The Best Payday Loan Providers

Friday, April 23rd

2021 Payday Loan Provider Reviews

Cash Advance

• Loan: $100 - $1,000 for first time customers
• Cost: Varies based on your state and the length of the loan

Cash Advance has a very easy payday loan request process. You fill out the simple online form, and within seconds you can be approved and waiting for your cash to arrive. And with over 400 lenders in their payday loan network, many companies will review your information, meaning you have a greater chance of being approved than if you were to visit one lender directly.

The payday loan request process is both quick and entirely online. Cash Advance doesn't require you to fax or send any documentation in with your request form. All the information they need is what you provide on their website.

Cash Advance supports payday loans up to $1,000. Regardless of whether you've had recent problems meeting your bills, Cash Advance can still help you get the cash you need - no questions asked. This also eliminates any negative impact that can occur with checks of your credit history.

Once approved, your lender conveniently delivers your cash into your checking or savings account by direct deposit. This means that they will automatically send your money into your account, usually within one business day of your approval.

Another feature we really liked about Cash Advance is all the helpful financial information they provide on their website. Under the Your Finances section, you can find guides on a variety of money management, life planning, smart spending, and family finances. They also offer an account center for their customers, which gives you the ability to easily re-request a loan, check the status of an existing request, and more.

Cash Advance boasts an easy request process, with no faxing and no paperwork hassles. Electronic delivery of your money is usually within 1 business day and is not dependent on your credit history whatsoever. Plus, Cash Advance has been in business for over 15 years. If you need a payday loan fast with low fees and no stress, Cash Advance is an excellent choice.

ACE Cash Express

• Loan: Amount varies by state
• Cost: Varies based on your state and the length of the loan

ACE Cash Express is a leading retailer of financial services, including payday loans, consumer loans, check cashing, bill payment, and even prepaid debit cards. As the largest owner and operator of check cashing stores in the U.S., they bring a rich history of payday loan servicing to the Internet.

The payday loan application process at ACE Cash Express is easy. You simply enter your information into their online form and press send. There is nothing to fax, and you receive your approval in minutes. Once approved, an ACE Cash Express representative calls you to review your payday loan information. While we would prefer to complete the payday loan process without the necessity of a phone call, the representatives are helpful and can answer any questions you might have about your payday loan.

In addition to payday loans, the ACE Cash Express website offers a variety of other lending needs. These include installment loans, title loans, prepaid debit cards, and auto loans. They also offer a convenient store locator, where you can cash checks, purchase money orders, send a money transfer, and more.

The biggest downside to ACE Cash Express is that they currently only offer online payday loans in 11 states. If you happen to live on one of those states, then you're in luck - otherwise you would need to visit one of the 950+ locations they have throughout the country in order to get a payday loan from ACE Cash Express.

We like the reliable history that ACE Cash Express offers with their payday loans. They are a dependable, nationwide company and they provide financial services beyond just the short-term cash advance. However, the limited number of states where they offer payday loans hurts them in our rankings.

Honest Loans

• Loan: Up to $2,500
• Cost: APR ranging from 200% to 2,290%

Honest Loans provides connections between prospective borrowers and a network of partner lenders. Their application process only has two steps, but you'll be required to enter detailed personal information, including your bank routing number and account number.

We were glad to see that Honest Loans is very, well, honest when it comes to disclosing interest rates: their partners are likely to charge anywhere from 200% to 2,290% (yes, that is two thousand two hundred and ninety percent) APR. Full terms and fees are only available once you are matched with a prospective lender.

Honest Loans also has a higher lending amount, up to $2,500, than many of the services we reviewed. Of course, this depends on your personal situation, including your credit history, employment status, and so on.

Unfortunately, we were not able to find further information as to Honest Loan's history or track record with respect to customer satisfaction. We would definitely like to see customer testimonials, reviews on independent websites, or a rating with the Better Business Bureau, in order to know if they are successful with connecting borrowers with reputable sources of payday loans.

You should also know that you are not eligible for a payday loan from Honest Loans if you are a resident of one of the following states: Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.

We give Honest Loans good marks, which would easily improve with a more established reputation for good customer service.

Cash Central

• Loan: $100 - $500 for first time customers
• Cost: Varies based on your state and the length of the loan

Cash Central is an actual lender with a building and 400 plus employees, not just a brokering website. That may or may not be important in the end, but they do offer helpful customer service, and when you call you get to speak to a real person, who will happily give you the interest rates for your state. The downfall of Cash Central is that they are only set up to lend to residents in certain states, all in the western half of the US.

The information they request is pretty much the same as all the others; personal, employment and financial. After the loan has been approved, which takes just a few minutes, the customer's account usually funds the next business day. They provide live customer service 7 days a week if a borrower has questions.

Cash Central understands the importance of repeat business and fosters that customer relationship by being accessible via phone, email, and postage mail. This may not seem like a big deal, but most of these online businesses don't offer that level of service.

Their application process is simple, with no faxing and no paper hassles. As they say, they are "Easy, no driving, no bullet proof glass, no leaving the house".

Cash Central offers a good payday loan program with competitive rates. We just wish it had a higher limit and was offered in more states.

Cash Net USA

• Loan: From $100 to $1,000
• Cost: APR of 299%

Cash Net USA started in 2004 and was later acquired by pay day loan powerhouse, Cash America. Cash Net USA provides loans in 30 States and loan types vary between payday loans and lines of credit depending on state requirements. The loan sizes typically run between $100 and $1,000 but may be larger for lines of credit.

The benefit of dealing with Cash Net USA is that applications received before until 9pm EST are funded the next business day. So for those in a serious cash crunch, Cash Net USA may help. Another benefit is that this company does not run a credit check from the three major reporting bureaus to determine eligibility. They do ask that an applicant be at least 18 years of age, have been employed for at least 1 month, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and have an open checking account.

The process of applying for a payday loan from Cash Net USA is quick and easy. To start, customers must input contact details, employment information and bank account numbers. Approval occurs instantly at Cash Net USA. They anticipate that you'll pay your loan back at your next paycheck date, or longer depending on the type of loan issued.

Cash Net USA states they are a member of both the Better Business Bureau and CFSA member (a payday advance organization). However, in our research we found that they currently have an F rating with the BBB. In 2015 they also received an order from the Commissioner of Business Oversight of the State of California, forfeiting all charges due to violations with the California Financial Code.

Although Cash Net USA provides an easy way for you to apply for a payday loan, questions remain about their business practices. We hope they're able to make the necessary changes to become a more highly rated payday loan provider in the future.

My Payday Loan

• Loan: $200 - $600 for first time customers
• Up to $1,000 for returning customers
• Cost: Varies based on your state and the length of the loan

While at first glance the website at My Payday Loan may not look as professional as some other payday loan lenders we've reviewed, the fact is that they offer a reliable payday loan application process and fast delivery of your approved funds - as long as you apply during their normal business hours.

It takes no time at all to complete the online payday loan application at My Payday Loan. If you complete the application within their business hours (9am - 6pm est M-F), you can be approved within minutes. However, if you complete your application outside of these hours, you may not hear back on your status until the following day.

If your payday loan application is approved by 5pm est, you will receive your funds electronically deposited into your checking account the following business day. Of course, this means that if you complete your loan application outside of their business hours, you may not receive your funds until 48 hours after you complete your application. This can result in a frustrating delay if you need access to your funds more quickly than that.

As part of the payday loan application process, My Payday Loan requests you to submit references and their phone numbers. They state that they verify all references before approving your loan, however they do not disclose the name of their company or the nature of your loan. It's important, though, to provide valid phone numbers with your references.

We wish My Payday Loan was more flexible in order to accommodate customers who apply for a payday loan outside of normal business hours. Their insistence on contacting references also may also give some people pause - however they do keep your personal information safe and confidential.