ZocaLoans Review – Installment Loans for Bad Credit Score Borrowers

If you’re currently in the search for short-term financing, but you don’t quite have the required credit score to use a traditional lender, you might need to consider an alternative provider. One such example of an online lender that claims to offer financing to credit profiles of all shapes and sizes is that of ZocaLoans. In this article, we will review the ZocaLoans pros and cons.

By going through a simple online application process, you have the chance to obtain between $300 and $1,000 – all of which can be funded the very same day.

However, as is often the case with any lender that offers its services to those with less than ideal credit profiles, you’ll need to make some serious considerations regarding the fees.

This is especially true for the likes of ZocaLoans, not least because they operate by local Tribe laws, as opposed to state lending regulations.

As such, if you’re thinking about using ZocaLoans for your short-term financing needs, be sure to read our comprehensive ZocaLoans Review.

We’ve covered everything that we think you should know, such as fees, eligibility and loan terms, as well as the impact of using a lender that operates by local Tribe laws.

Let’s start by review who ZocaLoans is.

Review Who is ZocaLoans?

ZocaLoans is an online-only loan provider that specializes in short-term funding. The company is owned and operated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, meaning that the rules surrounding financing costs are slightly different in comparison to conventional lenders.

For those unaware, traditional online lenders are required to hold a specific license in each of the US states that it operates in.

As each state has stringent laws surrounding the provision of loans – such as how much lenders can charge in APR rates, origination fees, or late payment charges, this offers borrowers’ an element of protection against unethical lending.

On the other hand, while Tribe lenders like Zoca Loans must still abide by federal regulations, they have a degree of flexibility when it comes to fees.

Ordinarily, this is nothing to worry about as long as you take the required time to read through your loan agreement.

While Zoca Loans will be able to charge higher rates if they so choose to, this must be outlined in the loan agreement.

As such, if upon reading the terms of the loan you are offered, and you decide that the fees are beyond what you want to pay, you can simply walk away.

If you’re wondering why people would consider an alternative lender like Zoca Loans, the answer is simple. The loan provider has a significantly lower eligibility threshold in comparison to other lenders.

This means that those with less than ideal credit will stand a good chance of being approved – albeit, at a much higher rate of interest.

Unfortunately, this is just the name of the game in the bad credit lending space.

Ultimately, as long as you have a firm understanding of the loan agreement you are entering into, and you pay your loan back on time each and every week, then you shouldn’t experience any issues with Zoca Loans.

So now that you have a better idea as to what Zoca Loans is, in the next section of our guide we are going to look at the lender’s eligibility threshold.

Am I Eligible With ZocaLoans?

Although Zoca Loans offers financing to credit profiles of all sizes, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you are guaranteed to be accepted. As such, we need to explore the fundamentals of what Zoca Loans looks for when making a decision on your application.

ZocaLoans Review – Soft Credit Pull

Before we do, it is important to mention that ZocaLoans allows you to make an initial pre-approval application on a soft credit basis.

In layman terms, this means that you can find out whether or not you’re eligible, without the search having an impact on your credit score. Alternatively, if the lender was to utilize a hard credit pull, this would likely be reported to the main three credit agencies, and thus, it would have a slight impact on your score.

Not only do you get to view whether or not you qualify for a loan, but the soft credit pull also allows you to view your pre-approval rates.

This means that you can assess your individual APR rates, origination fee, and potential late payment fees, before making a commitment. In this sense, you really have nothing to lose by simply filling out the application form at Zoca Loans.

ZocaLoans Eligible States

In a somewhat unusual move for a lender that operates under local Tribe laws, Zoca Loans isn’t available in every US state. At the time of writing, residents in 37 US states are able to obtain a loan from Zoca Loans. We’ve listed the 13 states that are not serviced by the lender below.

• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Georgia
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Vermont
• West Virginia
• South Dakota

ZocaLoans Minimum Requirement Review

It will probably come as no surprise to learn that Zoca Loans has a very small set of eligibility requirements. In fact, upon further exploration, no mention is made of needing to have a minimum FICO credit score, nor do you need to be in possession of a minimum annual salary.

On the contrary, all you need to have is an active US checking account, a state-issued ID, be either a US citizen or permanent resident, and be aged at least 18 years old (19 in Georgia).

Other than that, the lender is likely to accept your application as long as they are able to validate the information you provide. This ease of approval, however, comes at a cost of super-high APR rates. We’ll discuss this in more detail in the next section of our ZocaLoans review.

How Much Does Zoca Loans Charge? APR and Fees?

As is the case with the vast majority of lenders that offer their services to those with bad credit, the fees at Zoca Loans can be ultra-crippling. Before we attempt to unravel the fees in more detail, it is important to mention that Zoca Loans is somewhat opaque with what it charges.

While we appreciate that specific lending rates will depend on a whole range of factors – notably your individual creditworthiness, the amount you want to borrow and the state that you live in, Zoca Loans offers very little information on its website.

This means that in reality, the only sure-fire way of knowing how much you are going to pay on your loan is to go through the online application. As noted earlier, this is based on a soft credit pull, so finding out will not have an impact on your credit score.

Nevertheless, the lender does dedicate a rather nondescript chart on its website with some example rates.

$300 Loan Over a 12 Week Period – APR 795%

As noted by Zoca Loans themselves, a $300 loan across 12 weekly payments would come with an approximate APR rate of 795%. This would require you to make 12 equal payments of $99 per week. As such, your $300 principal loan amount would end up costing you $888 in interest, meaning that the total size of the loan amounts to $1,188.

On top of the above, you will also need to make some considerations regarding the origination fee. While Zoca Loans doesn’t explicitly state whether or not they charge an origination fee, as a lender that doesn’t abide by state lending laws, they do have the legal remit to do so.

Ultimately, this is why we advise you to only use a short-term lender like Zoca Loans as a last resort.

ZocaLoans Application Process Review

If you are thinking about obtaining financing through Zoca Loans, the application process is super easy. In fact, if you have all of the necessary information to hand, then the application should take no more than 5-10 minutes.

• Step 1: Choose Your Loan Terms Initially, you will need to state how much you want to borrow and for how long. Don’t forget, you can borrow from $300 up to $1,000.
• Step 2: Enter Your Personal Information Next, you’ll need to enter some personal information. The basics will cover your full name, home address, date of birth, and residency status. You’ll also need to enter your social security number and driver’s license number.
• Step 3: Enter Information About Your Income While Zoca Loans do not have a minimum requirement with respect to income, you still need to provide information about your employment status. This will include the place that you work and how much you bring home after taxes.
• Step 4: Review Your Loan Terms In most cases, you should receive an instant decision regarding your loan application. If you are approved, you will be shown your individual lending rates. It is absolutely crucial that you spend time reading through the loan terms before proceeding. Take extra care to look for the APR rates, origination fees, and late payment policy.
• Step 6: Enter Your Banking Details Before signing your loan application, you need to provide Zoca Loans with your banking details. This will include your checking account details, as well as your debit card number.
• Step 6: Sign the Digital Loan Agreement To complete your application, you will need to sign your digital loan agreement. Finally, you need to decide whether or not you want to fast-track the transfer of your loan funds. If you want to receive the money in 15 minutes, this will cost you $30. Alternatively, Zoca Loans will transfer the money the next business day at no extra cost.

ZocaLoans Review: How do I pay my Loan Back?

When it comes to repaying your loan back, Zoca Loans usually offer you the choice of weekly or bi-weekly payments. Irrespective of which option you go for, you are best off setting up an automatic debit agreement. In doing so, Zoca Loans will automatically take your repayments from your bank account.

This is probably the best option to go with, as you stand the best chance possible of avoiding a missed payment. Nevertheless, you will pay a fixed amount on a weekly/bi-weekly basis, until the full amount is paid back.

ZocaLoans: Late Payment Fees Review

In the event that you miss a payment, or you don’t have enough money in your bank account to cover the automatic debit, then you face the very serious risk of incurring late payment charges. As we have noted throughout this review, Zoca Loans operates under local Tribe laws, and thus, this gives them more flexibility when determining how much to charge you.

The best advice that we can give you is to contact Zoca Loans at the first given opportunity. They might be able to give you a few days extra to come up with the payment, and hopefully, avoid any charges.

How do I Contact Zoca Loans?

If you need to make contact with the customer support team at Zoca Loans, you can choose from one of the following options.

• Email: support@zocaloans.com
• Telephone: 1-888-980-1532

Take note, the customer support team only works Monday to Friday, between the hours of 08:00 and 20:00 (Eastern Time)

ZocaLoans Review Summary

In summary, you know what you are going to get with Zoca Loans. The online lender offers loans of between $300 and $1,000 to credit profiles of all sizes.

In return for this rather lax eligibility threshold, you will likely pay extortionate rates of APR. Unfortunately, this is the industry standard in the bad credit space, as lenders need to mitigate their risk by charging much higher interest.

On the other hand, we do like the fact that Zoca Loans allows you to find out what your rates are before making a commitment. This not only includes your APR rate but your origination and late payment fees, too. Even better, you get to do this via a soft credit pull, meaning that the enquiry won’t hurt your credit score.

Ultimately, if Zoca Loans is the last resort for you, just ensure that you understand the terms of the loan, and perhaps, most importantly, that you are confident that you will be able to meet your repayments on time.

Pros

• Clear Fee Structure
• Soft Credit Pull Won’t affect Credit Score
• Fast Approvals

Cons

• High-Interest Rates
• Not Available in All States

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