A method of lending money includes receiving a loan application from a consumer. The consumer is a prior customer of a money transfer service provider. The method also includes using information indicative of the consumer's prior usage of services provided by or through the money transfer service provider to approve the loan application. The method further includes using a money transfer network to provide loan proceeds to the consumer or a designee of the consumer and/or transfer loan payments associated with the loan application. In some embodiments using information indicative of the consumer's prior usage of services provided by or through the money transfer service provider to approve the loan application includes approving the loan in the absence of a credit report on the consumer. The method also my include using the consumer's usage history of pre-paid accounts serviced by the money transfer service provider to approve the loan application.