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Personal loan or salary loan? A quick comparison

By Maria Santos, Personal finance writer · 2 Aug 2026 · 5 min read · Updated 18 Aug 2026

A personal loan is open to a wide range of borrowers and is assessed on your overall creditworthiness. A salary loan is tied to your employer and repaid through salary deduction.

Salary loans often have lower rates because repayment is more predictable for the lender. Personal loans give you more flexibility on amount and term, but usually cost a little more.

Compare the effective rate, not just the headline. Two loans at the same nominal rate can cost very differently once processing fees and term are included.

Whatever you choose, borrow only what you can repay comfortably — and check the provider's Filipinos' Choice rating before you apply.