Summary
You can get an installment loan in Quebec with bad credit. Through CashGo, you apply once and get matched with lenders in our network that typically offer $300 to $3,000, repaid over 90 to 120 days at 22% to 32% APR. Quebec has its own consumer protection law: every money lender needs a permit from the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC), and the OPC can refuse a permit to a lender that charges more than 35%. Loans above the Bank of Canada's Bank Rate plus 22 percentage points count as high-cost credit, which brings an extra permit, a check of your ability to repay and a 10-day cancellation period. You can pay off any loan early without a penalty.
How installment loans work in Quebec
An installment loan is a personal loan you repay in equal, scheduled payments that line up with your pay, whether you're paid weekly, every two weeks, twice a month or monthly. Each payment covers part of what you borrowed plus interest.
You apply once online, from anywhere in Quebec. CashGo sends your application to lenders in our network. A lender that can help contacts you and asks you to complete Instant Banking Verification, a read-only look at your recent transactions; you don't need to send ID or paperwork. The lender then shows you the rate, every fee and the total you'll repay, and deposits the money once you sign its contract, often the same day.
CashGo is not a lender. Each lender sets its own rate, fees and schedule.
How Quebec regulates loans
In Quebec, anyone who lends money to consumers, including online lenders, needs a money lender permit from the OPC. Banks, caisses and trust companies are exempt. The OPC can refuse to issue or renew a permit if the lender charges a credit rate above 35%, and it has cancelled permits of lenders that charged more.
A loan is high-cost credit when its credit rate, which includes all credit charges, is more than 22 percentage points above the Bank of Canada's Bank Rate. With the Bank Rate at 2.75% after the Bank's October 28, 2026 decision, that threshold is 24.75%. It changes whenever the Bank Rate does, so a loan at the upper end of the typical 22% to 32% range is likely to count as high-cost credit.
For high-cost credit, the lender needs a second permit, and these rules apply:
- The lender must assess whether you can afford to repay. If it doesn't, it can't charge you any credit charges and must refund what you've paid.
- You can cancel within 10 days after you and the lender both have a copy of the contract.
For every loan, high-cost or not:
- The contract must show the credit rate, the total credit charges, your total obligation, and the date, amount and number of payments.
- You can cancel a money loan within 2 days after you and the lender both have a copy of the contract.
- You can repay the loan at any time before it's due, and no penalty can be charged.
Payday loans in Quebec
Quebec doesn't have a payday loan system like other provinces, where a two-week loan can legally cost $14 for every $100. Payday lenders in Quebec need the same OPC money lender permit as any other lender, and the OPC can refuse a permit if the lender charges a credit rate above 35%.
What an installment loan costs in Quebec
Most lenders in our network offer these terms. They were last reviewed November 2026.
| Loan amount | $300 to $3,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual percentage rate (APR) | 22% to 32% |
| Repayment period | 90 to 120 days |
| Payments | Weekly, every 2 weeks, twice a month or monthly |
| Membership fees | May apply, included in the total your lender shows you |
Under the Criminal Code, lenders in Canada can't charge more than a 35% annual percentage rate, including fees and other costs of getting the loan. That limit has applied since January 1, 2025. Estimate payments for your own amount.
Checking a lender and making a complaint
The Office de la protection du consommateur issues lender permits and handles consumer complaints. Its Get information about a merchant tool shows whether a lender holds a permit and any action the OPC has taken against it (results are in French). To ask a question or complain, call the OPC or use its information request form.
Before you sign, read the rate, every fee and the total you'll repay, and ask whether you can pay the loan off early.
Who can apply in Quebec
- Be 18 or older
- Have a full-time job or steady self-employed income
- Not be in bankruptcy
- Be a Canadian citizen
- Have an online bank account you can verify
Bad credit doesn't rule you out, because lenders look mainly at your income and recent banking. You can apply from anywhere in the province, whether you live in Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Gatineau, Longueuil, Sherbrooke, Saguenay and Trois-Rivières or somewhere else. Applying doesn't commit you to a loan; you only agree to one when you sign a lender's contract.
Free help with debt in Quebec
If you're borrowing to keep up with other debts, talk to a non-profit credit counsellor first. Non-profit counsellors offer free or low-cost help: they can work through a budget with you and may arrange lower payments with your creditors.
- Associations coopératives d'économie familiale (ACEF) and other consumer associations offer free budget consulting. Find one near you in the directory of associations (in French).
- Credit Counselling Canada lists accredited non-profit credit counsellors. No reputable agency charges for a first meeting.
Our guide to payday loan alternatives compares cheaper ways to borrow.
Apply for an installment loan in Quebec
One application, matched with lenders in our network. The only check is an online bank verification, and there are no documents to upload.
Sources
- Office de la protection du consommateur, Money loans and lender permit rules: permits and the 35% policy.
- Office de la protection du consommateur, High-cost credit: the Bank Rate plus 22 points definition; ability to pay; 10-day cancellation.
- Office de la protection du consommateur, contents of the contract, 2-day cancellation and early repayment.
- Bank of Canada, interest rate announcement, October 28, 2026: Bank Rate of 2.75%.
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Getting help with debt: ACEF budget services in Quebec.
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Payday loans: provincial payday loan cost limits.
- Criminal Code, section 347: the 35% annual percentage rate limit.
- Credit Counselling Canada: accredited non-profit credit counsellors.
- Typical network terms, last reviewed November 2026. Installment payments calculated with equal installments, interest per period = APR × days in period ÷ 365.
This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Lenders set their own terms, and provincial rules change; check your contract and the sources above for your situation.