Last updated: 15 October 2026

Search for “Zable credit card review” and you’ll find Trustpilot, a Reddit thread from 2024, a price-comparison landing page and a two-year-old blog that still quotes a £1,800 limit. None of them tells you what Zable sells today.

Zable now offers three credit cards with representative APRs from 29.9% to 48.9%, plus personal loans of up to £25,000. A thread on the MoneySavingExpert forum this week also asks why Zable sent an unsolicited loan offer. We read Zable’s card pages, fee FAQ, privacy policy and two recent Financial Ombudsman decisions to answer the questions people are searching for.

Table of contents

• Zable at a glance
• Who is behind Zable?
• The three Zable cards compared
• Fees and what borrowing really costs
• App and features
• Why you might get a Zable loan letter
• What the Financial Ombudsman has said
• What Real Users Say
• Pros and cons
• How to apply
• Verdict
• FAQ

Zable at a glance

Detail	What we found
Lender	Lendable Ltd (company 08828186), trading as Zable
Regulation	Authorised and regulated by the FCA, reference 720261
Card issuer	Transact Payments Limited (Gibraltar), under a Mastercard licence
Cards	Zable credit card, Zable+ card, Zable+ balance transfer card
Representative APR	29.9% (Zable+) to 48.9% (Zable), both variable
Credit limit	Up to £4,000 on Zable+; no maximum stated for the standard card
Annual, foreign and over-limit fees	None
Late fee	Up to £12
Cash and balance transfer fee	3% or £3, whichever is greater
Minimum income	£800 a month
Trustpilot (zable.co.uk)	4.8 out of 5 from 65,309 reviews

Who is behind Zable?

Zable is a trading name of Lendable Ltd, a London lender registered at Telephone House, Paul Street. Zable’s own pages give Lendable’s FCA reference as 720261. Older reviews describe the card as the former Level credit card.

The plastic itself is issued by Transact Payments Limited, which is regulated in Gibraltar. Your credit agreement, interest and complaints sit with Lendable, the FCA-authorised lender. The Ombudsman decisions below name “Lendable Ltd trading as Zable” as the business, which confirms complaints go through the UK Financial Ombudsman Service.

Zable is no longer card-only. Its loans page now offers £1,000 to £25,000 over one to five years, with a representative 13.3% APR on £7,500 over three years. That matters for the loan letters covered further down.

The three Zable cards compared

Most existing reviews describe one card. Zable’s cards page now lists three, and the APR gap between them is large.

Card	Representative APR / rate	Limit	Main feature
Zable credit card	48.9% APR (variable)	Grows over time; no maximum stated	Aimed at people building credit
Zable+ card	29.9% APR (variable)	Up to £4,000	Lower rate for stronger credit files
Zable+ balance transfer card	34.9% p.a. purchase rate (variable)	Example based on £1,200	0% on balance transfers for up to 6 months, 3% fee

You don’t pick the card. Zable runs one eligibility check and offers what your file supports. Your own rate can be higher than the representative one.

Fees and what borrowing really costs

Zable’s fee FAQ (updated January 2026) is short:

• Annual fee: none
• Using the card abroad: no fee
• Going over your limit: no fee, though the card simply declines
• Late payment: up to £12
• Cash withdrawals and balance transfers: the greater of £3 or 3%

The £3 minimum makes small cash withdrawals expensive. Taking out £50 costs £3, which is 6% of the amount, before any interest.

Cash withdrawn	Fee	Fee as % of cash
£50	£3	6%
£100	£3	3%
£200	£6	3%
£500	£15	3%

Interest if you carry a balance

If you pay the full statement balance each month, you get up to 35 days interest-free and the APR doesn’t matter. If you don’t, the card you’re offered makes a big difference. The figures below are a rough guide for a balance held for a full year at the representative rate.

Balance kept for 12 months	Zable+ (29.9%)	Aqua Classic (39.9%)	Zable (48.9%)
£500	about £150	about £200	about £244
£1,000	about £299	about £399	about £489

Aqua Classic, a common credit-builder alternative, advertises 39.9% representative APR with starting limits of £250 to £1,500. The standard Zable card is dearer to borrow on; Zable+ is cheaper.

Is the balance transfer card worth it?

On £1,000 moved to the Zable+ balance transfer card, the fee is £30. Leaving that £1,000 on a 29.9% APR card for six months would cost roughly £140 in interest, so the transfer saves about £110 if you clear it inside the 0% window. After six months the 34.9% purchase rate applies to whatever is left.

App and features

• Virtual card: usable the same day, with Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Credit score: free Equifax score and report in the app
• Repayments: pay instantly by linked bank account or debit card, or set up automatic monthly payments
• Limit reviews: the app reviews your account for increases automatically
• Support: in-app chat or WhatsApp, 9am to 6pm, seven days a week
• Rewards: none, no cashback or points

Applying starts with a soft search that doesn’t affect your score. The hard search only happens after you accept an offer and sign the agreement. Zable also says sharing your banking history can raise approval odds by up to 35%.

Why you might get a Zable loan letter you didn’t ask for

A MoneySavingExpert forum thread posted on 14 October describes an unsolicited Zable letter offering a loan to clear credit cards. The poster made a subject access request. Zable eventually produced two loan quote requests from August 2025, each carrying an MSE reference.

We can’t say what happened in that case. But the published policies show how such a link can arise:

• MSE’s privacy policy (May 2026) says its eligibility checkers pass “your name, contact details and financial related details” to HD Decisions, QLFY or panel lenders, who run soft checks.
• Zable’s privacy policy (May 2026) says it receives data from “organisations who introduce you to us under a commercial agreement” and can market products on the basis of legitimate interests.
• Zable now sells loans, so a past card or loan check can lead to loan marketing.

How to stop it

• Change your contact preferences in your Zable account, or email [email protected]
• Phone 020 3322 9128
• Ask for a copy of your data. Zable’s policy says there’s no charge unless the request is “manifestly unfounded or excessive”

If the answer doesn’t satisfy you, the Information Commissioner’s Office handles data complaints.

What the Financial Ombudsman has said

Two recent Ombudsman decisions involve Zable cards. Both were complaints that the card was lent irresponsibly, and neither was upheld.

• DRN-5801912: an £800 limit approved in March 2024 for a customer who had been bankrupt in 2019. The ombudsman found the checks proportionate, including verified income, and said using open banking is Zable’s commercial choice.
• DRN-5995296: a £350 limit opened in August 2024 for a customer with past defaults. Again the checks were found proportionate, though the ombudsman reminded Zable to show forbearance when collecting.

The pattern is useful if you have a thin or damaged file. Zable lends, but with low starting limits, and the Ombudsman has so far backed its checks.

What Real Users Say

Zable’s main Trustpilot page scores 4.8 out of 5 from 65,309 reviews, 36,662 of them in the last 12 months. Five-star reviews make up 91% and one-star reviews 2%.

Praise centres on the fast application, instant decisions and an easy app. Trustpilot’s own summary notes complaints that starting limits feel too small. Zable replies to 83% of negative reviews, usually within a week.

Pros and cons

Pros

• No annual, foreign transaction or over-limit fees
• Soft-search eligibility check before any hard search
• Same-day virtual card with Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Free Equifax score in the app
• FCA-authorised lender with Ombudsman access

Cons

• 48.9% representative APR on the standard card
• £3 minimum fee on cash and balance transfers
• No rewards or cashback
• Starting limits can be low
• Marketing can follow an old eligibility check

How to apply

1. Check you meet the basics: over 18, living in the UK, income over £800 a month, no existing Zable card.
2. Run the eligibility check on the Zable cards page. It’s a soft search.
3. Look at which card and APR you’re offered before accepting.
4. Accept and sign. The hard search happens at this point.
5. Download the app and use the virtual card while the physical card arrives.

Set up an automatic payment for at least the minimum straight away. A missed payment costs up to £12 and harms the score you’re trying to build.

Verdict

Zable is a legitimate, FCA-authorised lender with a well-built app and no annual or overseas fees. If you’re offered Zable+ at 29.9%, it compares well with other cards for fair credit.

The standard card at 48.9% is a different proposition. It suits someone rebuilding credit who will clear the balance every month and use the card only to show good habits. Anyone likely to carry a balance should look for a lower rate first.

For the bigger picture, read our guides to building a credit score from scratch, how instalment loans affect your score and whether to cancel unused credit cards. Our Lloyds Ultra cashback guide covers a card for stronger credit files.

FAQ

Is Zable legit?

Yes. Zable is a trading name of Lendable Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the FCA (reference 720261). The card is issued by Transact Payments Limited under a Mastercard licence.

Is Zable for bad credit?

The standard card is aimed at people building or rebuilding credit, and Ombudsman decisions show Zable has lent to customers with past defaults or bankruptcy, at low limits. Approval is never guaranteed.

What’s the highest credit limit on Zable?

Zable advertises limits of up to £4,000 on the Zable+ card. The standard card starts lower, and the app reviews it for increases.

Does Zable charge for using the card abroad?

No. Zable charges no foreign transaction fee, but cash withdrawals cost 3% or £3, whichever is greater.

Does checking eligibility affect my credit score?

No. The eligibility check is a soft search. A hard search is only made once you accept an offer and sign the agreement.

How do I stop Zable sending me loan offers?

Change your contact preferences in your account, email [email protected] or call 020 3322 9128. You can also ask for a free copy of the data Zable holds.

Sources: Zable credit cards; Zable fee FAQ; Zable privacy policy; Zable loans; FOS DRN-5801912; FOS DRN-5995296; MSE privacy policy; Aqua; Trustpilot; MSE forum thread.