Your borrower rights in 60 seconds

Federal law gives every US payday borrower a baseline set of protections. State law often adds more. You do not have to ask for these rights and you do not have to know the statute by name. They apply the moment you sign.

You have the right to see the full cost in writing

Under the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the lender must give you a disclosure box, before you sign, that shows the finance charge in dollars, the APR, the total amount you will repay, and the payment schedule. If you do not see those four numbers on the page, do not sign. Ask for them in writing.

You can revoke the lender's right to debit your bank

When you sign a payday loan, you usually authorize the lender to pull payment from your checking account through ACH. You can revoke that authorization at any time, in writing, by sending a stop-payment notice to both the lender and your bank. The lender can still try to collect the debt, but they cannot keep pulling from your account. Federal regulation (Regulation E) protects this right.

If you are active-duty military, the rate is capped at 36%

The Military Lending Act (MLA) caps the all-in APR on most consumer loans to active-duty servicemembers, their spouses, and their dependents at 36%. Payday loans, vehicle title loans, and most short-term credit are covered. If a lender quotes you a higher rate and you are MLA-eligible, the loan is unenforceable.

The lender cannot harass you, lie, or threaten you

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) limits how debt collectors can contact you, what they can say, and when they can call. They cannot call before 8am or after 9pm in your time zone, threaten arrest or violence, contact your employer about the debt after you have told them to stop, or claim to be a lawyer or a government agent when they are not. The FDCPA applies once the debt is sent to a third-party collector. Many states extend similar protections to the original lender.

Your state may give you more

Some states cap the APR, ban rollovers, require an extended payment plan on request, limit how many payday loans you can have at one time, or ban the product entirely. The rules vary widely. Check your state attorney general's site or your state banking regulator for the specifics.

Where to file a complaint

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). File at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. The CFPB forwards your complaint to the lender, requires a response, and publishes the data. The fastest way to get a real reply.
• State attorney general. Useful for state-law violations (rate caps, rollover bans, unlicensed lenders).
• State banking or financial regulator. Useful for licensing complaints.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Useful for outright scam lenders, fake collection calls, and identity theft.

A complaint is not a guarantee that you win. It is a public record that puts pressure on the lender to fix the problem and gives regulators the pattern they need to act.

See how payday loans work, or contact us with a question.