Lender review · Facts verified September 2026 / september 2026 for this brand
Plain Green Loans Review
Plain Green (Chippewa Cree Tribe) is the market’s most storied brand — the central lender in Gingras v. Think Finance, the case that exposed the rent-a-tribe model. Post-restructuring it operates under the tribe’s own consumer protection bureau with $200–$1,000 first loans and returning tiers to $4,500.
The short answer: Plain Green Loans is a tribal installment lender owned by Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation (MT).
It serves most states outside a published exclusion list (0 states excluded),
and its cost disclosure is published — 159%–374% APR. No APR range on the current site — the archived schedule showed roughly 159%–374%.
Amounts
$200–$1,000 first loan
Product
Installment loans with fixed payments
States excluded
0
Regulator
Tribal
What Plain Green Loans offers
Installment loans with fixed payments. $200–$1,000 first loan; up to $4,500 for returning customers. Custom schedules; no prepayment penalty.
The cost, with the math shown
No APR range on the current site — full disclosures in the loan agreement ("an expensive form of credit"); archived schedule showed roughly 159%–374% APR
Worked example at 350% APR: a $800 loan repaid biweekly over 7 months
runs about $126.76 per payment — $1,901.36 total of payments,
of which $1,101.36 is finance charge. Check that total, not the payment, against your budget.
Where it operates
Plain Green Loans publishes its excluded states: Not stated — "reside in a state in which Plain Green does business". That works out to roughly 0 states where applications are accepted. Availability claims on marketing sites notwithstanding,
the exclusion list is the only binding statement.
Disputes: Tribal Consumer Protection Bureau (TCPB) of the Chippewa Cree Tribe.
Who it fits — and who should keep looking
Fits: Small first loans ($200–$1,000) for borrowers who value an established (if controversial) operation with a named tribal regulator.
Think twice: No APR range on the current site — the archived schedule showed roughly 159%–374%. Get the full disclosure before signing; “an expensive form of credit” is the site’s own phrase.
Checking a Plain Green Loans-sized offer
Our application form matches your request to lenders serving your state — which may include Plain Green Loans or better-fitting alternatives. Checking offers does not affect a credit score.
Published pricing runs to 350% APR. In a worked example, $800 repaid biweekly over 7 months costs $1,901.36 — $1,101.36 in finance charge. Your agreement shows the exact schedule.
Is Plain Green Loans a direct lender?
Yes — it is a lending company owned by Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation (MT), lending under tribal law with its own agreement and a named tribal regulator.
Does Plain Green Loans check credit?
Like most tribal lenders it underwrites primarily on verifiable income and banking history rather than a FICO score; a hard pull at application is not part of the published process. The loan generally is not reported to the major credit bureaus either.
Can I pay off a Plain Green Loans loan early?
Yes — the published terms include no prepayment penalty, and paying early skips the remaining finance charge. It is the highest-return move available on this loan.
Context: Central lender in the Gingras v. Think Finance litigation over the rent-a-tribe model.
Where our numbers come from
Every fact above is transcribed from Plain Green Loans’s own website (verified September 2026; newer brands september 2026). The worked example is computed from published figures. This review is informational and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Plain Green Loans.