Side-by-side comparison

CreditCube vs Big Picture Loans

Which is cheaper on $500, and who approves you?

By REPLACE WITH REAL NAME, REPLACE — e.g. 8 years covering consumer credit · Reviewed by REPLACE WITH REAL NAME

Advertiser disclosure: we're paid when you apply through some links on this site, and some lenders here are operated by our parent company. Compensation does not change our scores or the order of the cost ladder. How we make money →

Step 5 · Subprime installment loansFeatured

CreditCube

Short-term installment loans from a tribal lender, with loyalty pricing for repeat borrowers.

Score 5.9

Still an option for

No minimum credit score. Needs regular income and an active checking account.

Amount

$100–$500

Term

224 days (about 7 months)

Cost

$152 a time

Speed

Results within seconds of applying; funds next business day, or within about 30 minutes with Real-Time Funding where supported.

One honest con

This is expensive credit. A first loan is capped at $500 and the APR is in the hundreds of percent.

See rates at CreditCube →Read our review

Opens the lender's site. We may be paid if you apply.

Availability varies by state.

Last verified September 24, 2026

APR: 259.94%–779.97%

Representative example: borrow $500 → 16 payments of about $152 → $2,437 total repaid (779.97% APR)

Expensive credit — 779.97% APR. Try every cheaper step above before you use this.

Best for

People turned down by banks and mainstream online lenders who can afford a biweekly payment and want a lender that rewards repayment history.

See the full cost and what you need ↓

First loan

$100–$500

Term: 224 days (about 7 months)
APR: 779.97% APR
Payments: Biweekly installments

What it costs: borrow $500 → 16 payments of about $152 → $2,437 total repaid (779.97% APR)Illustrative: 16 equal biweekly payments at the published APR. The lender's Rates & Terms page governs.

Returning customers

$501–$5,000

Term: 224 days (about 7 months)
APR: 259.94%–779.97% APR
Payments: Biweekly installments

What it costs: borrow $1,000 → 16 payments of about $128 → $2,045 total repaid (259.94% APR)Illustrative, at the lowest published returning-customer APR.

Loyalty tiers by points: Silver up to $1,000 (16% fee discount), Gold $1,500 (33%), Platinum $2,000 (50%), VIP $5,000 (66%).

What you need: Age 18+, US resident in an eligible state, regular income, active checking account, valid ID and SSN.

Not for: Anyone who can get a credit-union PAL, a paycheck-advance app, or an employer advance first — those cost a small fraction of this.

CreditCube is operated by the same company that operates this site. See how we make money.

Tribal lender, owned by Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians (federally recognized tribe). It operates under tribal law, so state rate caps and some state protections may not apply. What tribal lending means for you →

Not available to active-duty service members or their dependents (Military Lending Act 36% cap).

Step 5 · Subprime installment loans

Big Picture Loans

Tribal installment loans of $200–$3,000 with instant funding when available.

Score 6.2

Still an option for

No published minimum score. Needs regular income and a bank account.

Amount

$200–$3,000

Term

12 months

Cost

$159 a time

Speed

Real-time funding attempted (including weekends); otherwise next business day by ACH.

One honest con

Very expensive: 395%–699% APR for new customers, 160%–699% returning. 12-month term multiplies the cost.

See rates at Big Picture Loans →Read our review

Opens the lender's site. We may be paid if you apply.

Availability varies by state.

Last verified September 24, 2026

APR: 160%–699%

Representative example: borrow $1,000 → 26 payments of about $159 → $4,130 total repaid (395% APR)

Expensive credit — 699% APR. Try every cheaper step above before you use this.

Best for

People who need money the same day and have been refused by state-licensed lenders.

See the full cost and what you need ↓

New customers

$200–$3,000

Term: 12 months
APR: 395%–699% APR
Payments: Biweekly installments

What it costs: borrow $1,000 → 26 payments of about $159 → $4,130 total repaid (395% APR)Lender's published example: 25 payments of $158.88 and a final payment of $157.92.

Returning customers

$200–$3,000

Term: 12 months
APR: 160%–699% APR
Payments: Biweekly installments

What you need: Regular income meeting the lender's minimum, bank account, valid ID and SSN.

Not for: Anyone who qualifies for a cheaper step; anyone uncomfortable with tribal-jurisdiction dispute rules.

Tribal lender, owned by Tribal Economic Development Holdings, LLC — Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. It operates under tribal law, so state rate caps and some state protections may not apply. What tribal lending means for you →

Not available to active-duty service members or their dependents (Military Lending Act 36% cap).

Same $500, side by side

The same amount can produce very different costs over each lender's term.

	CreditCube	Big Picture Loans
Amount range	$100–$5,000	$200–$3,000
Term	224 days (about 7 months)	12 months
APR / fees	259.94%–779.97% APR	160%–699% APR
Example total repaid on $500	≈ $2,437 total repaid over 224 days (about 7 months)	≈ $3,502 total repaid over 12 months
Speed	Results within seconds of applying; funds next business day, or within about 30 minutes with Real-Time Funding where supported.	Real-time funding attempted (including weekends); otherwise next business day by ACH.
Reports to credit bureaus	We're verifying this	We're verifying this
Loyalty program	Yes	No
States it lends in	41 states	0 states
Our score	5.9	6.2

The short answer

On $500, CreditCube costs about $2,437 to repay and Big Picture Loans about $3,502, so CreditCube is cheaper in dollars over its term. Big Picture Loans has the lower top APR (699%), but its longer term means you pay more in total. CreditCube lends in more states. On speed, CreditCube says results within seconds of applying; funds next business day, or within about 30 minutes with real-time funding where supported. and Big Picture Loans says real-time funding attempted (including weekends); otherwise next business day by ach..

CreditCube asks for: Age 18+, US resident in an eligible state, regular income, active checking account, valid ID and SSN. Big Picture Loans asks for: Regular income meeting the lender's minimum, bank account, valid ID and SSN.

CreditCube is operated by the same company that operates this site. See how we make money.

Cheaper than both →

How we scored these →