you're applying for bankruptcy, going through it or an undischarged bankrupt, or if you have a DRO – and while those are in place, the law requires you to tell any lender about them before you borrow. Read more about bad credit loans.

We send your application to the partner lenders on our panel, and they try to match the amount and term you asked for. The lender that comes closest is the one we show you. Commission plays no part – our system doesn't take it into account.

In our experience, and from what customers tell us, most people have the money within 15 to 20 minutes of signing their agreement. Depending on your bank it can take longer, so please allow up to an hour.

Where there's a delay, it's usually while the lender waits for the security code they text you to confirm your mobile number – so keep your phone handy.

You'll see our decision straight away on screen. An email copy is only sent if you request one. We can't go into the reasons behind an individual decision, but we'll explain in general terms how lending decisions are made.

The page may also show adverts from lenders outside our panel. They haven't seen your application, and an advert doesn't mean you've been pre-accepted. You're welcome to apply with us again after 30 days – and because our search is soft, being turned down won't have affected your credit score.

Yes, at two stages.

Before you sign: when a partner lender shows you an offer, you're under no obligation. You can simply close the page and walk away.

After you sign: you still have 14 days to withdraw from the agreement. Just tell the lender, then repay the amount you borrowed plus the interest for the days you had the money, within 30 days of telling them.

No. Our service is completely free – you never pay Cheque Centre anything. We're paid a commission by the partner lender only if we arrange a loan for you.

The partner lenders on our panel don't charge upfront, admin or transfer fees either. You pay interest, and a late fee if you miss a repayment. See loan costs for the full picture.

Yes. You have a legal right to repay early, in full or in part, at any time, and there's no early repayment charge on loans of our size. You'll save the interest you no longer owe – ask your lender for a settlement figure.

Contact your lender as soon as you can – ideally before you miss a payment. All our partner lenders are authorised by the FCA and must treat customers in financial difficulty fairly. Most can agree a plan that stops things getting worse.

Free, confidential debt advice is also available from MoneyHelper and StepChange.

If you're still not happy with how your lender has treated you, contact us and we'll take a closer look. You can also complain to the lender, and after that the Financial Ombudsman Service.

No, not any more. Cheque Centre is now a credit broker: we search our panel of partner lenders for you, and your loan comes from the partner lender, not from us.

Both the Cheque Centre brand and the business behind this site used to lend money directly, but both stopped after the Financial Conduct Authority took over regulating consumer credit in 2014. Today the site is run by Quick Loans Ltd, authorised and regulated by the FCA as a credit broker (FRN 763132).