Bears Lending frequently asked questions, all of them.

A direct lender. We fund every loan with our own capital under licenses in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, and service every loan in-house. Your application is never sold or passed to other companies.

Installment, personal, bad credit, debt consolidation and line of credit: fully online with same-day deposit before 3 PM ET. Payday (Florida), title and pawn loans are finished in store because state law requires an in-person signature or inspection.

Online: about five minutes to apply, a decision in minutes, deposit the same business day. In store: 10–30 minutes from walking in to cash.

Photo ID and proof of income for cash loans, plus an active checking account for online loans. The lien-free title and vehicle for a title loan; the item for a pawn loan. Full requirements →

18 in Florida and Georgia, 19 in Alabama.

For online loans, yes. Pawn loans and check cashing never need one; in-store Florida payday loans do.

Payday, title and pawn loans: no credit check. Installment, bad credit and line of credit: soft inquiry only. Personal and consolidation loans: soft inquiry to see the offer, one hard inquiry only if you accept.

A soft inquiry never affects your score. The only hard inquiry we run is when you accept a personal or consolidation loan offer.

Yes. Payday, title and pawn loans ignore credit entirely. Bad credit loans are approved on income with a soft check; our average approved score is about 560.

Installment, personal, bad credit and consolidation loans report on-time payments monthly. Payday, title and pawn loans are not reported.

Yes, once the bankruptcy is discharged and at least 12 months old, for any product. Payday, title and pawn loans don't look at bankruptcy at all.

About 600 or above. Under 600, a bad credit loan is the better fit.

In store with cash, debit or credit card; online by debit card or bank transfer; or automatic payments on monthly loans.

Yes, any time, with no penalty on every loan. Monthly loans charge interest only to the payoff date.

Call before the date and we can move a monthly payment once per loan at no charge.

Yes, in store and online, for any loan.

Text and email two days before every due date, with the amount and ways to pay.

Pay off the title loan in full and the title is handed back in store with a lien release the same day.

Call before the due date. Florida: 60-day grace period on payday loans. Georgia: pay-down and right to cure on pawns; move or split installment payments. Alabama: repayment plan instead of rollover. Payment plans by state →

No. Failing to repay a loan is a civil matter, never a crime. Licensed lenders are prohibited from threatening criminal action, and we don't.

Only as a last resort, after written notice and a 30-day right to cure. Most customers who call before the due date never get near that point.

The item is forfeited and the loan is closed. You owe nothing, nothing is reported, nobody calls.

Late fees are limited by state law and listed on your agreement. Asking for a plan before the due date avoids them entirely.

On reporting loans, a payment 30+ days late is reported. Call before it gets there and we can usually prevent it.

For two weeks, payday is cheaper. For a month or more, installment is cheaper — usually by a lot. Full comparison →

Yes. We hold only the title. You keep driving, and the title comes back the day you pay off.

Gold and jewelry, diamonds, watches, phones, laptops, TVs, game consoles, power tools, instruments, and firearms where permitted. Pawn loan details →

$200 to $5,000 depending on the loan: payday to $500, line of credit to $3,000, bad credit to $3,000, everything else to $5,000.

Not a separate product — the fastest loan you qualify for, chosen from one application. Emergency loan details →

Yes. Consolidation loans from $2,000 to $5,000 pay off payday loans, store cards and credit cards directly. Consolidation details →

Florida, Georgia and Alabama only. We don't lend online to residents of other states.

Georgia law doesn't permit them. Georgia stores offer title pawns, installment loans and lines of credit instead. Georgia details →

Florida's rules don't provide for title lending at our license type. Installment loans to $5,000 cover the same needs. Florida details →

Eleven in Florida, nine in Georgia, six in Alabama. City lists are on each state page; one number, (855) 555-0199, reaches every store.

Monday–Friday 9 AM–6 PM, Saturday 9 AM–2 PM, closed Sunday. Online applications are accepted 24/7.

Yes. Licensed in all three states, NMLS #1928374, INFiN and NPA member, BBB A+. Every license number and regulator is on the licenses page →