CashNetUSA Reviews

Warning: What You Need to Know About CashNetUSA

Our Review of CashNetUSA

Reviewer: Brian Allen

Having been around for more than 15 years, this shows that the company has a solid foundation and has experience in this form of lending. Many times, you’ll find a new company form to capitalize on the trend, but you can rest assured that you’re working with a tried and true company.

Cost of Loan

Funding Time

Application Process

Customer Support

Review Summary

CashNetUSA offers payday loans, along with installment loans and lines of credit.  The lender only operates and is licensed in certain states in the U.S.  Review our table above to find loan products this lender offers for your state, which includes typical APR you could expect.

PROS
– Good option for short-term cash needs in an emergency financial crisis
– Lender has been around for 10+ years
– Offers several different types of loans
– Application process is smooth and quick
– Can typically be funded within 24 business hours if approved
– Offers a savings and discount program for borrowers

CONS
– Not a good solution for long-term financing needs
– APR varies by loan product and by state, but interest rates are typically very high
– Not a good solution if you have good credit and shopping for the best rates and terms
– Lender has a C+ BBB rating. Not terrible but the reviews should give you insight

3

CashNetUSA Loan Rates and Terms

Thanks for stopping by and checking out our CashNetUSA reviews. When looking for the right lender, you’ll want to start by looking at the different rates and terms. Each lender is slightly different and since the landscape is competitive you will want to shop around.

For CashNetUSA, here are their terms:

Borrower Requirements

The finance charge is the amount you will pay to borrow from CashNetUSA. For example, if you were to borrow $100 for 13 days at an APR of 435.19%, it would cost you $15.50 in finance charges to borrow the money. Another example would be if you borrowed $400 and repaid it over a 6 month period at an APR of 188.60%, your finance charge would be $242.78.

To borrow with CashNetUSA you must meet the following requirements:

If you answered ‘Yes’ to all of the above, you meet the requirements.

What Are the Advantages of CashNetUSA?

First you must remember that each state is different in what you are able to borrow. With that in mind, CashNetUSA does installment-payday loans, lines of credit and simple installment loans. Beyond that, CashNetUSA offers their customers a savings program and financial education.

No many lending organizations offer these extra tools, which can be an added benefit depending on your situation. At the very least, you’ll walk away with some financial education that can benefit you going forward, hopefully leading to a better financial situation. This fact is likely result of a few negative CashNetUSA reviews.

Other claims that CashNetUSA offers their customers include a U.S.based customer support team that’s available 7 days a week. They also offer a free blog with various information throughout, including tips on finding affordable child care and how to separate yourself from work when at home.

Is CashNetUSA Legit?

Well, in short, the answer is yes. CashNetUSA does provide all their claims, dependent upon the state you live in as some states do not allow payday loans. Also, CashNetUSA is a part of the publicly traded company Enova International, Inc. (NYSE:ENVA).

Deep Dive Analysis

The deep dive analysis of CashNetUSA is they are a straightforward lender that offers the products mentioned earlier in this article. If we are strictly speaking in terms of short-term lending, then CashNetUSA does provide individuals with some of the more competitive rates on the market. If you were to visit your local payday lender or a tribal loan lender, you will likely find interest rates that are much higher than CashNetUSA’s offerings.

That being said, CashNetUSA is not a long-term financial solution and the company makes that very clear, both at the bottom of the page and throughout the pre-application process. They do attempt to make it a viable option in the event of an emergency and gives you the option to repay your loan early with no penalty. Overall, they appear to execute on exactly what they are offering. This amplifies the positive CashNetUSA review the lender receives. Transparency is key.

If you are to look at their C+ BBB rating, it stems mainly from people who either had poor customer service or failed to read the interest rates which is solely on them, in our opinion, as CashNetUSA does clearly show what the potential interest rates may be.

How Much Will a Loan Cost?

Another question you are likely to have regarding their claim is regarding the actual costs. Depending on the lender there can be many additional “hidden” costs that aren’t favorably disclosed until the signing period of the application process.

Each state is different so you will need to visit the rates and terms page of the website and view your specific state. However, there does not appear to be anything hiding in the application process. According to their website, the finance charge is, ”…the dollar amount your loan will cost you , in addition to the amount financed”.

As far as their website states, the only finance charge you will likely find is the APR, which is the annual percentage rate you will be charged to borrow from CashNetUSA. If they do have other costs involved their website does not readily offer the information. If you apply and are approved, you’ll want to read the loan agreement carefully to determine if there are additional costs you’ll need to cover. However, the CashNetUSA reviews we’ve analyzed have minimal negative reviews regarding this.

Alternatives to CashNetUSA

Now for the crux of our CashNetUSA reviews and for anyone reading, what are the alternatives and are there any? Yes, there are certainly alternatives and there will always be variety in this space. Shopping around is critical if you have the ability to do so. However, if it’s an emergency funding situation, you may have no choice. The first option is going through your local credit union to try and obtain a personal loan. Personal loans are an installment loan product that typically does not require collateral. In some instances you can put up collateral, but a majority do not require it.

With a personal loan, you will have competitive interest rates and reasonable monthly payments. While CashNetUSA offers their customers installment loans, the APR’s are in the triple digits. You may find personal loans to be higher than the average auto or mortgage loan, but rates typically range between 10% and 20% for a personal loan. Note: Our CashNetUSA reviews not only include reviewing this lender, but also try to provide alternative loan options.

Another alternative would be to utilize a credit card if available. Depending on your financial situation and if you have a line of credit, using a credit card before a product from CashNetUSA would be a better alternative. Again, credit cards have higher interest rates and many are 29.99% or lower, which is significantly less than any product from CashNetUSA. If you do not have a credit card you can look for a card that offers a zero percent introductory offer that typically ranges from 6 months up to 18 months in some cases. This gives you the ability to spend but also save up and pay off the credit card in a timely manner.

The third alternative is for homeowners that have equity in their home. If you have the ability to take out a second mortgage or home equity line of credit, this can be an effective option to utilize in the case of an emergency. Interest rates on second mortgages should be no more than 10%, unless you have less than average credit.

You can either open a line of credit, which is essentially a credit card against your home, or a fixed second mortgage which is one lump-sum that is repaid over a specific period of time. While this may not be the best option if you need money right away, if you have the time this can be an effective route. The final alternative you can use is a peer-to-peer lending website such as LendingClub, which has been around for quite some time. LendingClub is essentially a market maker, in that they provide a loan for funding and investors come in and fund the loan.

Interest rates on these products are less than ideal but still less than CashNetUSA. Your loan request once approved will sit on the market and gain investors until the loan amount is filled. Once you are funded, you will begin repaying the note as agreed upon.

This process can take some time as you must wait for people to fund the loan but is a less expensive alternative to payday loans or short-term installment loans. Other alternatives are asking friends and family for money, depending on the amount needed. The key is to ensure you will be able to repay the money in a timely manner. A few CashNetUSA reviews we came across described borrowers that tried this route with no luck.

Recent News Worth Mentioning

The founder of CashNetUSA, now working as CEO for Avant was ordered to pay $3.9M by the FTC for deceiving borrower. In an article posted by the Chicago Tribune, Al Goldstein had built Avant to target the niche middle class market through two to five-year installment loan terms with interest rates as high as 35%.

While this is not a direct effect on CashNetUSA, it does bring to light the necessity to be vigilant when applying for a shorter-term note.

Another article by Fox6Now.com stated that an individual borrowed $2,600 from CashNetUSA and ended up paying more than $8,000. This is borderline loan shark and predatory lending, in our opinion.  The article goes on to state that the annual percentage rates ranged from 89% up to 449%. While this isn’t out of the norm for these types of loans, it’s critical that you complete your own due diligence before signing the dotted line.

Check the loan agreement before signing. This is where you will find all the necessary information including final APR and other costs associated with the loan. Typically, loans have a right of recession period, meaning you can choose to not take the loan without penalty. If you are unhappy with the terms of the loan, simply choose not to sign the document.

The Bottom Line

There are several items to consider with a lender, especially when researching CashNetUSA reviews. So let us get to the bottom-line summary of the company. First, you need to understand the product that CashNetUSA is offering. Many of the complaints you’ll find online are the high interest rates that are given to these short-term notes.

It boils down to simply reading the details. You can visit the rates and terms page and select your state from the drop down. From there you will find the ranges and products offered in your state. However, it isn’t until you apply and receive the loan agreement where you will find the final annual percentage rate.

Secondly, these products are not intended to be long-term solutions, but rather a quick band-aid fix until you get back on your feet. Depending on the loan type you go with, you will repay your loan within a couple weeks through a few months. It even clearly states on their website that these products are not intended for long-term financial solutions. Thirdly, if you have the ability to select a different lending option you may be better off going that route. Begin with looking at your local credit union or bank for a personal loan. These loans will give you what you need with competitive interest rates. If that is not an option, look into taking out a second mortgage if you have equity in your home. Again, you will have competitive interest rates with terms you can handle repaying.

Lastly, look into using a credit card you currently have or can apply for. Credit cards have higher interest rates but are still less than CashNetUSA products, especially if you can find an introductory offer card with no interest for the first few months. Their website is very information and gives you essentially all the basic information you need to make an informed decision. They even offer their clients savings and financial education benefits. Furthermore, they have an up to date blog that offers you information on various financial topics.

However, each state is different, and you won’t know your final rates until you apply, are approved and have the loan agreement in your hand. As far as short-term lenders go, this company appears to be one of the better ones on the market, but with that being said CashNetUSA should only be used if you are in a true emergency situation and require fast cash. Hopefully these CashNetUSA reviews have been helpful. Let us know in the comments!