Self Credit Builder: How It Works and Why It Stands Out for Added Benefits in 2025

Best for Added Benefits

4.8 _/5

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Our take: Self stands out for people who want to actively build credit and unlock added perks like a credit card or rent reporting.

• Best if you have no credit or a low score and want to rebuild through consistent on-time payments
• Allows you to build credit while setting aside funds for savings
• 4 plan options with estimated payouts ranging from $500 – $3,000 or more*
$25/mo, 24 mos, 15.92% APR; $35/mo, 24 mos, 15.69% APR; $48/mo, 24 mos, 15.51% APR; $150/mo, 24 mos, 15.82% APR. See self.inc/pricing
• Access to multiple other tools, including access to a secured credit card, rent reporting, and a cash advance
• Manage it all conveniently from the app

• You’ll lose some money to interest
• Locked into a 24-month term
• You don’t get your money until the end of the term

If you’re looking to build credit while setting aside savings at the same time, Self’s Credit Builder Account offers more than your average credit builder loan.

You make monthly payments into a locked savings account with the primary goal of building credit as Self reports your activity to all three credit bureaus.

But the real standout? Self comes with extras you won’t find everywhere else, like a potential pathway to a secured credit card, optional rent and bill reporting, and one of the top-rated apps in the category.

Table of Contents

1. What is Self, and how does the Credit Builder Account work?
   1. Self Credit Builder Account
   2. Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large Builders
2. Added benefits of a Self Credit Builder Account
   1. Highly rated mobile app
   2. Built-in savings habit
   3. Rent and bill reporting
3. Self’s other tools
   1. Secured Self Visa® Credit Card
   2. Self Cash
4. Pros and cons of Self’s Credit Builder Loan
5. Is Self a good lender? Reviews from customers
6. How Self compares to other credit builder loans
   1. Self vs. Chime
   2. Self vs. CreditStrong

What is Self, and how does the Credit Builder Account work?

Self Financial is a financial company that helps people build credit from scratch or after a rough patch.

Self Credit Builder Account

Its main product, the Self Credit Builder Account, is a twist on a traditional loan: instead of getting the money upfront, your loan funds are saved in a certificate of deposit (CD) while you make monthly payments.

When the loan ends, you get the money back (minus interest and fees), and all your payments get reported to the three major credit bureaus to help you build a positive payment history.

Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large Builders

You can choose from four plans—Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large Builders—that vary in monthly cost and payout amount. Plans last 24 months and show up as installment loans on your credit report.

Here’s how much you’ll pay into each plan each month, as well as total payments, cost, and final payout.*

Plan	Payment/mo.	Total payments	Payout at end*	Final cost
Small	$25	$600	$520	$80
Medium	$35	$840	$724	$116
Large	$48	$1,152	$992	$160
X-Large	$150	$3,600	$3,076	$538

Added benefits of a Self Credit Builder Account

What sets Self apart from other credit builder loans is the extras built into the experience. For instance, users get access to:

Highly rated mobile app

The Self mobile app makes it easy to track your progress, manage payments, and monitor your VantageScore 3.0 credit score on the go.

Built-in savings habit

Because your loan payments are held in a CD, you’re building credit while accumulating savings over time.

Rent and bill reporting

Self partners with third-party platforms to help you get credit for on-time rent, utility, and cell phone payments.

Self’s other tools

Self offers more than just credit builder loans—it’s a full suite of tools designed to help you build credit from all angles:

Secured Self Visa® Credit Card

After a few months of on-time payments with your Credit Builder Account, you could unlock access to the secured Self Visa® Credit Card. This card has no hard credit check, and you can use your Credit Builder Account savings as the security deposit.

Self Cash

Get a quick cash advance of $25 to $300 with no interest or hidden fees. Delivery is instant (for a small fee) or free if you wait a few days.

Pros and cons of Self’s Credit Builder Loan

Pros

• Builds credit with no credit check

  The Self Credit Builder Account reports to all three bureaus, even if you’re starting from scratch.

• Pairs well with other Self tools

  You could also use the secured Visa card, Self Cash advance, and free rent reporting to build some financial security.

• Four payment plan options

  Self makes it easy to choose a monthly payment and savings amount that works best for your budget.

• Builds savings as you go

  Perhaps the best added benefit of a Self Credit Builder Loan is that you get a payout at the end (minus interest and fees) that you can then put toward a secured credit card or other goals.

Cons

• You’ll lose some money to interest

  For example, on the $600 “Small” plan, you might only get around $520 back. That’s a roughly 15.92% annual percentage rate (APR) on your money.

• Locked into a long timeline

  Each plan runs for 24 months, and there’s no way to pause or skip payments without canceling.

• No access to funds until the end

  Unlike traditional loans, you don’t get any money up front. You must wait until your term ends.

Is Self a good lender? Reviews from customers

Platform	Rating	Number of reviews
Trustpilot	4.3/5.0	1,438
Better Business Bureau	3.79/5.0	862
Google	4.5/50	4,119 reviews

Overall, customer feedback for Self is generally positive. Many reviewers say the app is easy to use and has helped them steadily improve their credit. However, it’s worth noting that the BBB gives Self an F rating and the company is not accredited, largely due to issues with responding to and addressing complaints.

How Self compares to other credit builder loans

Here’s how Self compares to two of the best credit builder loans:

Self vs. Chime

Chime’s credit-builder card works more like a debit-secured credit card with no fees or interest, so it could be a better option if you want to build credit through spending. You also get 1.5% cashback on certain categories. But Self might be better if you want a credit-building tool with a savings component.

Self vs. CreditStrong

Both Self and CreditStrong services report to all three bureaus and let you build savings, but CreditStrong’s loans stretch up to 48 months, while Self’s plans top out at 24 months.

How we rated Self

Since 2020, LendEDU has evaluated personal finance companies to help readers find the best credit-building solutions. Our latest analysis reviewed 198 data points from 11 companies, with 18 data points collected from each. This information is gathered from company websites, online applications, public disclosures, customer reviews, and direct communication with company representatives.

These star ratings help us determine which companies are best for different situations. We don’t believe two companies can be the best for the same purpose, so we only show each best-for designation once.

_{Credit Builder Accounts & Certificates of Deposit made/held by Lead Bank, Sunrise Banks, N.A., or First Century Bank, N.A., each Member FDIC. Subject to approval.}

_{Credit Builder Account pricing: $25/mo, 24 mos, 15.92% APR; $35/mo, 24 mos, 15.69% APR; $48/mo, 24 mos, 15.51% APR; $150/mo, 24 mos, 15.82% APR. See self.inc/pricing for details.}

_{The secured Self Visa® Credit Card is issued by Lead Bank, Sunrise Banks, N.A., or First Century Bank, N.A., each Member FDIC.}

_{Qualification for the secured Self Visa® Credit Card is based on meeting eligibility requirements, including income and expense requirements and establishment of security interest. Criteria subject to change.}