Mariner Finance vs OneMain Financial

The short version

Mariner Finance and OneMain are both branch-based installment lenders that also offer a secured option using a vehicle no more than 10 years old as collateral, typically for a lower rate. Neither publishes a minimum credit score, and checking your rate at either one starts with a soft credit pull that doesn’t affect your score.

APRs, as of September 2026, run 15.99% to 35.99% at Mariner and 11.99% to 35.99% at OneMain, giving OneMain the lower floor. OneMain charges an origination fee that varies by state — either a flat $25 to $500 or 1% to 10% of the loan — while Mariner doesn’t publish an origination fee, a late fee, or a fee schedule on its personal loan page at all. Mariner lends $1,000 to $25,000 over 12 to 72 months; OneMain lends $1,500 to $30,000 over 24 to 60 months. Mariner is licensed in 29 states; OneMain doesn’t lend in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, or DC.

Rates and fees

Mariner’s published range is 15.99% to 35.99% APR as of September 2026, with no published origination fee, late fee, or fee schedule on its personal loan page — Mariner notes the amount financed may not be what you receive if charges other than interest are included. OneMain’s published range is 11.99% to 35.99% APR, and most loans carry an origination fee that varies by state, either a flat $25 to $500 or 1% to 10% of the loan amount, deducted from your proceeds before you receive the money.

Mariner Finance, 25.99% APR (midpoint of 15.99%-35.99%). Mariner doesn’t publish an origination fee or a fee schedule, so we’re assuming no fee here. An APR already includes the origination fee by definition, so on a loan with no fee at all, we simply amortize the full $10,000 you receive at 25.99% APR over 36 months. That works out to a payment of about $402.85 a month, $14,502.60 total paid, and a total cost of about $4,502.60 in interest. If your loan carries charges other than interest, your cash in hand would be lower and your true cost higher than this figure shows. These are our own amortization figures, not a lender quote.

OneMain, 23.99% APR (midpoint of 11.99%-35.99%), using the midpoint of its 1%-10% percentage-fee range (5.5%). OneMain’s fee varies by state and can be either a flat $25 to $500 or 1% to 10% of the loan; this example uses the percentage midpoint. The fee is $550.00, so you’d receive about $9,450.00 in cash. An APR already includes the origination fee by definition, so we amortize the cash you actually receive at the APR rather than counting the fee a second time: a payment of about $370.70 a month, total payments of about $13,345.20, and a total cost of roughly $3,895.20. These are our own amortization figures, not a lender quote.

Mariner’s own published example is a $5,000 loan at 30.99% APR over 48 months, with payments of $182.91 a month and a finance charge of $3,779.68. Mariner is also the subject of a 2022 lawsuit by the attorneys general of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and the District of Columbia, which alleges it added insurance and other add-on products to loans without consent, mailed unsolicited “live checks,” and pushed borrowers to refinance; in January 2024 a court denied Mariner’s motion to dismiss, and the allegations have not been proven. OneMain faces a matter of its own: in March 2026, a coalition of 13 state attorneys general sued OneMain, alleging borrowers were signed up for optional add-on products without clearly understanding what they were buying; OneMain has disputed the allegations, and the case hasn’t been resolved on the pages we checked.

Who qualifies

Neither lender publishes a minimum credit score. Mariner bases rates and fees on the loan amount and term, your credit history, income and debt payments, whether you offer collateral, and, for Mariner-originated loans, your state; Georgia residents must borrow more than $3,000, and applicants who don’t qualify for Mariner’s lower rates or larger amounts may need to pledge a first lien on a vehicle no more than 10 years old, titled in their name and insured. OneMain asks for photo ID, proof of residence, and a verifiable source of income, and says approval depends on your overall credit history and the income left over after monthly expenses; many applicants complete an in-person or virtual verification appointment. OneMain also offers its own secured option using a vehicle no more than 10 years old as collateral, typically at a lower APR. Checking offers at either lender is a soft credit pull; accepting an offer triggers a hard inquiry at both.

Speed and funding

Mariner lets you apply online or at a branch; some loans can close by phone or online with electronic documents, but not every loan type qualifies for remote closing, so a branch visit may be required, and Mariner doesn’t publish a funding time on its personal loan page. It also offers a 15-day return policy: return the money within 15 days and pay no fees. OneMain says you can start an application online, by phone, or at a branch, and many applicants — historically most, though OneMain has expanded remote closing in recent years — are asked to visit a branch to verify identity, income, and employment. Once signed, OneMain says money can be available within an hour through its SpeedFunds debit card, or in one to two business days by check or ACH.

Where each one wins

• OneMain — a lower APR floor (11.99% versus Mariner’s 15.99%) as of September 2026.
• OneMain — available in more states; it doesn’t lend in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, or DC, against Mariner’s 29-state footprint.
• OneMain — funding that can land within an hour of closing through its SpeedFunds debit card.
• Mariner Finance — terms up to 72 months, a year beyond OneMain’s 60-month ceiling, for a lower monthly payment on a large balance.
• Mariner Finance — a 15-day return policy: send the money back within 15 days and pay no fees.

Bottom line

If a lower starting rate or reach into more states matters more to you, OneMain’s lower APR floor and broader footprint are worth checking first. If you want the longest possible term to stretch a payment down, or a straightforward 15-day return window, Mariner Finance’s 72-month maximum is the longer of the two. How installment loan interest actually works is worth reading before you compare either offer against your own budget. Read the full Mariner Finance review and OneMain review, then start a loan request to see what you might actually qualify for.