Guides
Each guide answers one question and shows its sources. Start with how a payday loan works and what its APR means, then read about your rights if a payment is missed. None of these pages sells a loan; they explain the rules so you can judge an offer yourself.
If you already know what you need, the calculator prices a loan under your state’s law and the state law table compares every state at once.
- 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.
- If you can't repayMissed a payday loan payment? Here is what lenders can and cannot do: fees, bank debits, collections, lawsuits, and how to stop the damage.
- Payday loan APR explainedWhy a $15 fee equals a 391% APR, how to calculate the APR on any payday loan, and what fees can be added on top of the finance charge.
- Payday loan scamsUpfront fees, fake debt collectors and unlicensed lenders: learn the most common payday loan scams and the checks that confirm a lender is real.