Credit score requirements
The most searched question before anyone applies, answered properly: there is no single cutoff, and here is what sits behind each tier.
The short answer
There is no single minimum credit score. The network spans the full spectrum, from installment loans for established credit down to a no-credit-needed program that decides on income and banking history rather than a score. Commercial equipment programs generally begin around a 500 FICO. Third-party articles claiming a fixed 550 minimum are not accurate across the platform.
Side by side
What each tier usually opens
Indicative only. Two applicants with the same score and different income histories regularly land in different places.
| Score range | Usually in reach | Amount | Weighs most heavily |
|---|---|---|---|
| 720+ — excellent | Installment loans, best rate tiers, longest terms | Up to $50,000 | Score, debt-to-income, payment history |
| 680–719 — good | Installment loans at tier-based rates | Up to $50,000 | Score, debt-to-income |
| 620–679 — fair | Shorter-term loans; low payment lease | Up to $15,000 | Income stability, recent delinquencies |
| 580–619 | Low payment lease | Up to $15,000 | Income, time on the job |
| 500–579 | Lease; no-credit-needed program | $200–$15,000 | Income, banking history |
| Below 500 or no score | No-credit-needed program | $200–$7,500 | Income and banking history; score may not be used |
| Business, any owner score from ~500 | Equipment finance and leasing | $500 and up | Equipment type and resale value, time in business |
Beyond the score
The five things providers weigh alongside it
Income and how stable it is
Verifiable, regular income is the strongest single factor on the lower tiers — often stronger than the score itself.
Time on the job
Length of employment signals that the income will still be there next month. Self-employment is accepted with documentation.
Recent delinquencies
A late payment from four years ago matters far less than one from four months ago. Recency does most of the work.
Debt-to-income ratio
What you already owe each month against what you earn. A good score with no headroom still gets declined.
Banking history
An active checking account with regular deposits and few negative days substitutes for credit history on income-based programs.
Baseline
What every program requires regardless of score
Age — old enough to contract in your state: 18 in most, 19 in Alabama and Nebraska, 21 in Mississippi.
Identity — government-issued ID and a Social Security number.
Income — verifiable, with many providers looking for roughly $1,000 a month or more.
A bank account — active, in your name, for payments.
Employment or income source details, and your monthly housing cost.
You do not need to know your score to apply
The application performs a soft credit pull that reads it for you, and that soft pull does not affect your score. Guessing your tier in advance changes nothing about the outcome.
Questions
Common questions
What is the minimum credit score?
There is no published minimum, because the no-credit-needed program decides on income and banking history rather than a score. Commercial equipment programs generally begin around a 500 FICO.
Do you use FICO or VantageScore?
It varies by provider and by bureau. The practical difference is small; both read the same underlying file.
Can a good score still be declined?
Yes. A strong score with a high debt-to-income ratio, or with very recent delinquencies, is regularly declined. The score is one input, not the decision.
Does checking my score hurt it?
No. Checking your own credit is a soft inquiry with no effect, however often you do it.
Will a higher score get me a better rate?
Materially, yes. Tier boundaries are where the money is. If you sit just below one, fixing obvious report errors before applying can be worth hundreds over a term.
Keep reading
Related guides
See what you qualify for
One application, the whole lender network. The first step is a soft credit check that will not affect your score.