Know the real cost before you borrow.
Plain-English guides to payday loans and cash advances, with the law, the fees and the cheaper options in every U.S. state.
- Rules for all 50 states and D.C.
- Costs in dollars and APR
- Sources on every page
- Borrow
- $300.00
- Fee, 14 days
- $45.00
Short-term loans, by the numbers
Figures from regulators and researchers, not from lenders.
- 12M Americans take out a payday loan each year Pew Charitable Trusts
- $15 typical fee for every $100 borrowed CFPB
- 391% APR that fee equals on a two-week loan CFPB
- 29 states where triple-digit payday loans are still legal Northlight state law table
Start with your situation
- I need money todayFast options, ranked from cheapest to most expensive.
- Is it legal in my state?Status, loan limits and fee caps for every state.
- What will it cost me?Turn a fee into dollars and APR in seconds.
- I can't repay my loanPayment plans, your rights and who to call.
- Are cash advance apps better?How app advances work and what they really cost.
- Is this lender legit?License checks and the warning signs of a scam.
See the price in dollars first
Pick an amount and a state. The card shows the most a licensed lender may charge and the APR it adds up to.
What will it cost?
- You borrow
- $300.00
- Fee
- $45.00
- You repay in 14 days
- $345.00
Based on a typical fee of $15 per $100 borrowed, repaid in one payment after 14 days. Your lender's price may differ.
Payday loan rules by state
Lending law is set state by state. Pick yours to see what is legal, what it can cost and who to call when something goes wrong.
- AlabamaLegal
- AlaskaLegal
- ArizonaCapped at 36% APR
- ArkansasNot allowed
- CaliforniaLegal
- ColoradoCapped at 36% APR
- ConnecticutNot allowed
- DelawareLegal
- Washington, DCNot allowed
- FloridaLegal
- GeorgiaNot allowed
- HawaiiCapped at 36% APR
- IdahoLegal
- IllinoisCapped at 36% APR
- IndianaLegal
- IowaLegal
- KansasLegal
- KentuckyLegal
- LouisianaLegal
- MaineLegal
- MarylandNot allowed
- MassachusettsNot allowed
- MichiganLegal
- MinnesotaCapped at 50% APR
- MississippiLegal
- MissouriLegal
- MontanaCapped at 36% APR
- NebraskaCapped at 36% APR
- NevadaLegal
- New HampshireCapped at 36% APR
- New JerseyNot allowed
- New MexicoCapped at 36% APR
- New YorkNot allowed
- North CarolinaNot allowed
- North DakotaLegal
- OhioLegal with price limits
- OklahomaLegal with price limits
- OregonLegal with price limits
- PennsylvaniaNot allowed
- Rhode IslandLegal
- South CarolinaLegal
- South DakotaCapped at 36% APR
- TennesseeLegal
- TexasLegal
- UtahLegal
- VermontNot allowed
- VirginiaLegal with price limits
- WashingtonLegal
- West VirginiaNot allowed
- WisconsinLegal
- WyomingLegal
No state matches that name. Check the spelling, or pick from the full list.
Straight answers, checked against the law
Northlight exists for one job: showing you the real price and the real rules of a short-term loan before you sign anything. Every state page is built from the state’s statute and its regulator, and each one lists its sources. When a law changes, the page changes with it.
- Fees appear in dollars and as an APR, side by side
- Free and cheaper options come before any loan
- No lender pays to change what we write
We are not a lender, and we do not make credit decisions. Read how we work in our editorial policy, or start with how payday loans work.
What you can do here
Look up your state’s rules, price a loan with the calculator, compare it with lower-cost alternatives, and learn what to do if you can’t repay. If you only need a specific amount, the loan amounts pages show what $100 to $5,000 typically costs.
Ways to borrow a small amount, compared
Typical ranges. What you are offered depends on your state, your lender and your income.
| Type | Typical amount | Typical cost | Repaid over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payday loan | $100 to $500 | $10 to $30 per $100 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Cash advance app | $20 to $500 | Tips, express fees or a subscription | Until next payday |
| Installment loan | $500 to $5,000 | Varies widely by state and lender | 3 to 24 months |
| Credit union PAL | $200 to $2,000 | Up to 28% APR | 1 to 12 months |
| Title loan | 25% to 50% of the car's value | About 25% a month | 15 to 30 days |
Guides people read first
- Payday loan laws by stateCompare payday loan laws in all 50 states and D.C.: legal status, largest loan, term, highest fee and the cost of a $300 loan under each state's cap.
- Are payday loans legal?Payday loans are legal in 29 states, capped at 36% to 50% APR in 10 and not allowed in 11 states plus D.C. See which group your state is in.
- Can payday lenders sue you?Yes, a payday lender can sue over an unpaid loan, but it needs a court judgment to garnish wages. Learn the process, the limits and your defenses.
- Credit card cash advanceA credit card cash advance costs a 3% to 5% fee plus a higher APR with no grace period. See the real cost and how it compares with a payday loan.
- How payday loans workA step-by-step look at payday loans: applying, the fee, the due date, rollovers and what happens if you cannot repay on time.
- How to borrow money fastA practical order of operations for borrowing money quickly: what to try in the first hour, the first day and the first week, with typical costs.
Common questions
What is a payday loan?
A small loan, usually $500 or less, repaid in one payment on your next payday. The lender charges a flat fee instead of monthly interest, typically $10 to $30 for every $100 borrowed.
Are payday loans legal everywhere?
No. 29 states allow high-cost payday loans, 10 cap small loans at 36% to 50% APR, and 11 states plus D.C. do not allow them. Your state’s page has the details.
How much does a payday loan cost?
A common price is $15 per $100 for two weeks. That is $45 on a $300 loan and equals an APR of about 391%.
Does Northlight lend money?
No. Northlight is an information site. We explain costs and state rules so you can decide; we do not make loans or credit decisions.
Your state sets the rules. Start there.
Two minutes with your state's page tells you what a lender can and cannot do.
