MaxLend Active
Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation · lending since 2013
MaxLend gamifies its pricing — a 'Preferred Rewards' loyalty ladder is the only way down from 700%+ APR — and it excludes its own home state of North Dakota.
MaxLend at a glance
Active- Owning tribe
- Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation
- Lending since
- 2013
- Loan amounts
- $100–$3,750
- APR range
- 471–841%
- Product
- installment
- Website
- maxlend.com
What a MaxLend loan really costs
MaxLend lends $1,000–$3,750 (first loans typically up to $2,000) over about nine months, at APRs of 471–841%. One documented borrower was charged 419% on a $2,700 loan and repaid roughly $9,000.
The only lever to reduce the rate on future loans is the gamified 'MaxLend Preferred Rewards' program, which ties your repayment history to lower pricing tiers.
There is no prepayment penalty, and early payoff advances your tier — but borrowers repeatedly report that website, e-sign and payment-processing breakdowns get in the way of paying on time.
- A published same-day funding cutoff (11:45 a.m. ET) — rare specificity.
- No prepayment penalty; early payoff advances your rewards tier.
- Loyalty tiers can lower the rate on repeat loans.
- APRs of 471–841%; a documented 419% loan on $2,700 repaid about $9,000.
- Website, e-sign and payment-processing failures reported to block on-time payment.
- Does not build credit with the major bureaus.
- A rent-a-tribe class action was dismissed without prejudice — it can be refiled.
Where MaxLend lends
MaxLend serves roughly 34 states and, notably, excludes its own home state of North Dakota. Availability changes at the tribe's discretion.
By its own terms, MaxLend does not lend to residents of:
Does MaxLend report to credit bureaus?
MaxLend underwrites through specialty bureaus (Teletrack/Clarity-type) and does not report to the three major bureaus in a way that builds credit. Treat on-time payments as non-credit-building.
Who actually owns and runs MaxLend
MaxLend is operated by Makes Cents, Inc. (Uetsa Tsakits), a sovereign enterprise of the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation (the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation) in Parshall, North Dakota, and has operated for about 13 years. The specific back-office servicing entity and its location are not publicly detailed.
Lawsuits
A class action alleging an illegal rent-a-tribe scheme (RICO plus usury, seeking treble damages) was dismissed in 2022 after a private settlement — but with a key nuance: the named plaintiff was dismissed with prejudice while the putative class was dismissed without prejudice, meaning new plaintiffs can still refile the same theory. That leaves live legal risk most review sites omit.
What MaxLend costs in dollars
MaxLend's published ceiling is 841% APR. Below is what that rate does to the amounts it actually lends, repaid over 12 monthly payments.
| You borrow | Monthly | Total repaid | Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $70 | $842 | $742 |
| $1,900 | $1,334 | $16,006 | $14,106 |
| $3,750 | $2,633 | $31,591 | $27,841 |
At 841%, a $100 balance accrues about $70 in interest every month. Any payment below that figure leaves you owing more than you started with, however long you pay.
Standard amortisation at the published ceiling rate; fees are not included, and your actual rate and term may differ. Run your own numbers in the payoff calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the APR on a MaxLend loan?
Between 471% and 841%. The only way to lower it on future loans is the "Preferred Rewards" loyalty ladder, which rewards on-time repayment with better pricing tiers. Your agreement states your exact rate.
Does MaxLend build credit?
No. MaxLend underwrites through specialty bureaus and does not report on-time payments to Equifax, Experian or TransUnion, so repaying it will not raise your score.
Why does MaxLend not lend in North Dakota?
North Dakota is MaxLend’s own home state, but it is excluded from lending — one of about 16 states MaxLend does not serve. It operates in roughly 34 states, with availability set at the tribe’s discretion.
Is MaxLend a tribal loan?
Yes. MaxLend is a tribal lending brand owned by the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation in ND. That means it lends under tribal law and claims sovereign immunity from your state's interest-rate cap, rather than holding a state lending licence. It is also why its APR reaches 471–841% — far above the roughly 36% cap most states set for small loans. Whether the loan is enforceable where you live depends on your state.
What does a MaxLend loan cost?
MaxLend lends $100–$3,750 at 471–841% APR. At those rates the total repaid is typically several times the amount borrowed, because interest is front-loaded — check the total of payments, not the monthly figure.
Is a MaxLend loan legal in my state?
It depends entirely on your state. High-cost tribal loans are effectively banned in nine states, where a loan above the rate cap can be void and not legally collectible, and restricted in many more. MaxLend claims tribal sovereign immunity from those caps — an argument courts have accepted in some cases and rejected in others. Check your state before you borrow, and especially before you pay a collector.
How this site works
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Entries are built from the lender's own published disclosures, tribal corporate and lending-authority records, federal and state court filings, and CFPB, FTC and state regulator actions. Of the 143 brands in the full list of tribal lenders, 41 are confirmed lending, 74 sit on a watchlist pending verification, and 28 have shut down. Where a figure cannot be sourced we leave it blank rather than estimate it — which is why some entries are deliberately incomplete.
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