Comparing offers, and spotting red flags
Five questions, asked of every offer, answered in writing — and the signs that should stop you signing.
Quick answer
Ask every offer the same five questions and get the answers in writing. If an offer cannot state its total cost plainly, that is itself an answer.
What are the five questions?
What is the APR? What fees apply? What is the total I will repay? What happens if I miss a payment? And is any 0% period deferred interest or true 0%? The same five questions, put to every offer, make offers comparable — and expose the ones that rely on a low monthly figure to hide a high total.
Why is total cost the number that matters?
Because a low monthly payment stretched over a long term can cost far more in total interest than a higher payment over a shorter term. Any offer that only quotes a monthly figure is asking you to decide without the number that decides the deal. Run the numbers through the payment estimator before you sign anything.
What are the red flags?
Guaranteed approval claims; financing pushed at the front desk before you have chosen a surgeon; pressure to sign during the consultation; borrowing more than the written quote; putting surgery on a high-interest general credit card with no payoff plan; and offers that cannot state their total cost plainly. A legitimate financing conversation happens after the surgical plan and the written quote, never before them.
Estimate what a loan would actually cost per month →
Plan to save for surgery instead of borrowing →
Back to paying for plastic surgery — all options →
General information only, not financial or medical advice. Terms vary by lender and change over time — verify current terms before deciding.
Last reviewed: October 2026.