Written by: Brittney Mayer
Edited by: Lillian Guevara-Castro
For some consumers, debt is like a snowball rolling downhill. Once it starts rolling, it gets larger with every revolution — and the bigger it gets, the harder it is to stop it without being run over.
A common source of debt among consumers with bad credit is payday or cash advance loans. These have sky-high interest rates and lump-sum repayments that make it difficult for many people to stop the debt snowball before it starts rolling downhill.
The best way to avoid being trapped under debt from payday loans is to avoid them in the first place. While this can be tricky with bad credit, there are alternatives out there for most consumers, regardless of their credit scores. If you’re shopping around for bad credit payday loans, you’ll likely be better off considering the options detailed below, which include credit cards, certain installment loans, and home equity loans.
Credit Cards | Installment Loans | Home Equity Loans | Why Avoid Payday Loans
Use Credit Cards to Replace Small Short-Term Loans
In most cases, payday loans are small amounts — a few hundred dollars — to cover emergency spending or serve as a stopgap measure before payday. Instead of a loan, however, consider using your credit card as a form of short-term financing.
While subprime credit cards will definitely charge high interest rates, those rates are easily dwarfed by the absurdly high fees you’ll be charged for a payday or cash advance loan. Many of our top-rated cards also offer extra benefits, like free FICO scores, that can help you stay on track.
- Don’t let a low FICO score stop you from applying – we approve applications others may not.
- You don’t need good credit to apply.
- Just complete the short application and find out in 60 seconds if you’re approved.
- When you need assistance our award-winning US-based Customer Service agents are there to help.
- FICO scores are used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any PREMIER Bankcard® product.
| Application Length | Interest Rate | Reports Monthly | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 minutes | See Provider Website | Yes | 9.0/10 |
- You don’t need good credit to apply.
- We help people with bad credit, every day.
- Just complete the short application and find out in 60 seconds if you’re approved.
- You can build* or rebuild your credit: apply for a PREMIER Bankcard credit card, keep your balance low, and pay all your monthly bills on time.
- Don’t let a low FICO score stop you from applying – we approve applications others may not.
- FICO scores are used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any PREMIER Bankcard® product.
- *Build credit by keeping your balance low and paying all your bills on time every month.
| Application Length | Interest Rate | Reports Monthly | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 minutes | See Provider Website | Yes | 9.0/10 |
- Brink’s gives you the peace of mind you deserve. Securing cash and valuables since 1859.
- With Brink’s Direct Deposit, you can get paid faster* than a paper check.
- No late fees or interest charges because this is not a credit card.
- Use the Brink’s Money Prepaid Mobile App to manage your account on the go and get text message or email alerts (Message & data rates may apply.)
- *Card issued by Republic Bank & Trust Company, Member FDIC. Card may be used everywhere Mastercard Debit cards are accepted. “Apply Now” for full details.
- See additional Brink’s Prepaid Mastercard® Details.
| Application Length | Interest Rate | Reports Monthly | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | N/A (Prepaid) | No | 7.5/10 |
Another factor in favor of using credit cards is that they are revolving credit lines, which means you won’t have a hard deadline for paying off your balance (though you’ll need to make at least the minimum payment).
Even better, if you can pay off your charges in full before your credit card’s due date, then you can likely avoid interest entirely. That’s because most credit cards offer a grace period on interest fees, which means you won’t be charged interest on your balance if it’s paid in full before the end of the grace period.
Installment Loans Are Best for Large & Long-Term Loans
If a credit card isn’t a viable option, then a personal installment loan may be the best bet. Installment loans are repaid with monthly payments that allow you to pay off your loan over a period of six months up to six years.
Personal installment loans can also be obtained in amounts larger than most bad-credit credit cards will allow. Depending on your qualifications, our top-rated online lending networks can help you find installment loans in amounts ranging from $500 up to $35,000.
4. CashUSA.com
- Loans from $500 to $10,000
- Receive a loan decision in minutes
- Get funds directly to your bank account
- Use the loan for any purpose
- See official site, terms, and details.
| Loan Amount | Interest Rate | Loan Term | Loan Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 to $10,000 | 5.99% - 35.99% | 3 to 72 Months | See representative example |
- Loans from $500 to $10,000
- Get connected with a lender
- Simple form & quick funding
- Get your money as soon as next the business day, if approved
- See official site, terms, and details.
| Loan Amount | Interest Rate | Loan Term | Loan Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 to $10,000 | 5.99% - 35.99% | 3 to 60 Months | See representative example |
- Loans from $1,000 to $35,000
- Large lender network
- Fast loan decision
- Use the loan for any purpose
- Funding as soon as one business day, if approved
- See official site, terms, and details.
| Loan Amount | Interest Rate | Loan Term | Loan Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 to $35,000 | 5.99% - 35.99% | 3 to 72 Months | See representative example |
Online lending networks are not direct lenders. Instead, they partner with lenders from around the country to help borrowers find a lender based on their loan needs and qualifications. This allows borrowers to explore multiple lending options with a single application.
When considering a personal installment loan, be sure to include all the variables in your decision. For example, most loans charge an origination fee, which is typically deducted when the loan is dispersed.
Additionally, you may want to experiment with varying your loan parameters, perhaps with an online loan calculator. The length of your loan term will strongly contribute to the size of your monthly payment, so looking at longer-term versus shorter-term loans can help you find the right fit.
Your Home’s Equity Can Be a Viable Alternative for Financing
If you own your home, you may have another alternative to payday loans: a home equity loan or line of credit. Home equity loans tap into the equity in your home — the value in your home above what you owe — as collateral for a loan or credit line that can be used for a variety of purposes.
Because loans that use your home’s equity as collateral are secured by the home itself, your bad credit may have less influence on your ability to qualify. An online lending network, like those below, can be the easiest way to find a flexible lender that will work with your credit.
- America's largest mortgage lender
- The entire process is completed online
- Options for new mortgages and refinancing existing mortgages
- Award-winning customer service and cutting-edge digital platforms
- More than 90% of clients would recommend us
- See application, terms, and details
| Interest Rate | In Business Since | Application Length | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varies | 1985 | 5 minutes | 9.5/10 |
- Best for cash-out refinance
- Utilize your home equity with America's #1 lender
- eClosing allows customers to close electronically, greatly speeding the process
- A+ rating with the BBB
- Receive cash for home improvements, college tuition, or paying off debt
- 24/7 access to your loan through the Rocket Mortgage app
- See application, terms, and details
| Interest Rate | In Business Since | Application Length | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varies | 1985 | 5 minutes | 9.5/10 |
9. eMortgage
- Get today's mortgage rates from the top mortgage lenders and banks
- Easily compare and choose mortgage lenders with no obligations or fees
- Review current mortgage rates side by side
- Pick mortgage lenders that meet your specific needs
- Compare rates from pre-qualified and approved mortgage lenders — 100% online, 100% free
- See application, terms, and details.
| Interest Rate | In Business Since | Application Length | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varies | 1979 | 4 minutes | 8.5/10 |
While home equity loans typically don’t require a down payment, they will often come with additional costs, like processing or origination fees. Any costs should be clearly laid out in your loan agreement, so be sure to read through it carefully before signing to avoid any surprise fees.
Also, although it’s always important to stay up to date on your debts, it’s doubly important for any loan that uses your home as collateral. That’s because defaulting on a home equity loan could put your home at risk, leaving you with no home and severely damaged credit.
Why You Should Avoid Payday & Cash Advance Loans
When things get tight and your poor credit makes it hard to find financing, it can be sorely tempting to use a payday loan, “just this once.” But that could wind up being a huge — and very expensive — mistake.
In the consumer finance world, payday and cash advance loans are typically the most expensive type of financing you can obtain (short of going to a movie-villain loan shark, at any rate).
Worse, many of these lenders make it hard for consumers to tell exactly how expensive their loans are. Payday lenders tend to mask the three-digit interest rates by labeling the fees as finance fees, rather than calling them interest fees.
For example, a typical short-term loan charges a $20 finance fee for every $100 borrowed. For a $500 loan, that means $100 in finance fees. When you do the math, a four-week payday loan would have an APR of about 243% — more than 6 times higher than the rate charged by the worst credit cards.
But it doesn’t stop there. Because payday loans need to be repaid all at once — including the principal and all finance fees — on the due date, it can be a challenge for already budget-strapped borrowers to repay their loans.
This results in many borrowers extending their loans — with the addition of more finance fees — literally buying more time to come up with the money. This can contribute to a vicious cycle of debt that may be impossible to escape.
Unless you’re absolutely certain you can repay your payday loan in full on the due date — and even if you are certain — you should avoid payday loans entirely.
Stay Out of the Debt Trap with Smart Borrowing
It only takes one bad loan to start the debt snowball rolling, and that debt can grow to unmanageable proportions faster than many payday loan borrowers are willing to believe.
The best way to avoid the debt trap that is a payday loan is to avoid them in the first place. While a healthy emergency savings can go a long way in this endeavor, sometimes it simply isn’t enough.
In these cases, consider every alternative source of financing before you really consider taking on a payday loan. Nearly any other form of financing will have lower rates than a payday loan, as well as offer the ability to make multiple payments over time for easier repayment.
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