Plain Green Active
Chippewa Cree Tribe, Rocky Boy's Reservation · lending since 2011
Plain Green is one of the oldest and most-litigated tribal lenders — its Think Finance ties produced about $1 billion in relief, and loans made before June 2016 were cancelled outright.
Plain Green at a glance
- Owning tribe
- Chippewa Cree Tribe, Rocky Boy's Reservation
- Lending since
- 2011
- Loan amounts
- $200–$4,500
- APR range (documented)
- 448–700%checked Oct 2026
- Product
- installment
- Website
- plaingreenloans.com
What a Plain Green loan really costs
Plain Green lends $200–$4,500, with first loans typically capped near $1,000, at APRs it does not publish; documented individual cases run 448%, 580.28%, 666% and 682%, and Minnesota’s Attorney General described its rates as approaching 700%.
On September 23, 2026 Minnesota settled its lawsuit: on existing Minnesota loans Plain Green may collect only the original principal, all interest is cancelled and past payments are credited to principal. A $700 loan has been documented projecting to about $3,686 repaid.
After Think Finance's 2017 bankruptcy, Plain Green restructured ('Plain Green 2.0') and lowered some rates — a genuinely unusual move in this sector — but the product remains high-APR, and borrowers report the company gives settlement offers verbally while refusing to confirm them in writing.
- A post-2016 restructure ("Plain Green 2.0") lowered some rates — unusual in this space.
- Larger loans available, up to $4,500.
- No early-payoff penalty.
- Documented APRs run 448–682%; a $700 loan can project to $3,686 repaid.
- Refuses to put settlement offers in writing, per borrower reports.
- Debt buyers are now collecting charged-off Plain Green balances (2026 lawsuit).
- Available in only about 26 states.
Skip Plain Green if…
- You live in a state it does not lend to: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and 2 more.
- You want to see the APR before you apply — it publishes none; the rate appears only in the agreement.
Where Plain Green lends
Plain Green lends in only about 26 states — the Chippewa Cree tribal footprint — and excludes most usury-cap and Northeastern states. The list above is representative, not exhaustive; confirm on the site.
By its own terms, Plain Green does not lend to residents of:
Does Plain Green report to credit bureaus?
Plain Green loans are governed by tribal law rather than your state's, and whether it reports to the major bureaus is not clearly disclosed; underwriting relies on alternative bureaus. Assume on-time payments will not build mainstream credit unless the agreement says otherwise.
Still lending in 2026 — and the scandal in its past
Plain Green did not fade out with Think Finance.
It is still originating loans in 2026, now under a different servicing stack: court filings from this year — Wood v. Plain Green (W.D. Ky. 4:26-cv-00050, filed January 2026) and Eacret v. Plain Green (S.D. Ind. 1:25-cv-02514) — name MetaSource LLC as servicer, with Plain Green SPV1 LLC and Receivables Funding II LLC as the receivables vehicles that securitise the loans. The Think Finance era ended in 2016; the lending did not.
Its own history carries a cautionary detail most borrowers never hear.
Plain Green's earlier outside partner, Encore Services, sat at the center of an embezzlement scheme: money was funnelled off the top of the tribe's lending revenue through a consulting shell, and two former Plain Green executives were imprisoned over a kickback scheme worth roughly $3.5 million.
The people running a rent-a-tribe operation are not always even loyal to the tribe whose name is on the door.
Who actually owns and runs Plain Green
Plain Green, LLC is owned by the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation in Box Elder, Montana.
It was originally built and effectively run by the non-tribal fintech Think Finance of Fort Worth, Texas — the relationship at the center of the litigation below — and was restructured after Think Finance collapsed into bankruptcy in 2017.
The Think Finance settlements and a new 2026 suit
Plain Green, alongside Great Plains Lending and MobiLoans, was tied to Think Finance's 'rent-a-tribe' arrangement. The resulting settlements delivered roughly $1 billion in aggregate relief and debt cancellation, and specifically cancelled Plain Green loans made before June 1, 2016 (the $44.53M Think Finance class settlement plus related actions).
What Plain Green costs in dollars
Plain Green's highest documented APR is 700% APR. Below is what that rate does to the amounts it actually lends, repaid over 12 monthly payments.
| You borrow | Monthly | Total repaid | Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200 | $117 | $1,406 | $1,206 |
| $2,400 | $1,406 | $16,868 | $14,468 |
| $4,500 | $2,636 | $31,627 | $27,127 |
At 700%, a $200 balance accrues about $117 in interest every month. Any payment below that figure leaves you owing more than you started with, however long you pay.
Standard amortization 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
Do I still owe my Plain Green loan?
If your Plain Green loan was made before June 1, 2016, it was cancelled under the Think Finance settlements. Loans made after that may still be owed — but if a debt buyer is collecting a charged-off Plain Green balance in a rate-cap state, a 2026 Florida case argues that debt may be void. Check your paperwork and your state’s usury law.
Is Plain Green a tribal loan?
Yes. Plain Green, LLC is owned by the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation in Montana and lends under tribal law. It was originally operated by the non-tribal fintech Think Finance.
What is the APR on a Plain Green loan?
Plain Green does not publish it; documented cases run 448%, 580.28%, 666% and 682%, and Minnesota’s Attorney General put its rates near 700%. A post-2016 restructure lowered some rates, but the product remains high-cost. Read your agreement’s APR box.
What does a Plain Green loan cost?
Plain Green lends $200–$4,500 at 448–700% APR (documented — Plain Green does not publish its rate). Near the top of that range, the total repaid on a loan run to term is several times the amount borrowed — check the total of payments in your agreement, not the monthly figure.
Is a Plain Green 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. Plain Green 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.
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