Payday Loan Reviews

Updated 04-03-2013

Need a small short-term loan, just until next pay day? For many people, their bank will not be the best answer. Banks generally just don't deal in loan amounts less than $500, and the loan process is lengthy, requiring credit checks and collateral. That's where payday loans come in. You get get cash on hand, and have it automatically paid back on your next pay day. We've reviewed a range of payday lenders to help you find the best option for short term cash.

Choose your state here:

Payday Lenders


Services: Our Ratings: Bottom Line:
CashNet USA Rating:stars
BBB Grade of A, repeat borrower incentives, clear website, 50% discount with coupon code: MARCH50
Cash Central Rating:stars
Good BBB grade of B, and repeat borrowing incentives are pluses, but privacy policy could be more customer-friendly
Speedy Cash Rating:stars
Lowest minimum loan amount and BBB grade of A, but company has had lower scores recently and past legal violations
PayDayOne Rating:stars
May have lower rates, but also has a poor BBB grade of F and the information sharing policy could be more customer friendly
MyPayDayLoan Rating:stars
Not recommended: offshore company has a history of low BBB grades, no state registration, and does not display contact information
PayDayMax Rating:stars
Not recommended: Don't let the low advertised fees tempt you to do business with this unregistered, off-shore company

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Payday
Loans
Overview

How does a payday loan work?

Payday loans are short-term advances provided by a licensed lender to a consumer. Funds are electronically deposited in the customer's account when the loan is made, and are automatically withdrawn when the loan is due on the customer's payday. Payday lenders charge fees and/or interest on a payday loan, which is also withdrawn on the due date. Rates, maximum loan amounts, and contracts vary by state.

Our payday loan reviews

During our review process we researched each payday lender's website and looked for important information like the availability of contact information. We also looked at how clearly the terms were spelled out and whether they were within the law as we understand it. In addition we provided BBB (Better Business Bureau) grades to give readers an idea of each lender's customer service practices. However, because each state has different laws in regards to payday lenders, we suggest you carefully review the information on the lenders' websites in order to understand the specifics of the terms in your state.


Fees and APRs

Payday lenders generally charge fees and interest per $100.00 that you borrow. By law, these fees and interest charges must be computed and shown as APRs (Annual Percentage Rates) so that customers can compare them to other forms of debt, such as credit cards. This generally means APRs in the range of 400% to 500%. While these are high percentages, it's important to remember that these loans are meant to be paid off in a period of 2 to 4 weeks; if paid on-time the actual interest rate is much lower. However, if you refinance your loan, as allowed in some states, the rate will quickly compound, which is why we recommend paying off the loan when it's due.


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Disclosure: NextAdvisor.com is a consumer information site that offers free, independent reviews and ratings of online services. We receive advertising revenue from most of the services we review. Our editors thoroughly research and whenever possible test each service we review and offer their honest opinions about each one. We are independently owned and operated and all opinions expressed on this site are our own.