Apply now

Payday loan alternatives

Eleven ways to find $400, on one line.

Same $400, same two weeks to the next paycheck, every option placed by what it actually costs. Click or hover a dot. We're on the line too, and we're not at the cheap end for a two-week gap; the page says so because it's true.

See your offer Why the payday loan ends up at $240
$0$10$25$50$100$150$250
——

—

—cost on $400, two weeks
Cheaper routesFrontPay USAThe expensive endBars show a range where the fee varies.

The rollover spiral, drawn.

A $400 payday loan costs $60 for two weeks. The trouble is payday: $460 doesn't come out of one check, so you pay the $60 fee and roll the $400 to the next one. Each bar is a payday. Grey is the $400 you still owe; red is fees paid so far.

CFPB research: four in five payday loans are rolled over or re-borrowed within 14 days. A short-term loan in our network can't be rolled; if you need longer, the offer is 3–6 payments instead.

Payday 1
$60
Payday 2
$120
Payday 3
$180
Payday 4
$240
$640paid out over 8 weeks on a $400 payday loan, rolled three times
$443.02paid out over 6 months on a $400 installment loan at 35.99% APR ($73.84 a month)

The one we'd pick over ourselves.

A credit union Payday Alternative Loan is regulated by the NCUA, capped at 28% APR, and costs about $8 on $400 for a month. The only catch is membership, and many credit unions will enrol you the same day for a $5 deposit. If one will have you, take it. Then come back to us when the bill is $2,000.

Find one: the NCUA's credit union locator, or ask your employer which one it partners with.

Payday Alternative Loan, by the rules
Amount
$200–$1,000 (PAL I) · up to $2,000 (PAL II)
Term
1–6 months (PAL I) · 1–12 months (PAL II)
APR cap
28%
Application fee
Up to $20
Membership
Required; 1 month for PAL I, none for PAL II
Rollovers
Not allowed
Cost on $400, 1 month
About $8–$28 with the fee

Alternatives
questions

More in the full FAQ.

What's the cheapest alternative to a payday loan?
Not borrowing, if a biller will wait two weeks; then a fee-free advance app if you have direct deposit; then a credit union Payday Alternative Loan if you're a member or can join. All three cost under $25 on $400. The number line above puts them in order.
Isn't a short-term loan the same as a payday loan?
Same price for two weeks ($15 per $100), different exit. A short-term loan in our network has no rollover: you can't pay the fee and push the balance to next month, which is the mechanism that turns $60 into $240. If you need longer than one payday, the offer comes back as 3–6 payments instead.
How does a payday loan become so expensive?
The rollover. $400 costs $60 for two weeks. On payday you can't spare $460, so you pay $60 and roll it. Four times is $240 in fees and the $400 still owed; that's the spiral drawn above, and the CFPB's research says most payday loans go to borrowers who roll over at least once.
Are payday loans legal in my state?
Storefront payday lending is banned or capped at 36% APR in about 20 states and DC. Where it's banned, the alternatives on this page are the market. Your state's rules
What is a Payday Alternative Loan?
A federal credit union product regulated by the NCUA: $200–$1,000 (PAL I) or up to $2,000 (PAL II), 1–12 months, APR capped at 28%, application fee no more than $20. You need to be a member, and many credit unions let you join the same day. If one will have you, take it over anything else here, including us.

Keep reading.

Cash advance apps vs a loanWhere the line isShort-term loansPayday price, no rolloverCompareThe route finder for any amountResponsible lendingHow we decide what to offer
$200–$5,000Soft check · $0 to apply
Apply now