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About Payday Loan Compare
An independent US consumer education site, run by four editors who have spent careers covering payday lending, credit, and the laws that shape both.
Borrower-first, by design.
Payday Loan Compare exists to help US adults compare payday lenders honestly and understand the product, the law, and the alternatives before they sign. We rank the payday lenders Americans most commonly encounter, score each one against the same four weighted criteria, and refresh the rankings monthly.
We are not a lender. We are not a broker. We are not a financial advisor. We are not an affiliate site. Every lender link on the site is a direct link to the lender, with no affiliate tracking and no commission paid to us. The rankings are set by our editors, not by ad buyers.
If you are reading this on a phone at 11pm trying to figure out if a payday loan is your only option, the rest of this site is for you. Compare the lenders, read the explainers, and check your state's rules before you click apply.
What you can expect from every page.
Sourced claims, no invented numbers. APRs, fees, and state rules come from the lender's public-facing pages, the CFPB, the FTC, state regulators, and the Military Lending Act. We do not invent or guess.
Plain language, no hype. We treat borrowers as adults making real decisions. No "approved today" copy, no manufactured urgency, no fear-based scare lines about credit damage.
No paid placement. We do not accept money from lenders for ranking position, mentions, or links. The site is supported by reader donations and editorial syndication.
Corrections, fast. If we get something wrong, email us and we will fix it. The correction stays at the bottom of the page so the change is in the open.
Real people, with real bylines, who answer their email.
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Carmen Ortiz
Lending Regulation Editor
Former Arizona consumer protection attorney who has read more storefront loan agreements than she can count.
Bio and bylines -
Derrick Washington
Personal Finance Editor
Former branch lender and credit counselor who walks borrowers through the real math of payday loans.
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Lena Whitfield
Lender Comparisons Editor
Consumer-finance investigative reporter focused on head-to-head lender reviews and fine-print analysis.
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Aaron Kim
Credit and Budgeting Editor
Certified credit counselor who writes about scores, budgeting on irregular income, and rebuilding after a default.
Bio and bylines