LendKey Technologies, Inc. is a loan servicer and digital platform that matches borrowers with banks and credit unions from the local level to national financial institutions. LendKey offers student loans, refinancing, and home improvement loans.
| Loan Limits | $5,000 – $250,000 |
| Fixed Rates | 4.19%* – 8.52% |
| Variable Rates | 4.39% – 9.49% (18.00% Cap) |
| Terms | 5, 7, 10, 15, & 20 years |
| Min. Credit Score | 680† |
| Apply | Link |
*Lowest rates always include the 0.25% interest reduction for enrolling in auto-pay.
†This is the soft minimum suggested by LendKey; different lender partners have their own credit requirements.
Skip to: Rates & Fees | Eligibility Requirements | Repayment Options | Consumer Reviews & Complaints | FAQ
| Private student loans | ✓ |
| Private parent loans | |
| Federal student loans | ✓ |
| Federal Parent PLUS loans |
LendKey Refinance Rates & Fees
LendKey offers fixed and variable rates for student loan refinancing. The lowest rates listed always include a 0.25% interest reduction for enrolling in auto-pay.
| Term | Fixed Rate | Variable Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 5 to 20 Years | 4.19% – 8.52% | 4.39% – 9.49% |
Additional information about LendKey refinance rates:
- Checking your rate with LendKey will not affect your credit score. They will conduct a soft, not hard, credit inquiry (learn the difference).
- LendKey does offer a discount for setting up auto-pay: 0.25% interest rate reduction.
- Various lenders use different rate indexes, but LendKey suggests the most common index among its lenders is the 30-day SOFR as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (3.72% as of this writing).
- The variable rate cap is 18.00% and the floor is 2.50%.
| Year End | Fixed | Variable |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.19% – 8.52% | 4.39% – 9.49% |
| 2024 | 4.89% – 9.29% | 5.55%+ |
| 2023 | 7.11% – 11.43% | 5.53% – 9.11% |
| 2022 | 3.99% – 10.93% | 3.27% – 7.12% |
| 2021 | 2.49% – 8.00% | 1.90% – 5.50% |
Additional Fees
Beyond interest rates, there are a number of fees a refinance lender may charge up-front or during the loan servicing period. Below is a list of these fees that LendKey does or does not charge.
| Fee Type | Amount Charged |
|---|---|
| Application Fee | None |
| Loan Origination Fee | None |
| Disbursement Fee | Undisclosed |
| Prepayment Penalty | None |
| Late Payment Fee | Varies |
| Returned Payment Fee | Varies |
| Collection Fee | Undisclosed |
- Application fee – fee to apply for rates & approval.
- Loan origination fee – fee to create the new loan.
- Disbursement fee – fee for distributing funds to lenders to pay off loans that have been refinanced.
- Prepayment penalty – fee for making extra payments to reduce a refinance loan balance or pay it off early.
- Late payment fee – fee for making a late payment.
- Returned payment fee – fee for failed payments due to insufficient funds, also known as a “bounced check”.
- Collection fee – fee for collection activity on a defaulted debt.
Current Promotions & Offers
LendKey offers a 0.25% interest rate reduction with enrollment in automatic payments.
Many third-party partners offer promotional bonuses through LendKey. These bonuses may be available to members of the NYU Alumni Association, employees of the City of Austin, Texas, Mint Mobile users, and more. Check LendKey’s website to see if you qualify.
Cash bonuses are typically between $50 and $300 or 1.0% cash back. A PayPal account is required to receive cash bonuses, and bonus offers are only valid within 90 days of LendKey account creation or notification of availability.
LendKey Refinance Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for refinancing with LendKey, all borrowers must meet the criteria below.
- Citizenship Requirement: U.S. citizenship or permanent residence
- Income Requirement: varies by lender.
- Credit Score Requirement: varies by lender.
- Graduation Requirement: associate’s degree or higher.
- Location Requirement: varies by lender.
Additional restrictions apply for specific individuals and loans.
- LendKey’s digital pre-qualification application allows for amounts up to $125,000 for associate’s and bachelor’s degree holders.
- Also according to LendKey’s digital pre-qualification form, advanced degrees allow for loans up to $250,000.
LendKey Student Loan Repayment Options
Lenders vary greatly on the benefits and options provided to borrowers during the loan servicing period. Additionally, benefits may only be available on a case-by-case basis. LendKey offers some relief options.
Deferment & Forbearance
LendKey offers forbearance under some circumstances, such as financial hardship.
See LendKey’s conditions for deferment and forbearance below.
| Condition | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Returning to grad school | Undisclosed |
| Disability rehabilitation | Undisclosed |
| Active military duty | Undisclosed |
| Involuntary unemployment | Undisclosed |
| Economic hardship | Varies by lender |
| Natural disaster | Undisclosed |
| Temporary hardship | Varies by lender |
Additional Options
LendKey may offer other opportunities for relief or contract modification.
- Co-signer release is available from some lenders, usually after 12 to 36 consecutive qualifying payments.
- Death / disability discharge is available in the unfortunate circumstance that a borrower passes away or suffers total permanent disability.
- LendKey was among a group of private lenders that agreed to offer emergency debt relief in April 2020, including a minimum 90-day forbearance and a moratorium on negative credit reporting.
LendKey Reviews, Complaints & Lawsuits
Beyond our own findings, our team also collected the most genuinely insightful customer experiences we could find, including any instances of legal action against the company in which the details became public.
LendKey Online Reviews
Below are three (3) samples of LendKey customer reviews we found on public forums, included here for their value as unedited, uncensored, and unsolicited user experiences. Note that these reviews are unverified, may include inaccuracies, and may provide outdated information (about rates, bonus offers, etc.).
“I’ve refinanced my private loans through Lendkey. I didn’t have to pay any fees and I got a better rate than I was paying before. It just comes down to whether or not anyone is offering you a better rate than the one you currently have. If they do, refinance. If they don’t, keep the loans you have and don’t refinance. Or, if you really can’t afford your payments you can get a longer loan term through refinancing, but you’ll end up paying more in interest by the time you pay them off.” – trahoots on reddit, 2/26/2024
“I actually did the exact same move as you, albeit with about double the amount. Moved 51k from Sallie Mae (collectively around 9% but it was lots of small student loans I had taken quarter to quarter with different variable rates and amounts each).
I liked at like 10 different lenders and lendkey was the lowest by a pretty big margin. They gave me 5.15% fixed for a 5 year loan.
It was incredibly easy and I’d recommend lendkey for sure, especially more than Sallie Mae LOL.
Definitely shop around though. Just Google around some different refi places and take an hour to sign up for all of them. That initial quote doesn’t really cause a hit on your credit so there’s no harm in trying. Most of my offers were in the 8% range until at the very end lendkey offered 5.15%, so you never know what you’ll get.
Posting for the third time. Auto mod keeps detecting profanity somehow.
The only annoying part is the amount of time it takes for payments to reflect as paid on the LendKey site. My payment for this month was paid on 5/14. Today is 5/21 and still not reflecting.” – Throwawaycentipede on reddit, 1/11/2023
“I had 9 private loans, spread across 3 servicers for a combined balance ~$75K. The variable interest rates were all over the place with one as high as 12.25% – with an overall weighted weighted average of 4.5%. The payoff dates ranged from 2027 through 2033. My primary reason for attempting to re-finance was to get one fixed interest rate. My variable ones were out of control, and rumors of the rates going up twice more this year lit a fire under my ass. I was also sick and tired of keeping up with so many servicers. I have made on time payments on all of my loans from 2013 to the present / income ~$77k (plus $6k-$8k bonus) / credit score 818.
I started with Credible and I wasn’t even getting any preliminary rate quotes below 4.5%. I think there was one prelim quote from Citizens that was 4.3something with a five year payment plan that had a monthly payment well beyond what I could pay. At the suggestion of this sub, I looked into LendKey. The experience went as follows:
- May 22nd: Requested a prelim quote on their website, said I was pre-qualified for a 3.15% fixed rate on a 7-year payment plan with a monthly payment around $1,100. Great! I had a particularly slow day at work so I just decided to get it done. I compiled my W2, paystubs, license copy, my 9 payoff statements, 9 loan statements and the other documentation I needed to evidence my married name (all loans were taken out in my maiden name). Submitted complete application.
- May 22nd (SAME DAY): Received email from Lendkey that I did not qualify for the 3.15%/7 year loan term. I called them up and they said my DTI ratio was too high due to my federal student loans (which I was not refinancing). They offered me a 4.37% fixed rate (with autopay) with a 10 year term and payments of around $730/month. I told them over the phone to send over the paperwork for the 4.37%/10 year offer.
- May 23rd: Received email from Lendkey stating that they needed further proof of my address. I uploaded a utility bill to their site.
- May 25th: Received the actual loan approval and signature documentation from LendKey via their website. Reviewed everything, e-signed and submitted it. I called them to ask how long disbursal would take, and they said 7-10 days but it can take up to 30 days for my servicers to process the payments.
- June 8th: Received an email that my disbursal was complete and that Lendkey sent payoff *checks* to my lenders. Of course I called them again to confirm that they mailed actual *checks*…they indeed did. They mailed checks to Discover and Wells Fargo, and were able to send a electronic payoff to Firstmark.
- June 15th: All of my payoffs were finally were received and processed. All 3 servicers are overpaid to some degree since I had to make my June loan payments before the refinance processed, so I will be receiving refund checks in the mail at some point. Luckily, the first LendKey bill isn’t due until the 15th of the month after loan disbursal, so I didn’t have to have a month of double payments.
I know the advice of this sub is to shop around with your re-finance offers, but I was happy with my 4.37% and I will be shopping around for more offers in about a year from now. I had other financial things going on and wanted this refinance done ASAP for personal reasons. I emailed [a different refinance lender] to inquire about rate matching, and they wanted me to re-upload everything I had sent to LendKey – the 25ish documents – along with my Lendkey loan offer/approval. I didn’t have the time or energy for that. It will all be easier next time since I’ll only have one loan statement and payoff to retrieve and everything will already be in my married name.
Overall, 10/10 experience. I’m so relieved to have one (private) bill to pay, one servicer, a fixed rate and one payoff date to look forward to. I’ve called Lendkey many many times and I was always talking to someone within a minute or two of dialing. Their customer service is really great..” – eyelashchantel on reddit, 6/19/2018
More (unfiltered) customer reviews of LendKey are available at TrustPilot.com (4.2 of 5) and ConsumerAffairs.com (1.0 of 5). LendKey has a profile on ConsumersAdvocate.org (4.2 of 5).
LendKey Consumer Complaints
As consumer finance companies, student loan refinancing lenders fall under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal agency. As part of its mission, the CFPB allows consumers to log official complaints. These complaints are publicly available on the CFPB official website.
Since May 16, 2014, consumers have submitted 137 complaints about LendKey Technologies, Inc. (LendKey) to the CFPB for an average of one (1) complaint every 31 days; this complaint rate is 43.8% higher than the average daily complaint rate among reviewed lenders. Among the 83 complaints with narratives, 22 (26.5%) specifically reference student loan refinancing.
In 2025, consumers filed 25 complaints about LendKey, which is a 112.8% higher complaint rate than in an average year. LendKey receives 11.7 complaints in an average year; this is equivalent to one (1) complaint for every $1.857 million of annual corporate revenue or one for every 13 employees.
The allegations made in these complaints are unverified, are not necessarily representative of all consumers’ experiences with LendKey, and may contain outdated information (about rates, bonus offers, etc.). Note that a lender with a large customer base is likely to also have a higher number of complaints when compared with smaller lenders.
Below we’ve included three (3) of the most recent complaints (as of this writing) in which the consumer consented to sharing their details.
Complaint 15033808
8/1/2025
South Carolina
“I’ve been having trouble paying the loan payments at they’re too expensive for me currently. I tried calling them and explaining my situation but they said there was nothing they could do. It’s not like I don’t want to pay them at all, I’m just having trouble making these current payments and I’m already out of my forbearance.”
Complaint 14958607
7/29/2025
Delaware
“When I originally called in to sign up forbearance in XXXX of XXXX the representative at Lendkey told me there was no limit on forbearance. There is also no information on my loan home page about an amount of months you can forebear. When I went to reapply my forbearance request in XX/XX/XXXX I was denied saying I had exhausted forbearance and my loans would be between $ XXXX a month, I let them know I couldnt afford it and was told theres nothing further could do. I have been making payments each month but am behind 3 months today. I get constant letters threatening to send me to collections and in those letters I am told to contact lendkey for payment arrangement, and when I call to see if they have any payment arrangements or assistance I am told no. And to try to pay what is due. my rate continues to rise each month after they mark it as the maximum rate it could be. This has ruined my credit and now I can not refinance”
Complaint 14316571
6/26/2025
North Carolina
“I used 4 months of forbearance in the past with Lendkey from XX/XX/XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX due to financial hardship. In XXXX I used a little over a year of for a sudden move, drop in income and COVID-19 where I was actually only receiving unemployment. Now in XXXX they are saying I have exhausted my forbearance amount, no where was this indicated in paperwork or by mouth from an agent. This should be clearly stated for others who may need assistance. It should also reset due to the large gap of payments. I was even making extra payments at one point in XXXX.”
For a full list of complaints made against LendKey in the CFPB’s Consumer Complaint Database, click here.
LendKey Lawsuits
LendKey does not appear to have been the subject of any major litigation in recent times.
Note that while this information is updated regularly, ongoing legal action is subject to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the most common questions consumers have about student loan refinancing with LendKey.
- Is LendKey good for refinancing student loans?
LendKey is not a refinance lender but a multilender marketplace designed to help student borrowers comparison shop for refinance lenders using one website with one application.
- Does LendKey have a minimum credit score requirement to refinance student loans?
LendKey’s student refinance calculator designates a minimum credit score of 680; different lender partners may have their own credit requirements.
- Are LendKey loans federal?
LendKey does not originate loans. Regardless, LendKey has no affiliation with the federal government or the U.S. Department of Education.
- Does LendKey charge a prepayment penalty?
There are no penalties for early payments or repaying a loan in full before its term is over.
- Does checking your rates with LendKey hurt your credit score?
For its prequalification process, LendKey performs a soft credit check, which will not hurt your credit score. If you proceed with an application, however, LendKey will perform a hard credit check that may affect your credit score.
- Is LendKey a bank?
LendKey is not a bank nor a lender.
- Can I refinance any student loan?
You can refinance student loans from another private lender and federal loans originated in your name.
- Can I refinance just some of my loans?
Yes, you can refinance some, all, or just one of your qualifying student loans with LendKey. You may choose to refinance your private loans only or refinance private and federal loans together.
- Can I refinance loans that have already been refinanced?
Yes, you can refinance loans as many times as you want. Note that each time you refinance, you will have to submit a new application; every application requires a hard credit check that may affect your credit score.
- Can my spouse and I refinance our loans together through LendKey?
No, LendKey’s lender partners do not allow spouses to combine loans but require that you are the primary borrower on any loans you refinance.
- How long does it take to refinance through LendKey?
LendKey does not specify a detailed timeline but indicates disbursement takes between 10 and 30 days.
- Who services LendKey refinance loans?
LendKey does not originate loans, but its lender partners may have one or more loan servicers administering their loans. Contact your lending institution to learn who will service your refinance loan.
- Does LendKey offer a grace period?
LendKey does not offer a grace period.
- How often do variable rates change?
Variable rates will change according to interest rate indices and individual lender limits.
- Can I get any special rates or discounts with LendKey?
In addition to a 0.25% interest rate reduction with enrollment in automatic payments, LendKey offers multiple promotional bonuses through third-party partners, such as members of the NYU Alumni Association, employees of the City of Austin, Texas, and certain lender partners.
- What happens if I file for bankruptcy?
LendKey does not disclose a policy, but individual lenders may have their own protocol for borrowers who file for bankruptcy. If you do file for bankruptcy, a lender may call the entire loan balance due immediately.
Compare Student Loan Refinance Reviews
| Lender | Rating |
|---|---|
| RISLA | A |
| Brazos | A- |
| ELFI | A- |
| Credible | A- |
| Advantage | B+ |
| Laurel Road | B+ |
| Splash Financial | B |
| LendKey | B |
| Panacea Financial | B |
| UW Credit Union | B |
| Purefy | B |
| SoFi | B- |
| INvestEd | B- |
| Mpower Financing | B- |
| Earnest | C+ |
| Yrefy | C+ |
| EDvestinU | C+ |
| SC Student Loan | C+ |
| Sparrow | C+ |
| Citizens Bank | C |
| College Ave | C |
| ISL | C |
| MEFA | C |
| SuperMoney | C |
| SELF Refi | C |
| CU Student Choice | C |
| iHelp | C |
| Navy Federal | C |
| BECU | C |
| First Tech Federal | C |
| PA Forward | C- |
| Nelnet Bank | C- |