A lender is a bank or non-bank credit provider offering loans or credit to individuals. Alongside the traditional high-street banks, the UK market includes a number of specialist consumer credit firms focused on personal loans, credit cards and debt consolidation.
Terms vary between lenders: loan amount, representative APR, arrangement or late-payment fees and term are all set individually based on an affordability and credit assessment. That's why the representative APR — not a headline "from" rate — is the most reliable figure for comparing what a loan will actually cost.
Before choosing a lender, it's worth checking the representative APR, the representative example, the total amount repayable and the terms for early or missed repayments. Any firm offering consumer credit in the UK should be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) — you can check a firm's status on the FCA Register before you apply.
Below is a selection of lenders and credit providers active in the UK market.