Self Lender
Reviews and Complaints

I signed up for the program then I read the process of what all it incurred and canceled it they did cancel it but they still took out the money out of my bank account cost me an overdraft fee of $45 I called the company and let them know about this and they said there was nothing they could do and that they were still due the $9.00 even through not even 10 minutes had passed come on now how wrong is this

I decided to give Self a try to help build my credit and save some cash. They set me up with what they called a "loan" that I had to make payments on. However, this "loan" didn't really exist and I couldn't access the funds until I had made enough payments. Only then could I open a credit card linked to the loan. If I needed money, I could transfer my accumulated payment amount to the credit card, but of course, there was a fee for that.

To make matters worse, they charged me for my credit builder account and then charged me again when I transferred funds to the credit card. It felt like they were double charging me and taking advantage of my hard-earned money. I got fed up with this nonsense, and my credit score took a hit that it has yet to recover from.

I decided to close both accounts, and they took whatever they needed from my payments to cover what was owed on both accounts. They sent me the difference, and I thought that was the end of it. However, a month later, I received a bill stating that I still owed them $8.16. I let it slide until May and called them up to inquire about it. To my surprise, they informed me that I now owed them over $33.00! I couldn't believe it. How did it go from $8 to $33 in just a few months? "Well, we have interest and fees," the representative said, "and you didn't pay your balance." "But they took it out and sent me the difference," I replied.

It's clear to me that Self is scamming people, and I urge everyone to stay away from them. They're not worth the hassle or the headache.

I recently came across Self (self.inc) and decided to give it a try. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of the application process and the transparency of the terms and conditions. However, I couldn't help but notice some negative reviews claiming that Self is a scam and that they stole money from their customers.

Firstly, I find it hard to believe that Self would benefit from identity theft. It just doesn't make sense. The account is created in your name, with your card, and you have access to all the information. If there was any suspicious activity, you could easily contact support and open a case against them. So, the claims of identity theft seem like an excuse for not reading the terms and conditions properly.

Secondly, it's clearly stated that the $9 administrative fee is non-refundable. So, if you decide to cancel your application, you won't get that money back. It's important to read all the terms and conditions before agreeing to them.

Thirdly, when you add your bank account, it's made clear that upon approving the terms of the loan, they will charge you for the first month of your agreement, and this bank account will be charged for all payments due to the loan. This is not a hidden fee, it's right there in the terms and conditions.

Lastly, I think it's important for people to read what they're agreeing to before hitting submit. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of getting approved for a loan, but it's important to understand the terms and conditions before agreeing to them. Overall, I had a positive experience with Self and would recommend it to others.

Listen up folks, before you go ahead and give out your banking information to some random app, you need to know that these apps don't do anything for you that you can't do yourself. Your credit score is a reflection of your credit behavior, so if you want to improve it, you need to change your behavior. It's as simple as that. You don't need an app to tell you that.

If you have negative information on your credit report that is inaccurate, you can write a letter to each credit bureau and request that it be removed. It's that easy. And if you have valid negative information on your report, well, you did that to yourself, so you can undo it too. It's all about taking responsibility for your actions.

Now, let's talk about these so-called "credit score boosting" apps. They don't actually raise your score. YOU raise your score. It's all about discipline and good spending habits. Don't buy things you can't afford, pay your credit cards down to less than 10% of your credit limit, and you will see improvement. It's that simple.

But here's the thing, the more people that have access to your personal information, the higher the risk of a data breach. And trust me, you don't want that. Your personal information is valuable and you need to protect it.

And let's not forget about these "debt consolidation" apps. They're nothing more than a fancy way of saying "loan". They charge you a non-refundable setup fee, take your monthly payments, and invest them in short-term investments. And when your loan is repaid, they keep the proceeds from those investments as a "payoff fee". It's a sneaky way of making money off of you.

So, in conclusion, don't be fooled by these apps. You don't need them to improve your credit score. All you need is discipline and good spending habits. And remember, your personal information is valuable, so protect it at all costs.

I gotta say, I was pretty excited when I opened my Credit Builder account with Self back in February of 2021. I mean, who wouldn't be? They promised to help me recover from the damages of extreme Identity theft, and that's exactly what I needed. So I went ahead and unlocked/unfroze my credit file to open the accounts.

Things were going pretty well for a while. In July of 2021, I was offered a Self Visa Credit Card backed by the funds in my Credit Builder account. I was stoked! But then, without any warning or explanation, I was charged $25. What the heck, man? I didn't sign up for that!

But it gets worse. In September of 2022, they charged me another $25 for the Visa card, and then they went ahead and closed it without any notice on October 1st. What gives? I had a credit balance (over payment) on my account of $87.02 because I had paid my account in full and then did a return of the purchase I made a few weeks earlier. So my credit limit at the time was $1775 + $87.02 (credit), which was awesome because $1500 was my money being held from my credit builder account and they extended an extra $275 credit because of our good relationship.

But then they went and closed my account for no reason, and now they're holding onto my $1500 deposit + $87.02 (credit balance) + $25 (fee they charge to renew the card even though they cancelled/closed it). This seems like a pattern to me. They're defrauding the very people they claim to be in business to help.

I've been trying to get in touch with a supervisor or manager for almost 2 months now, but no one has responded to my numberless attempts. And when I call them, no one seems to care or want to help. They're closing people's accounts and holding onto their hard-earned money without any explanation.

Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed in Self. I thought they were supposed to be different from all the other credit companies out there, but it turns out they're just as bad, if not worse. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.

I gotta say, I was pretty excited to join Self. I mean, who wouldn't want to add another line of credit without getting a credit check, am I right? Plus, I'm in the process of buying a home and I wanted to show off my impressive credit score. Before joining Self, my credit score was over 740. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Oh, and did I mention that I make $500,000 a year? Yeah, I'm kind of a big deal.

So, I signed up for the secured loan and set up automatic payments. Easy peasy. Then, I got an offer for a pre-paid credit card. I figured, why not? I wasn't planning on using it, but I thought it would be a good way to add another credit line to my report. But then, I got hit with a fee or penalty or something. I'm not really sure what it was for, since I never even used the darn thing. I guess the fee was for not using the card? Who knows. All I know is that I had no idea I owed anything.

Now, I have four other credit cards, so I'm pretty familiar with how they work. But this Self credit card was a whole different ballgame. A few months later, I checked my credit score and was shocked to see that I had a 30 day late payment notice on my report. What the heck? I've never missed a payment on anything before. My credit has always been spotless. And all because of a $20 fee that I wasn't even aware of.

So, I contacted customer service and explained the situation. But all they said was, "Yes, you missed a payment. It goes on your credit." That's it. No sympathy, no understanding, no nothing. And now, my credit score has dropped 100 points because of a stupid $20 fee that I could easily pay.

I'm not asking for much. I just want Self to send a letter to the credit bureaus explaining that this late payment was a mistake. I mean, come on. I make $500,000 a year. I can afford to pay a stupid $20 fee. But now, my credit score is suffering because of it. It's just not fair. So, Self, please do the right thing and help me fix this mistake.

At first, I was pretty excited about Self (self.inc). I mean, who wouldn't want to improve their credit score, right? And this company seemed like a good plan and a good company. But then, things started to go downhill.

When I financed the loan, my credit score did improve significantly. But then, I accepted the Visa Secure card and that's when the headaches started. I used the card and paid in full each month, but I was given a higher available credit. And of course, I used it. But when I submitted a payment for the full amount owed, they wouldn't process it. Apparently, "future" payments wouldn't be accepted. What kind of nonsense is that?

I had an automatic payment set for $48 a month, and that went well with no delay. But after I tried to submit payments unsuccessfully, I would get an email saying that my utilization was above 30%. What? No other credit card has ever not accepted a payment anytime during any month. And they usually have 24/7 customer service live, at least in my experience.

This company tries to come off as Robin Hood, but then, I hate to be cynical, they are in the same bed with predatory lenders. They get folks when they are down. They are part of the cyclical industry. No one wants to go through difficult times financially. For those of us who want to take responsibility and overcome whatever life threw in their way, this company is out to exploit us.

I am a teacher and a single mom. I absolutely need my credit score up to protect my children and provide for them when I need to be approved for a lease, mortgage, or car loan. With Self, I saw my score go up 150 points, then (surprise surprise) drop 30 and stay stagnant. It's frustrating and disappointing.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend Self to anyone. Sure, they might help you improve your credit score in the short term, but in the long term, they're just not worth it. There are better options out there.

Do not trust this company. For one, I have made all of my damn payments on time 1st of all. After they submitted a fraudulent a$$ hard credit inquiry on my report that I didn't have a clue about, I was informed by a client to close my account; I did! Only for me to spend countless hours submitting the same verification documents that they "allegedly " can't find by the " Administration system ". My f$$$n same social I was born with they claim they can't find. Now they're refusing to pay out my damn money. If this isn't the most fraudulent a$$ s$$t I've even seen.

Don't believe the deceit of these fake reviews that claim, oh they're great and my credit score increased! It's all BS. You'll never speak to an American agent, they'll continue lying and transferring you. Listen I'm not the guy for writing lies because I'm pist. I'm sending a warning don't fck with Self. It's a perfect damn scam at its finest. It's only $516 they I paid. Pennie's but it's sure principle. How in the hell you can mysteriously find my information after of year of my damn money paid into your business. Fraudulent disgusting damn roaches. I've contacted my families attorney, it's sad that America has fallen to allow such scum as this take peoples damn money. I'm telling you now, don't FCk with these foreign scum. Absolutely distasteful and high fckn pist that they simply think they can just take my money and the. Say they can't tell me when I'll get my gd payout. Don't trust these Fckrs! And this message I will continue to expose and repost until they up my money.

I started using Self a few months ago to save some money. I thought it was a great idea, but boy was I wrong. I found out that half of the $25.00 per month I was saving was being charged as a service fee. I was not happy about this, so I called ***050 to cancel my account. I left a voice message, but they still tried to charge my debit card. I had to switch cards and didn't give Self my new debit card number.

Before I joined Self, my credit was good. I was pre-approved for a $500K mortgage, paid for an appraisal, paid for an inspection, and left a $15K deposit. I was supposed to close in 2 weeks. But over the weekend, Self reported to the credit bureaus that I was over 30 days late on a fake loan. This dropped my credit score over 40 points.

I have an excellent payment history on every single account that I have. I have never been late on any of my credit cards, car loans, not even student loans. Never late. Now this BS may cause me to lose almost $20K and miss out on a mortgage.

This needs to be fixed right now. I tried to call every number I could find for Self, but I can't get anyone to help. It's the same as when I tried to cancel my account. If I lose out on this deal and lose practically my entire savings over this, I promise I will post a million postings on every single review site that I am able to find as well as press charges against Self. This is so unfair that all of the hard work I put in to maintain a good credit rating is dumped in the trash by a money hungry institution that is too greedy and unorganized to allow your customers to cancel their membership.

You never gave me a dime and NOW to ruin my credit is freaking heartless. I am so angry and frustrated right now. I just want this to be fixed. I hope Self can get their act together and help me out.

I had the chance to use Self (self.inc) services and I must say, it was a rollercoaster ride. I paid off my loan a year ago and they offered me a credit card which I accepted. However, things started to go south when I noticed a charge on my statement that was never authorized. I immediately called to dispute the charge and boy, was I in for a long wait. I had to hold on the phone for 45 minutes before I could speak with a representative.

The representative was helpful and immediately froze my card. They promised to investigate the dispute and send me a replacement card. However, three weeks later, when no card arrived, I began texting them about their failure to replace the card. I was frustrated when I received a response from "Tyler" that made no sense. It seemed like they didn't read my communication at all. Instead, they told me to call Visa if I was disputing a charge. They made no mention of the card they never sent.

I sent another email in response to "Tyler" but Tyler did not respond. I guess he handed the problem off to "Tashia" who again did not read anything I had written. Instead, she sent me a list of charges that I might want to review. This email was sent to me by "Tascha" after I had already received a snail mail letter saying they had confirmed the validity of my original dispute and were crediting my account permanently.

"Tashia" made zero reference to this letter or resolution which had already happened. Rather, she was saying that my account had been frozen by Visa for fishy charges, offering a small list of charges as the reason for the frozen account. This was after I had already been told in a written letter that all was resolved in my favor and that a replacement card was on the way. Yet no card after four weeks and now Tasha saying that I needed to resolve the fishy charges and send them my "correct" address before any further action.

I responded to them to either send me the new card, stop harassing me with idiot emails or cancel the account and return my deposit. However, six weeks later, and still no replacement card. All this hassle for a $10.00 disputed charge.

In conclusion, I must say that Self's customer service department is full of idiots. The lack of communication and understanding of the issue at hand was frustrating. I hope they improve their customer service in the future.

I'm currently on hold with Self. Inc and I want to share my experience with this company. First of all, I want to say that the idea behind Self is great. I started using Self after traveling overseas for two years and I wanted to build a quick credit payment history. I had no issues verifying my identity and I paid off my $1,600+ balance within five months. It worked really well for my credit over those five months. However, the way Self has handled themselves is beyond disgusting and just downright uncalled for.

I completed my payments on September 5th and paid off my loan with the last payment in the amount of $575.82. I was under the assumption that once you complete your payments, you can receive the money back the same month as shown on their site. My dashboard on my account informed me that my payout was set to be deposited into my account on September 17th. I was overjoyed and waited without issue or complaint. Suddenly on September 15th, almost two weeks later, I received an email telling me that I must submit documents to prove my identity again. If I refused, they would close my account after 30 days.

So I submitted the documents, a passport photo, a photo of my ID, and my bank account documents. Yes, you must forfeit the privacy of your bank statements just to receive the full payment you were promised after making payments over months. I tried calling the number for Self on September 15th, but I received a message informing me to submit the documents requested from me in the email I received and wait 3 business days for a reply followed by abruptly ending the call. I tried calling again, but it was the same process. They blocked the number tied to my account from reaching anyone by phone to answer questions.

I couldn't believe it. They got me again. So I was lied to the machine gave false information and it worked! I got a human being finally after two days! I gave the person my information with excitement thinking finally progress! He informed me that my account was locked and I must submit the documents and wait for approval. I informed him that I already had, and he replied that I must wait because they do not have contact with that department. I paid my account, and I was told I would get my money on the 17th after completing my payments on the 5th. So why did that department wait 2 days prior to returning my funds before asking for these documents? He replied that it was out of his control. That was the end of our conversation as he informed me that was all he could do.

Self Inc waited till the last possible moment to request these documents and is withholding my matured account holding $1,600+. Had they requested these documents on Monday rather than Wednesday, then I would have been notified and possibly had my money by the weekend. However, no, they waited till the last week then waited longer till the middle of the week to notify me. This means my funds will not be returned till late Tuesday of the following week. This is painful because people with bad credit are in this situation because we don't have tens of thousands of dollars sitting around. So if you save up $1,600+ dollars over time and you are finally able to use it to better yourself and those in your life by catching up on bills or buying food or anything important in your life, it's all put on hold even longer because Self. Inc. refuses to return money that was due.

I honored my part of the contract, so why is it that Self. Inc may do as they please? If I am late on a payment, Self Inc has the right to charge me and report that harmful information to the credit boards. However, they may withhold my money past our agreed-upon deposit date till they "feel" like returning it. I would love to understand why after I verified my identity the first time, they did not once request another identity validation till after I completed my payments and they had to pay me back. Why did they not ask for this information while I was giving them money? Yet when they have to give me back my money, I must then prove who I am? The logic makes no sense.

Also, the fact that the consumer is completely powerless in this situation is a cause of anxiety in me and I am sure many other Americans. Why do consumers get punished for following the terms of the contact yet the business gets to do as they please without implications? If anyone is reading this, please do not use this service from Self Inc. I would suggest just saving up $1,500 and opening a secured card with Wells Fargo Bank or any bank. I will never use this service again.

I’ve been with Self for about a year and a half. I LOVED it at first, but they are literally ruining my life at this point. First, they randomly closed my credit builder account as soon as I received my credit card. I started a new credit builder account and got over that. Then, before I ever even USED my credit card, I kept getting charged for transactions, which I had to pay for for my credit’s sake while I sent endless emails. I FINALLY got the transactions disputed and proceeded to use my card. Then, suddenly, I started getting outrageously charged on my credit builder account and the disputed transactions were thrown back on my already-maxed-out card, so my utilization jumped to 188%. I didn’t have that much money and I was stressing over getting it paid. One day I met this woman online who I had been talking to and she offered to pay my balances, so she sent me her bank info to put the payment through. While waiting the few days for it to process, I found out this “woman” was a scammer and had probably given me fraudulent info. I sent more emails and called Self to inform them on what had happened, but no help. I got an email asking to verify my identity, so I sent my ID and my bank statement. I then got my tax return and paid off the giant balance on both accounts. IMMEDIATELY after I did that, THEY CLOSED BOTH OF MY *** ACCOUNTS! AFTER I VERIFIED MY IDENTITY AND SENT MY BANK STATEMENT FOR THE ACCOUNT IVE BEEN PAYING MY BALANCES WITH FOR OVER A YEAR ON TIME! I’ve worked SO hard to get my credit where it is, and now thanks to this company being completely unfair and unreasonable, my credit is going to be severely damaged. I’ve lost so much money and I’m literally being punished for almost being scammed and having my personal financial information stolen… DO NOT USE SELF! IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK!

So for starters for such a well known company that helps you build credit it’s funny how during a pandemic they respond a whole week later. I find it difficult believing that they couldn’t answer their service line this whole time and won’t support people let alone Americans get through this pandemic without it hurting us. So for a company that helps your credit they sure are quick to let your credit fall to the side. They are not participating is what the CS Agent basically said. This was her response through email a little over a week later:

“We are sorry to hear that you have been affected by current events. Currently, we are unable to offer our customers the option of deferring payments and we are unable to pause our reporting.

We do offer a grace period for the Credit Builder Account that you are more than welcome to utilize. There is a 15 day grace period before a 5% late fee is assessed to your loan account. Your payment will be reported to the Credit Bureaus when it is 30 days overdue. If you are concerned about your ability to make payments you are welcome to close your account at any time. It would report as closed/paid in full and you would be able to reapply in the future if you wanted to”.

Instead of telling me to open and close a acct, which anyone trying to improve their credit knows it still impacts your score, why not just defer payments while the pandemic is still continuing. I’m in Hawaii where we all haven’t gotten our stimulus and unemployment checks yet due to a lagg and an over abundance of claims going through all at once which I’m sure other states have had this issue as well. So much for supporting our citizens during this time. Even our local businesses have supported us through this but if issues get worse this shows that this company will be a reason that will negatively impact us.

Thanks a lot Self for being so Selfish.

After filing for bankruptcy, I went with Self. The option to save money while building my credit was very appealing. I started off paying $48 /month for 12 months with the credit builder account. I paid $50 per month and they saved it for me but reported it as loan payments to the 3 major credit bureaus. 5 months later, Self provided an option to open a secured credit card and use some of the money from the credit builder account as a deposit. I opted to use the majority of the savings for a deposit on my self credit card. After completing the credit builder account, the remaining balance on the credit builder loan was directly deposited into my bank account within a week of completing the credit builder account. Since opening the credit builder loan on May 6, my credit score has gone from 420 to 650. It didn’t take long before self was providing me with credit increases on my credit card as well. Between April and June, I have received three credit increases. Make sure that you keep your credit card utilization under 30% and pay off your balance multiple times per month. Find out your closing date and aim to have a zero balance at this time. I signed up for Self in May , was approved for a car loan in December and was able to get approved for two credit cards since then. I am taking my time to rebuild my credit but one thing I can say for sure is that Self Financial is a wonderful company. I recommend them to anyone who’s serious about rebuilding their credit. Thank you Self for giving me another chance to correct my wrongs.

Customer service is great as well and very prompt to address disputes. I processed a payment from the wrong account and they reversed the returned payment fee almost immediately after contacting them.

The genius behind the creation of this company deserves a Nobel Peace Prize lol no exaggeration. Thank you again

I’m generally the type to give an app a “0 to 5 star rating” without the whole dissertation and details. With SelfLender I had to be vocal so anyone else struggling with their credit can know this is a LEGIT company who only wants the best for you. When I started self lender back in 2018, my credit score was at 439. During that time period I had a hardship and had to withdraw my self inc account. They mailed me my check immediately within 5-7 business days and closed my account for me with no hesitation. I returned to the company in 2020, my credit score hadn’t changed much since 2018. They welcomed me back with open arms and had an ample amount of new perks and gimmicks for every one to take advantage of. I started my 2020 account with a 450 point credit score and a $500 savings balance. I paid $50 a month for 12 month and was offered a credit card through self inc. I accepted. My payment history was exceptional and I kept my credit usage limit between 5%—15%. Within the first billing cycle of having the credit card I was offered a credit limit increase (of my choosing to be exact). I accepted. The beauty behind self lender is that the company name speaks for itself. You are in control of your spending limits, your deposit, and the $$$ amount you can afford monthly to reach your financial goals.
Fast forward, I went from having a 439 a credit score and no credit card to my name to completing my self lender account. I left the company and happy and more knowledgeable person. I now have a credit card with a $500.00 line of credit and a 635 point credit score. Capital and Chase accepted my credit card applications (now I have 3 credit cards!)
I’m going to wait a few months and enjoy one less bill for now lol! But I will be creating a new account and utilizing all self lender tools until I reach the 700+ credit club! Thank you selfinc! I couldn’t have done this without your financial team and expertise.

Not super impressed. Signed up for the one year term with $48 monthly payments. The main thing I was after was the Self secured credit card. A couple months in my score went up 6 points from 683-689. But over the next 6 months it never went higher than 689. I completed the 3 payments to qualify for the credit card. I was surprised to see that it had a $25 annual fee. I spent a lot of time in FAQ before I signed up and I never saw the fee mentioned. I was only planning on having a line of $150.

A $25 fee on a secured $150 credit line was a big turnoff. I’d been getting pre-approved offers in the mail that didn’t charge an annual fee. So I decided to try one of those first. To my surprise they gave me a 3k credit line with no fees. So I decided to save on interest and payoff my Self account 6 months early. When the payoff showed up on my credit report my score went down 3 points from 689-686. So in the end all the Self loan/CD got me was a 3 point gain on my credit score. Once my 3k credit card showed up on my credit report my score jumped 28 points from 686-714.

That’s only from having the card reported on my account with no payment history. If the Self card was my only option I would have ate the $25 fee until my score went up enough to qualify for something better. It’s better than the $80+ annual fee some charge. I don’t think Self with a credit line of $150 would have raised my score as much as the 3k line did. I’ve heard the higher the line of credit the better. But I think the Self card would have improved it more than the measly 3 points the CD did.

Also, I think the drastic gains people see are from scores in the 500’s. Mine was almost 700 from the start. I think the higher your score already is the less improvements you’ll see. In short, a credit card will give you significantly better results than the secured CD. I wish there was an option to just do the Self secured card without the CD. The CD is a waste of money. The card is what gives the results.

I genuinely don't even get what the purpose of SELF is- we apply, we get approved, we have to pay them money every month for a year or more and then we get access to the money that we paid into it but can't get it earlier then that and that's it...?

If you're like me and have a bad credit score on top of being broke plus even more fun needing money asap then SELF isn't for you. When I first heard about them I thought it was either a traditional loan where you get approved for a certain amount then have to make payments every month or like a secured credit card where you have to make a deposit and whatever deposit you make into it is your spending limit and after so much time of proving your trust your refunded that deposit for free your credit line is increased and then you can move on to a unsecured credit card but it's neither ‍♀️ Basically it's you giving money to a company, getting nothing in return for a year or more except for the promise of a "improved credit score" and then at the end of that year or more they'll give you your money that you paid into it back but will act like it's coming out of their own pocket and they're just doing it out of the goodness of their own heart. It's literally just a really bad version of a secured credit card (having to put money in but not getting anything back for a year or more, can't even use it, no chance of getting the initial deposit back for free for proving your trust, no chance to move on to an unsecured credit card, etc) and just another dime a dozen "credit building" company that's oversaturated and misleading (in their ads they make it seem like it's money you can access right away but you don't find out what it really is until you're almost done signing up). Why even bother using them when there's much better options out there? There's other places out there that not only offer the same thing, offer it better, are free or really cheap much cheaper then them but also let you access YOUR money right away ‍♀️ Pointless.

I have had self for 4 years and managed to get my credit card limit to $3000. Great app with the building credit up absolutely love it. But When i just maxed out the card I quickly realized and tried to pay the whole balance in full in a one time payment the app kept say “sorry we are unable to process your payment at this time please try again later. “ so i would do this every few minutes for a couple hours. I then had a idea lets try $1,700 and Bam it went through. So i tried the remaining balance payment button and again was told unable to process payment. Finally i broke the remaining balance into another small payment and had to get charged 3 processing fees. No big deal really but still very annoying i lost more money paying the payment then i thought i would. So went to use the card next day and was declined without reason. So waited another day and decided to call them just incase the declined purchase locked it or something like that. To my total shock self decided to not only not notify me but they decided to terminate my account after i just had all money taken out of my bank. Im currently traveling and stuck since this my only card i have. And my paycheck went completely to paying off the balance. After reaching out consistently and still no response even though i am in a dire financial crisis and can not even get home with my puppies we cant eat and i told them this is a emergency and needs to please be resolved immediately. Im on day three no funds return or word back from them. Reminder i payed it 8 days early so it wasnt closed due to being late. Idk what i did i have zero information and they keep saying no phone number to the department i need. Only email and i have written emails and called and did the chats. If anyone has any ideas what to do next but i really dont want to lose my account or have to go through legal battles. This whole experience is terrifying. After being a loyal customer for years and sending many clients to them without using a code to get paid. I really believe in this product but im not sure anyone eles should be unware of random closing of accounts.

Stop hesitating and stop being skeptical- Self is legit!
Coming from a low income first generation family, I didn’t have the privilege of being educated by my family about credit or why it even mattered or how it would affect me in the long run - so I honestly got a credit card and maxed it out and thought I could ignore the payments until I could pay it off all at once - and guess what got? Late charges which hurt your soul and credit with each late payment LOL

I was in my 520’s and my credit got boosted 50 points after applying to Self!

How it works is that Self is reported as a “loan” so it diversifies your credit and it makes it look good. If you’re worried about not being able to make the payments (because I was) - I got the lowest one which was $25 and my “loan” amount was $500.

Basically while you’re making payments to pay off the loan - Self reports those to the credit bureaus and BOOM your credit is boosted if you’re making sure to pay it on time. (Seriously just make sure it’s on Autopay).
But you GET YOUR MONEY BACK at the end of paying the loan off too! So it’s a Win-Win situation honestly.

I recommended Self to my sister and it boosted her by 30 points when she applied and she’s paid it off twice now.

Also when you make I think around $100 in payments then they give you the option of opening up a credit card with them (from the money you’ve been paying) and that looks good on your credit as well and now you a credit card - and we can all say that it’s hard to get a credit card when your score is low!
Also every payment you make after you get the credit card is also an increase in your credit limit which is great!

Honestly, Self has helped me so much and I recommend it to anyone looking to build their credit back up.
Also for it to work make sure you’re making your payments on time (AGAIN - put it on autopay) and keeping your utilization on your credit cards under 30%.
Also for people looking to get derogatory things off your credit reports I recommend doing your research on it because it is possible!
Good luck to everyone on their journey building their credit back up!

Here’s a very real review of the product. If you do just the loan portion it seems to build your credit. If you do the credit card portion your score drops significantly with no rise. If you use your credit card and you pay 100% of your balance, your credit score is negatively impacted despite your ability to pay the full balance. Keep in mind that your credit limit is only limited to the amount that you rollover from your loan usually $100-$300. So part of the scam is that you to do the loan and then they make you think that you’re doing something good by offering you a secured credit limit that will only equal the amount that you’ve paid into your loan which means NO pay out (keeping money in house) and then offer you increments based on each payment of your loan. But…when you use the credit card your score is negatively impacted. The credit bureaus know that this is a low limit bogus card and they are not treating it equal to any other credit card. It’s a part of the a scam. It’s not just that you have to stay below the 30% of your basically limited credit limit all three credit bureaus are not recognizing the secured credit card as a good risk, and negatively rate that credit card differently than they are rating the loan. If you are going to use Self to build credit only use the loan portion and do not use the credit card portion. Know that Self has notoriously poor customer service. It will be impossible to reach a manager, or to receive a call back from a manager. Know that you are paying a funding agency under the guise of helping you to continuously invest your money for their own purposes, while using your credit score as a basis to do so. This is not a company that’s in it for the best interest of growing your credit they are just using your credit as a means to get your money. This is a company whose best interest is in their investments using your investment in good faith to grow your credit for their own means. Pay very careful attention to your credit score when using this. If your credit score drops for any reason, immediately close your account and list a public rating reflecting the drop. People need to be aware and understand what they’re getting into. My overall rating of this company is poor.

I recently signed up for self.inc because I just got back to the United States after spending many years abroad. I only had a couple of credit cards, and my credit score was only around 780. The credit bureaus told me that my score was low because I didn't have enough variety in my credit sources. So, I decided to add a personal loan to my credit mix to help improve my score. I didn't need the money, and I wasn't concerned about the $500 loan or the interest on it.

As soon as I subscribed to self.inc, my credit score dropped by about 15 points. It's still recovering, and I'm not happy about it. I thought that self.inc would help me improve my credit history, but they haven't been any help at all.

What really made me close my account today, before its maturity date, was when I found out that a subsidiary of self.inc, called RentTrack, put an unauthorized hard inquiry on my TransUnion credit report. This inquiry further lowered my score, and I'm going to have to deal with it until I can get it resolved with the FTC.

I'm so upset about this that I'm reporting both self.inc and RentTrack to the Better Business Bureau. I don't want anyone else to go through what I went through. I strongly advise everyone not to use their services.

I gotta say, stay away from Self (self.inc) at all costs! These guys are straight-up crooks and have no sense of security whatsoever. I opened an account with them and before I knew it, my account was hacked! The login and email were changed and money was transferred from my bank to a new bank that they added to my Self account. I was so mad that I decided to cash out the $1,300 that was in my account. But guess what? They told me that I would get my cash in 10-14 business days. It's been over a month now and I still haven't received my money!

To make matters worse, they keep asking me to upload my photo ID and a photo of my Self credit card to close my account. I've done this over and over again, but they still keep asking me for it. I feel like they blocked my number from customer service inquiries because every time I call, they say there's a wait time of 20 or 30 minutes. I've waited up to 2 hours before realizing that no one was going to answer, so I hung up.

I recently went over complaints of this company and see that this is a common practice. They don't always payout at the end of the term or when requested. I have no hope in getting my cash back nor my girlfriend who I stupidly referred to Self. I hope this review helps you guys and hurts Self's business. This is a scam at its best!

I gotta say, my experience with Self has been pretty good overall. I've been using their credit card and self lender services, and they've definitely helped me boost my credit score a bit. But I gotta knock off a few points for the fact that they didn't offer any help when I was out of work and couldn't pay my bills. I mean, I get that the virus was a surprise and all, but it would've been real nice if they could've given me an extension or something. My credit score took a real hit because of it, and that's not something I can afford to let happen again.

That being said, I'm not gonna give up on Self just yet. Once I'm back to work and making money again, I'll be able to pay off everything and hopefully get my score back up. I'll probably keep using the credit card, but I might pay off my self lender loan early and not take out another one. I just don't wanna risk my credit score getting messed up again.

Overall, I think Self has a lot of potential. They just need to work on being a bit more flexible when it comes to helping out their customers in tough times. But hey, nobody's perfect, right? I'll give 'em another chance and see how things go.

I had a few credit builder loans and a security deposit of $1275 with Self. I was never late on my payments except for one day, but I paid extra to make up for it. However, I was disappointed to find out that my credit limit would not increase because I did not pay $42 and instead paid $44. This made me feel like my efforts to improve my credit were not being recognized.

I eventually closed both of my accounts with Self because I did not feel like they were helping me improve my credit score. If you have a bankruptcy or any unpaid bills, Self may not be the best option for you. My bankruptcy was almost ten years ago, but I still got hit with a $2k hospital bill that I never received until it showed up on my credit report. I have been paying on it for two years, but my credit score only went up to 639, which is still below the magic number of 640.

I have multiple credit cards with high interest rates, but I have never been late on any of my payments. In my experience, Self is a scam and I would not recommend them to anyone. Although some people may have had a good experience with them, my experience was horrible after three or four years. I told them to FO and close my accounts and send me my money back. Their customer service was very bad and unhelpful.

The whole idea of an unsecured raise limit is a joke because I paid my bills in full every month for two years and even paid off four credit builder loans. However, this did not seem to carry any weight with the credit bureaus. Overall, I feel like Self was a big waste of time and money for me.

I'm all about finding fun ways to raise my credit score since I've been on the journey of preparing to buy my first home. I found SELF and thought it was interesting. I knew there would be fees and told myself "it's an investment in my future and well worth it" but it got to the point where I felt I was being taken advantage of. There are steps you have to take to be eligible for the credit builder card before you can get it (3 on time payments, atleast 100$ in account) they take a decent chunk of each months payment for the fee and I was 6$ short of the 100 I needed so I added an extra 10$ to the account after my monthly payment so I assumed (I know, that's on me) I wouldn't be charged the whole fee. They took 8 out of 10$ for the fee and I was only given 2$ towards my account. INSANE. I canceled my account and they charged me more interest and fees on top of it after telling me I wouldn't be charged. In my opinion, not worth it because 1. THeyre not up front about ALL the fees and 2. They think they can take advantage of us so they can make money off us. Beware and do all your research before opening an account.

I was really excited to try out SELF because I've been working hard to improve my credit score. I thought it would be a great investment in my future. However, I quickly realized that there were a lot of fees involved that I wasn't aware of. I had to make three on-time payments and have at least $100 in my account before I could even be eligible for the credit builder card. And even then, they took a big chunk of my monthly payment for the fee.

I remember one time when I was just $6 short of the $100 I needed in my account. So, I added an extra $10 to my account after my monthly payment. I thought that I wouldn't be charged the whole fee since I was so close to the $100 mark. But, they took $8 out of the $10 I added for the fee and only gave me $2 towards my account. I couldn't believe it! It felt like they were taking advantage of me.

I decided to cancel my account, but they charged me even more interest and fees on top of it. They had told me that I wouldn't be charged, but they went back on their word. It was really frustrating.

Overall, I don't think SELF is worth it. They're not upfront about all the fees involved, and they seem to think they can take advantage of us to make money. I would definitely recommend doing your research before opening an account with them.

Self financial closed my credit card with a $35 balance. Can you believe it? Just $35! They will probably try to tell you that they sent me automated emails, but that's not the point. They disabled my account, so I couldn't even log in to pay. My credit score went from bad to worse, from 30 to 60 to 90 to 120 days late on just $35. I tried to reach out to their customer service, but they are so slow to respond. They say that their call and email support response times are very delayed, which basically means they don't care. Their "chat" feature is terrible, and they outsource it to some garbage company that can't even help.

If you look at the other complaints against them, you'll see that there is potentially a class action lawsuit being formed against them for their practices of charging customers and closing accounts. This isn't new, and it could happen to you too. I have requested to pay the $35 charge, but their inability to handle customer emails, calls, and chats has some people suspicious about what is actually going on with the operations and finances of this company.

I wouldn't trust this company at all. I wouldn't use their services. It didn't even help my credit score. I mean, what's the point of using a company that doesn't care about its customers? They just want your money and then they close your account. It's ridiculous. I hope that more people will speak out against this company and their terrible practices. Don't let them take advantage of you like they did to me.

This service is not recommended by me! My friend helped me set up this account to improve my credit score. However, I was not aware of the original setup and only provided my information after discovering the issue. It seems that they used a card that expired in February 2023, which resulted in the auto payment failing. Unfortunately, I did not receive any notification of the failed payment or a past due balance. If they had notified me at the time of the failed payment, I could have corrected the issue immediately. However, Self Inc reported to all three credit bureaus that I had a 30-day past due late payment. Keep in mind that you don't actually owe money. No loan is taken. This is your own money that you are storing in an account, so they basically have access to a "free loan" of your money.

I have read multiple complaints from people who still have not received their payout of over $3,000.00. This company is collecting your money and then using that money as an "interest-free loan," yet they are reporting you to the Credit Bureau for a late payment to YOURSELF. This is a major problem. I paid over $60.00 into this service, yet only $29.00 was eligible for payout. I strongly advise you to find another way to build your credit. This is not the way to do it!

Let me tell you about Self (self.inc). I have to say, their customer service is not the best. If you have any issues on the weekend, you might as well wait until Monday because no one can help you. They have limited access, so if you have a problem with a transaction made on your account, you'll have to wait until Monday to get it resolved.

I had three transactions made for $450.30, but there was no name or location listed. When I called customer service, they couldn't see it either. All they could do was give me a number to call on Monday. If you need to cancel your card, they can't send you a new one either. You'll have to call another number, but that department isn't open until Monday either.

It's important to keep in mind that they can't transfer you to any departments on the weekend. This can be frustrating if you have an urgent issue that needs to be resolved.

I have seven other credit cards, and I have to say, on any given day of the week, they can all help me with my needs. If you think your card has been compromised on the weekend, be prepared to make another call on a weekday when you're probably at work trying to earn some money to pay off the balance on this card.

While Self does offer a secured card for those looking to build credit, I would recommend rolling your money over to a more established credit card company. It's just not worth the hassle of dealing with their customer service on the weekends.

I started using Self as a savings account and I gotta say, it was pretty easy to set up. I was able to save up the amount I wanted to get and I was tempted to just pull the money out, but then they started sending me messages about getting the Self credit card so I could improve my credit score. I don't have bad credit, I just don't have any credit built yet, so I figured why not give it a shot.

Using the card was pretty easy, I didn't have any issues with it. But then one night, I was carjacked and they stole everything, including my credit card. I called Self right away to cancel my card, but there was no one working after hours. Other banks have people working throughout the late hours in case you lose your card, but Self doesn't seem to have that. I emailed them and called them, but the hold times were very long.

After that experience, I decided that this wasn't a secure card and it wasn't for me. I closed out my account and asked for them to deposit the money into my account since it was linked to the Self account and that's how they would take out most of my payments. But they said they couldn't do that, so they mailed me a check.

Unfortunately, the check bounced because Self put a stop payment on it. I've been trying to figure out why this happened and I'm being told that it's being looked into. It's been days and I still haven't gotten an update.

Overall, I don't think this card is worth the hassle. While it was easy to set up and use, the lack of after-hours support and the issues with getting my money back have left a bad taste in my mouth. I wouldn't recommend this card to anyone.

This company, Self (self.inc), has caused me a great deal of frustration and disappointment. I have been trying to receive a refund from them, but they seem to be doing everything in their power to keep my money. My accounts have been closed, and I am owed a refund, but the company is not cooperating.

On May 25,2022, I received an email stating that my account had matured in the amount of $539.54. However, when I checked my account, I noticed that only $84.68 had been deposited on June 13,2022. Additionally, $450.00 was transferred to my credit card account as a security deposit. This was confusing to me because for nine months, my account did not require a security deposit. I immediately paid my credit balance in full, which I had a credit due, and on June 20,2022, $357.89 was deposited. The total that was deposited was $442.57, which means that the company still owes me $96.97 and $78.18 credit that I overpaid on my credit card.

I have tried to contact the company several times through email, but I have not received any response. This is unacceptable, and I am not going to let this go. As a disabled person, I cannot afford to be scammed by a company that I trusted. I will be disputing the matter with CHASE, and I am confident that the matter will be resolved.

I used to be a faithful customer of Self, but this experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. I would not recommend this company to anyone. If you read all the reviews, you will see that many people have had similar experiences. This is not a coincidence. Self needs to do better, and they need to treat their customers with respect. If I could give them no stars, I would. Please stay away from this company, and spread the word to warn potential customers.

I started my credit building account with Self in November and everything was fine I made all of my payments on time but number one my score was never boosted at all so it was of no help and after a year of paying my $48 on time I receive my check in the mail only for it to be fake I have attempted to go to four different check cashing places including a bank & all of which have denied me to cash this check. Then I called Self on the phone to speak to a customer representative who simply tried to argue with me when I told him that the bank would not cash my check and he kept asking me why the bank wouldn’t cash my check and I told him they didn’t tell me they just denied it and he kept telling me instead that I need to go back to the same bank try to cash it again and if it denies it to ask them why they’re denying me cashing the check which seems like a really big red flag seeing that I’m going to all of these places repeatedly trying to cash the same check which is going to cause a lot of suspicion and they end up calling the police on me do not work with them they are a scam!

I downloaded Self at the beginning of the year. I really liked the app and had no issues with the credit builder. The problem came with the credit card. I ordered the card in July and didn’t receive a card until September. I couldn’t see any information about the card until I activated and I couldn’t activate until I got the card. I finally activated the card and I was charged late fees twice and was reported late twice in the time period that I had no access to the card information.

There was no quick way to contact the company. I waited for 20+ minutes to reach a representative about this. He told me that he could refund the late fees (why would you do this if I’m at fault?) but he couldn’t update the report to the credit bureaus because they have to report accurate information. If you’re giving me a refund for the late payments due to the circumstances, then how is it accurate that the payments are late? I got this app to build my credit and this app only hurt my credit further. Would not recommend to anyone. This company does not right their wrongs. I closed the credit card immediately after that.

First I would like to say that I’ve completed all payments from the company and I did raise my score 40points initially.. usually that’s the Selling Point! However upon completing the acct “self sent me an email stating that I need to prove all payment methods used over the period of use or they would keep all of my money and also gives a limited window to do so. I believe this action is targeted by something in there algorithms to weed out potential customers to scam (Like multiple payment methods, or something you say during a recorded customer service call)

Additionally you find that there interest rates and fees are extremely high for a products you could walk into any bank or credit union and inquire about while also receiving better rates!

Please do not get the “SELF SECURED CARD” it will remain secured which means that you’ll only recycle your money on a debit card with no reward benefits yet run the risk of negative reporting. It will never become a unsecured credit card for the forseable future.

This company will is not so honest about its business dealings and preys on poor people in a multitude of ways

Coming up on completing my 12-month CD with Self. Saw some improvements to credit from the beginning.
Applied for the Self Visa credit card. Never went over limit. Made regular payments. About a month ago, payments started getting declined even though funds were very much available. Called customer service...find out it was due to some apparent fraud. Cleared up the issue and assumed all was well. Tried to use card again...and again...still declined over and over. Called customer service...was told there was a “Visa outage” (WHAT!?) and I would receive an email when my card could be used again. That was a month ago! Tried to use the card again just yesterday to rent a movie...declined even though I have a zero balance and adequate credit available for use.
Tell me Self...how does one build credit with a credit builder card if you do not allow the credit to be used?
I can only imagine the headache I’m about to endure trying to close the CC account and finish out my loan next month.
Customer service is terrible and response to valid concerns incredibly frustrating.
If you’re considering Self credit card, save yourself the headache and just take your money to a real bank or credit Union for a legit secured card.

This company asked me to review their product and when I did, they didn't like it and sent this to me. Since when their doing this:

App Store

Dear Jennine,
Self Lender, Inc. responded to your review of

Self - Build Credit & Savings
Self Lender, Inc.
"Hey there! We're sorry to learn you recently haven’t seen the results you were hoping for. In general, as you make on-time payments and build that payment history, your score can improve over time. Individual results will vary depending on your credit situation, but according to FICO®, payment history is one of the largest factors used to determine your credit score. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to building credit! Your other lines of credit (both open and closed) are also important too when it comes to how your score is calculated. For many people, using traditional credit products as a means of building credit is not an option, and Self provides a more accessible way to do so. "

Do you want to update your review?

You can also contact the developer.

Apple ID Summary • Terms of Sale • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 Apple Inc.
All rights reserved
No I'm not changing my damgon comment I don't like your product don't go through with it.

I am left wondering what else this app is useful for if it blocks me from opening an account based on my US Citizenship status!

You shamelessly collect my personal information and later ask whether I am a US Citizen/LPR? Why not ask that from the start if the entire thing revolves around that so one doesn’t waste time in here?

For goodness sake, this is a reverse loan and one’s citizenship status in the US doesn’t make any sense! What’s the logic? If I sign up, you are holding the loan with you and if for any reason I fail to pay or even get deported from the US, you get to retain the money! Who is losing here? Me losing of course! And you have all to gain!

Realistically, what you would be asking for may have been one’s employment status and physical presence in the country. While here, one needs a score for various reasons, from renting an apartment to getting a car loan. Do I have to be a citizen or an LPR to live (breathe) in the US? What if I am here for more than 12 months and a CD matures in 12 months? Rethink what you are doing!

!mportant side note: How do I get my information off your system? As in, how do I delete my useless account without leaving any trace of my information you harvest from the start?

I used the app for a guess about two years. Their credit card is not very useful, with low limits and an extremely aggressive fraud system that seems to lock my card about once a month. I never missed a payment, was never late, and for the most part paid my balance nightly.

The good news is using the card my credit score went up about 90 points. I've had a number of really terrible interactions with their support staff and finally I just said look I don't need your card I don't like your service and I don't like you. Just close my account.

I didn't get any kind of response from them and I don't even see my account as closed either in their app or on my credit report. But my credit score dropped fifty points this morning with no adverse marks on my credit report and this morning I got an email from Self offering to open a new account for ~just a hundred dollars~.

So I know what happened here. Let me put this another way. I spent many tens of thousands of dollars on this card over a few years ish, never did anything improper with it. All that time they've been making money on my usage of the card through metrics demos ads and transactions, I've gotten nothing but a small increase in my credit score that went away when I stopped using their product. No thanks, you crooks.

This app is not just garbage, it's predatory. 2 stars because it's mostly what it says on the tin if you can keep yourself from barfing.

I would give Self lender a 5 star rating if it wasn’t for their credit card!
I have been having issues with the credit card since i got it. I’m writing this review as I’m here frustrated because the card has gotten declined multiple times in the last 2 days. I submitted a payment to my credit card to pay off the whole balance over a week ago and the payment finally went thru 2 days ago! So I just paid my account fully right, and i made a few payments using this card yesterday. It took multiple attempts until my payments went thru (card kept getting declined even tho i had all my funds “available”).
Well today I tried buying lunch while I’m at work and my card gets declined! ARE YOU SERIOUS! Even earlier today I got a notification that i was eligible to increase my credit limit, which I was stupid enough to do. So now I should have more funds available but my card keeps getting declined even if my account online shows that i have available funds. This is just so frustrating. Idk if its a glitch or maybe it keeps getting declined due to maintenance or changes in my account? But this shouldn’t be happening!

If you submit a payment to their lender account it will go thru in the same day which is great, but not with the credit card account it will take up to a week. Y’all might want to be careful with that because it can cause your payment to be late!

Wish their credit card system was as good as their lender accounts!

All I did was opening a checking account with ah actual bank and within a couple months I qualified for an unsecured Visa card from chase... and THEN I paid only $35 a month on my minimum and now My credit just went DOWN to 690 because I just cooked for and got approved for 2 new cards so I can have enough credit... real credit to buy a house in the next year or so... save your money.. like seriously open a checking and savings account. Then your bank will offer you a card and you can build your credit like that... not by paying interest on paying money you deposited... it’s your money... why are you all so happy about paying fees to access it?
Beware: I did not proofread so I may have written things that make no sense, decode them, oh and I only downloaded the app to leave this review. Take your $200 to a bank I have chase but you go wherever you want, but within months they gave me a cc oh and they paid me $600 to open my checking account... this card is charging you fees to use money you paid them to let you use... other establishments are paying up to $600 to open accounts, there’s no minimum balance no fees and the bank knows your credit worthiness so you can build it that way... a credit score of 480 or 580 is horrible, they’re not helping you. When they take you from 650 or so to 800 that’s helping you. I hope you guys didn’t lock yourselves into any contacts and can just cancel this. Because this was a horrible idea.

This company is a total scam.

1. I closed my account immediately as the service was not what I expected.

2. I was told that I would receive my payout (actually a refund), less all of the fees involved. That was to occur on June 1st, 2022. It’s June 3rd, 2022, and no payout.

3. I verified my account with my Valid Drivers License, and Debit Card. They approved verification.

4. I sent an email that was never answered. I then tested to see what would happen by sending an email from another account (not associated with Self), they answered immediately.

5. On June 3rd, 2022, i called Self. As I write this, I have been on hold for over 90 minutes. The system says hold times are 23 minutes.

6. The CEO and Founder of Self Lender is James Garvey. He has a rather “Checked Past” in business (which isn’t surprising). He likes to prey on consumers.

7. They are not qualified to give loans in the State of California according to the Secretary of State. No registration under the name “Self Lender Inc.”.

8. James Garvey is running another scam once again. I have reported his company, along with James Garvey to the Attorney General in Texas, along with California. Furthermore, to the Secretary of State in California, Federal Trade Commission, and ComplaintsBoard.com in California and Austin Texas.

Please, do not fall for James Garvey’s tricks, and scans. Research him, research all of his victims, he hides behind his companies, and bankruptcy.

This is all over $99.70.