Personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Tesco Bank was the most searched personal loan lender in the United Kingdom, accounting for 31.9% of all searches among the 15 lenders we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, M&S Bank, Santander and First Direct were mentioned most often, in three of the five answers. M&S Bank was recommended most often, coming first in three out of four responses that gave a list.
Tesco BankShare of searches 31.9%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
NovunaShare of searches 18.5%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
M&S BankShare of searches 10.2%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
NationwideShare of searches 5.5%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
AdmiralShare of searches 5.4%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
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Top personal loan lenders in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, M&S Bank, Santander and First Direct were mentioned most often, in three of the five answers. M&S Bank was recommended most often, coming first in three out of four answers that gave a list. First Direct was second, and Nationwide was third. Novuna, which ranked second in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- M&S Bank1st
First Direct2nd- Nationwide3rd
Santander4th- Tesco Bank5th
HSBC6th
Sainsbury's Bank7th
Lloyds Bank8th
Zopa9th- Novuna–
- Admiral–
Barclays–
NatWest–
Monzo–
Halifax–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- M&S Bank3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Santander3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- First Direct3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tesco Bank2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Nationwide2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Zopa1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- HSBC1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lloyds Bank1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sainsbury's Bank1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Novuna0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Admiral0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Barclays0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- NatWest0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Monzo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Halifax0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about personal loan lenders
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where can I get the best personal loan in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which UK lenders have the lowest rates on a £10,000 loan?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best way to borrow money for a car or home improvements in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“personal loan”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best personal loans”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Which personal loan lenders do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each personal loan lender by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 personal loan lenders we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Tesco Bank, Novuna, M&S Bank, Nationwide, Admiral, Zopa, Santander, Barclays, HSBC, NatWest, Lloyds Bank, Sainsbury's Bank. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Tesco Bank | Novuna | M&S Bank | Nationwide | Admiral | Zopa | Santander | Barclays | HSBC | NatWest | Lloyds Bank | Sainsbury's Bank | Monzo | First Direct | Halifax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.4% | 14.6% | 6.5% | 5.7% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 5.4% | 3.8% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 5.1% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 2.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.9% | 16.6% | 6.6% | 5.2% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 4.5% | 4.8% | 2.1% | 3.7% | 2.1% | 1% | 2.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 34.6% | 16.7% | 6.8% | 4.8% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 4.2% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 2.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.8% | 17.5% | 7.5% | 6% | 6.1% | 3.4% | 4.9% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.3% | 16% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 5.3% | 3.7% | 4% | 4.2% | 2.2% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 2.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 33% | 18.6% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 3.9% | 4.9% | 2.1% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 33.4% | 17.9% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 4.4% | 3.5% | 4% | 4.1% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 2.4% |
| May 2026 | 33.6% | 16.1% | 8.8% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 4.5% | 3.6% | 3.9% | 4.2% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 2.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 30.6% | 16.6% | 9.4% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 4.9% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 34.1% | 15.8% | 8.8% | 5.4% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 4.6% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 2.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.3% | 21.4% | 8.2% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 31.9% | 18.5% | 10.2% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.3% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 31.9% | 111K | 0% | +0.6 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 18.5% | 64.3K | -14.8% | -2.8 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 10.2% | 35.4K | +22.1% | +2 points | |
| 4, moved from 6th to 4th | 5.5% | 19.2K | +4.3% | +0.3 pointsmoved from 6th to 4th | |
| 5, moved from 4th to 5th | 5.4% | 18.8K | 0% | +0.1 pointsmoved from 4th to 5th | |
| 6, moved from 5th to 6th | 5.3% | 18.4K | 0% | +0.1 pointsmoved from 5th to 6th | |
| 7, held 7th | 4.2% | 14.5K | 0% | +0.1 points | |
| 8, moved from 9th to 8th | 3.4% | 11.8K | 0% | +0.1 pointsmoved from 9th to 8th | |
| 9, moved from 8th to 9th | 3.4% | 11.7K | -8.6% | -0.3 pointsmoved from 8th to 9th | |
| 10, held 10th | 3.3% | 11.5K | -2.5% | 0 points | |
| 11, held 11th | 2.1% | 7.3K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 12, held 12th | 2.1% | 7.3K | +1.5% | +0.1 points | |
| 13, moved from 14th to 13th | 1.7% | 5.9K | 0% | 0 pointsmoved from 14th to 13th | |
| 14, moved from 15th to 14th | 1.5% | 5.2K | +6.1% | +0.1 pointsmoved from 15th to 14th | |
| 15, moved from 13th to 15th | 1.5% | 5.1K | -20% | -0.3 pointsmoved from 13th to 15th |
31.9%
Held 1st. 111K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
2.
Novuna18.5%
Held 2nd. 64.3K estimated branded searches, -14.8% vs prior month. Share -2.8 points.
3.
M&S Bank10.2%
Held 3rd. 35.4K estimated branded searches, +22.1% vs prior month. Share +2 points.
5.5%
Moved from 6th to 4th. 19.2K estimated branded searches, +4.3% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.
5.
Admiral5.4%
Moved from 4th to 5th. 18.8K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
6.
Zopa5.3%
Moved from 5th to 6th. 18.4K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
4.2%
Held 7th. 14.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
8.
Barclays3.4%
Moved from 9th to 8th. 11.8K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
9.
HSBC3.4%
Moved from 8th to 9th. 11.7K estimated branded searches, -8.6% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.
10.
NatWest3.3%
Held 10th. 11.5K estimated branded searches, -2.5% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
11.
Lloyds Bank2.1%
Held 11th. 7.3K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
2.1%
Held 12th. 7.3K estimated branded searches, +1.5% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
13.
Monzo1.7%
Moved from 14th to 13th. 5.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
14.
First Direct1.5%
Moved from 15th to 14th. 5.2K estimated branded searches, +6.1% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
15.
Halifax1.5%
Moved from 13th to 15th. 5.1K estimated branded searches, -20% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.
Santander, Barclays and 5 other brands sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “santander loan”.
Which brand is most popular in search among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom?
15 brands
In September 2026, Tesco Bank was the most searched among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 111K branded searches, 31.9% of all searches for the 15 we track. Novuna is in 2nd place, 13.4 percentage points behind at 18.5%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco Bank | 34.4% → 31.9% | 34.6%Dec 2025 | 30.6%Jun 2026 | 1st |
| Novuna | 14.6% → 18.5% | 21.4%Aug 2026 | 14.6%Oct 2025 | 2nd |
| M&S Bank | 6.5% → 10.2% | 10.2%Sep 2026 | 6.5%Mar 2026 | 3rd |
| Nationwide | 5.7% → 5.5% | 6%Jan 2026 | 4.8%Dec 2025 | 4th |
| Admiral | 4.8% → 5.4% | 6.1%Jan 2026 | 4.8%Oct 2025 | 7th → 5th |
| Zopa | 3.2% → 5.3% | 5.3%Sep 2026 | 3.2%Oct 2025 | 11th → 6th |
| Santander | 5.4% → 4.2% | 5.4%Oct 2025 | 4.1%Aug 2026 | 5th → 7th |
| Barclays | 3.8% → 3.4% | 4.1%Nov 2025 | 3.3%Aug 2026 | 10th → 8th |
| HSBC | 4.1% → 3.4% | 4.5%Nov 2025 | 3.4%Sep 2026 | 9th |
| NatWest | 4.3% → 3.3% | 4.9%Mar 2026 | 3.3%Sep 2026 | 8th → 10th |
| Lloyds Bank | 2.2% → 2.1% | 2.4%Jun 2026 | 2.1%Aug 2026 | 13th → 11th |
| Sainsbury's Bank | 5.1% → 2.1% | 5.1%Oct 2025 | 2%Aug 2026 | 6th → 12th |
| Monzo | 2.2% → 1.7% | 2.2%Dec 2025 | 1.7%Aug 2026 | 14th → 13th |
| First Direct | 1.1% → 1.5% | 1.5%Sep 2026 | 1%Nov 2025 | 15th → 14th |
| Halifax | 2.5% → 1.5% | 2.7%Jan 2026 | 1.5%Sep 2026 | 12th → 15th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tesco Bank’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom decreased from 34.4% to 31.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Novuna’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom increased from 14.6% to 18.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, M&S Bank’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom increased from 6.5% to 10.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Admiral’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom increased from 4.8% to 5.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zopa’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom increased from 3.2% to 5.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Santander’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom decreased from 5.4% to 4.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HSBC’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom decreased from 4.1% to 3.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NatWest’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom decreased from 4.3% to 3.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sainsbury's Bank’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom decreased from 5.1% to 2.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Halifax’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom decreased from 2.5% to 1.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tesco Bank’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom peaked at 34.6% in December 2025 and was lowest at 30.6% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Novuna’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom peaked at 21.4% in August 2026 and was lowest at 14.6% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, M&S Bank’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom peaked at 10.2% in September 2026 and was lowest at 6.5% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nationwide’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom peaked at 6% in January 2026 and was lowest at 4.8% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Admiral’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom peaked at 6.1% in January 2026 and was lowest at 4.8% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Santander’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom peaked at 5.4% in October 2025 and was lowest at 4.1% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HSBC’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom peaked at 4.5% in November 2025 and was lowest at 3.4% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NatWest’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom peaked at 4.9% in March 2026 and was lowest at 3.3% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sainsbury's Bank’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom peaked at 5.1% in October 2025 and was lowest at 2% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Halifax’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom peaked at 2.7% in January 2026 and was lowest at 1.5% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Admiral rose from 7th to 5th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zopa rose from 11th to 6th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Santander fell from 5th to 7th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Barclays rose from 10th to 8th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NatWest fell from 8th to 10th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lloyds Bank rose from 13th to 11th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sainsbury's Bank fell from 6th to 12th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Monzo rose from 14th to 13th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, First Direct rose from 15th to 14th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Halifax fell from 12th to 15th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nationwide held steady: its share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom personal loan lenders in September 2026?
8 changes
In September 2026, M&S Bank gained share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom, from 8.2% to 10.2%.
In September 2026, Tesco Bank gained share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom, from 31.3% to 31.9%.
In September 2026, Novuna lost share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom, from 21.4% to 18.5%.
NatWest’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 4.5% to 3.3% in September 2026.
Halifax’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 2.2% to 1.5% in September 2026.
In September 2026, Nationwide rose from 6th to 4th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
In September 2026, Barclays rose from 9th to 8th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
In September 2026, First Direct rose from 15th to 14th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
How are branded searches counted for personal loan lenders?
34 search terms
Each brand's share of searches among personal loan lenders comes from the terms listed under its name. When people mostly search for a brand because of something else it sells, only the searches that name this product count here.
Tesco Bank
3 branded search terms
- tesco bank loan
- tesco loan
- tesco personal loan
Novuna
3 branded search terms
- novuna
- novuna loan
- novuna personal finance
M&S Bank
3 branded search terms
- m&s bank loan
- m&s loan
- m&s personal loan
Nationwide
2 branded search terms
- nationwide loan
- nationwide personal loan
Admiral
2 branded search terms
- admiral loan
- admiral personal loan
Zopa
2 branded search terms
- zopa loan
- zopa personal loan
Santander
2 branded search terms
- santander loan
- santander personal loan
Barclays
2 branded search terms
- barclays loan
- barclays personal loan
HSBC
2 branded search terms
- hsbc loan
- hsbc personal loan
NatWest
2 branded search terms
- natwest loan
- natwest personal loan
Lloyds Bank
2 branded search terms
- lloyds loan
- lloyds personal loan
Sainsbury's Bank
3 branded search terms
- sainsburys bank loan
- sainsburys loan
- sainsburys personal loan
Monzo
2 branded search terms
- monzo loan
- monzo personal loan
First Direct
2 branded search terms
- first direct loan
- first direct personal loan
Halifax
2 branded search terms
- halifax loan
- halifax personal loan
Compare popularity between leading brands
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