Capital One Personal Loan Alternatives
Bills Bottom Line
Capital One doesn't offer personal loans. It sticks to credit cards, auto loans, and banking. If you want a personal loan, lenders like Discover, LightStream, and SoFi offer them, with amounts from $2,500 to $100,000. Compare APR, fees, and funding times before you apply.
Table of Contents
You came looking for a Capital One personal loan, and here's the short answer: Capital One doesn't offer one. The bank focuses on credit cards, auto financing, checking and savings accounts, and business lending.
That doesn't leave you stuck. Plenty of well-known lenders offer personal loans, and a few of them are worth a close look. Capital One bought Discover in May 2025, so a personal loan under the same corporate roof now exists. You apply for it through Discover.
Does Capital One offer personal loans?
Capital One doesn't offer personal loans. Its current lineup covers credit cards, auto loans, checking and savings accounts, and business and commercial products. If you visit the bank's help center and search for a personal loan, it points you toward its credit cards instead.
Capital One completed its purchase of Discover Financial Services on May 18, 2025. Discover still offers personal loans on its own site, so a personal loan now sits under the Capital One corporate umbrella. You apply through Discover, and the loan follows Discover's terms.
Be careful where you shop for one. Because so many people search for a Capital One personal loan, some websites publish rates, requirements, and application steps for one anyway. That product doesn't exist. The reliable place to check any lender's real terms is the lender's own website.
Capital One personal loan alternatives, compared
Discover, LightStream, and SoFi are three of the most common personal loan options, and each one handles rates and fees a little differently. The figures here come from each lender's own site, and rates move, so confirm the current numbers before you apply.
| Discover | LightStream | SoFi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed APR + as-of date | 7.99%–24.99% | 7.24%–24.89%* | 6.99%–35.49%† |
| Loan amounts | $2,500–$40,000 | $5,000–$100,000 | $5,000–$100,000 |
| Terms | 36–84 months | 24–240 months | 2–7 years |
| Origination fee | None | None | Optional for lower rate |
| Other fees | None | None | None |
Rates updated June 2026.
* Includes 0.50% autopay discount. Rates vary by loan purpose.
† Includes 0.25% autopay discount and 0.25% member rate discount.
Discover offers fixed-rate personal loans from $2,500 to $40,000, with APRs from 7.99% to up to 24.99% as of June 2026. Terms run from 36 to 84 months. Discover charges no origination fee and no prepayment fee. You can check your rate with a soft inquiry. A soft inquiry doesn't affect your credit score. Discover can send funds as soon as the next business day after you accept. It can also pay your other creditors directly if you're consolidating debt. One limit to know: a Discover personal loan can't be used to pay any Capital One account, including a Discover or Capital One credit card.
LightStream, the online lending division of Truist Bank, offers loans from $5,000 to $100,000 with terms from 24 to 240 months, depending on what you borrow for. It charges no fees of any kind, no origination fee, no late fee, and no prepayment fee. Rates come with a 0.50 percentage point discount when you choose automatic payments. LightStream also runs a Rate Beat Program that offers to beat a competing lender's qualifying rate by 0.10 percentage points. LightStream publishes its rates through a calculator tied to your loan purpose, so check the site for a current quote.
SoFi offers personal loans from $5,000 to $100,000 with terms from two to seven years. Its advertised APR runs from 6.99% to up to 35.49% with discounts applied. A loan without discounts costs more. SoFi stacks up to three 0.25% discounts: one for autopay, one for SoFi members, and one for paying creditors directly. It charges no required fees, though you can opt into an origination fee to get a lower rate. You can check your rate with a soft inquiry that doesn't affect your score. Some borrowers get funds the same day the loan is approved and signed.
No single lender is best here. The right fit depends on how much you need, what you'll pay in APR and fees, and how fast you need the money.
What Capital One offers instead
Capital One offers credit cards, auto loans, checking and savings accounts, and business and commercial lending. For some borrowers, a 0% intro APR credit card could cover a short-term expense without the cost of a loan, though that depends on your credit and the offer.
The Discover acquisition adds one more option under the same parent. A Discover personal loan gives you a fixed rate and a lump sum, with the one restriction that it can't pay off a Capital One or Discover card. If your goal is debt consolidation, that matters.
How to apply for a personal loan
You apply for a personal loan in a few clear steps, and can often do so online in well under an hour.
Start by checking your rate. Many lenders let you prequalify with a soft inquiry. A soft inquiry doesn't affect your credit score. Prequalification gives you an estimate, not a final offer. Your final terms depend on full underwriting and could differ from the estimate.
Next, gather what you'll need: a government ID, proof of income such as pay stubs or tax returns, proof of address, and your bank details. When you pick a loan and submit a full application, the lender runs a hard inquiry, which could lower your credit score. Then you review the offer, sign, and wait for funding. Funding often lands the same day or within a few business days.
Is Capital One a legitimate bank?
Capital One is a legitimate, federally regulated U.S. bank. It's one of the largest card issuers in the world and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.
If you want to compare the customer reputation of the lenders that do offer personal loans, check each one's Trustpilot profiles before you apply.
When an alternative might fit your situation
The best fit depends on what you're borrowing for, and loan size is the quickest way to narrow it down.
- A larger project, such as a major home repair, points toward LightStream or SoFi. Both lend up to $100,000.
- A smaller, one-time expense points toward Discover, which starts at $2,500 and charges no fees.
- Debt consolidation points toward a lender that pays your creditors directly, which both Discover and SoFi can do. Just remember a Discover loan can't clear a Capital One or Discover card.
Bills Action Plan
Step 1: Check your rate with two or three lenders that fit your loan size. Discover, LightStream, and SoFi all let you prequalify with a soft inquiry that doesn't affect your credit score. Compare the real APR you're offered, not the advertised low end.
Step 2: Compare the full cost, not only the rate. Look at APR, any origination fee, the term length, and how fast each lender funds. A no-fee loan at a slightly higher rate could still cost less than a low-rate loan with a big origination fee.
Step 3: Pick your loan and submit one full application. Have your ID, proof of income, and bank details ready so you can finish in one sitting and get your funds sooner.
Key Terms
APR (annual percentage rate): The yearly cost of a loan, including the interest rate plus most fees. APR is the number to compare across lenders, because it captures more than the interest rate alone.
Origination fee: A one-time charge some lenders take out of your loan before you get the money. A 5% fee on a $10,000 loan means $500 comes off the top, so you receive $9,500 but repay the full $10,000.
Soft inquiry: A credit check that lets you see your estimated rate. It doesn't affect your credit score, and lenders use it for prequalification.
Hard inquiry: The credit check a lender runs when you submit a full application. It could lower your score by a few points and stay on your report for about two years.
Prequalification: An early estimate of the rate and amount you could get, usually based on a soft check of your basic information. It's not a final offer, and your real terms depend on full underwriting.
This article is for general education. Rates, fees, and terms change often and vary by borrower, so confirm current details on each lender's official website before you apply. Bills.com doesn't recommend any specific lender or loan.
Does Capital One offer personal loans?
No, Capital One does not offer personal loans. It focuses on credit cards, auto loans, checking and savings accounts, and business lending. If you want a personal loan, lenders such as Discover, LightStream, and SoFi offer them.
Can I get a personal loan through Capital One now that it owns Discover?
Discover still offers personal loans, and Capital One completed its purchase of Discover in May 2025. You apply through Discover, not Capital One. A catch: a Discover personal loan can't be used to pay a Capital One or Discover credit card.
What credit score do I need for a personal loan?
For a personal loan, many lenders look for good credit, generally a FICO Score of 670 or higher, for their lower rates. Some work with fair-credit borrowers too. Each lender sets its own minimum, and most don't publish an exact cutoff. Checking your rate with a soft inquiry is the fastest way to find out where you stand.
What are the best alternatives to a Capital One personal loan?
Discover, LightStream, and SoFi are three widely available options that serve similar borrowers. Discover lends from $2,500, while LightStream and SoFi go up to $100,000. Banks and credit unions offer personal loans as well, so compare a few on APR, fees, and funding speeds.