Short on cash
What borrowing costs, and the cheaper options first
When money runs short before payday, the fastest offer is rarely the cheapest. These free tools price every option for your amount and timing, and none of them asks for your name.
Compare my options
From cheapest to most expensive
- 1Ask for more time or a payment planFree to ask
- 2Paycheck advance through your employerThe CFPB found fees averaged about $3.18 when workers paid one
- 3Credit union payday alternative loanAt most 28% APR plus up to $20 to apply
- 4Credit card cash advanceA fee, plus interest from day one
- 5Installment loanCheck the APR: 36% is the Military Lending Act cap for service members
- 6Payday loanTypically $15 per $100 for two weeks, almost 400% APR
- 7Car title loanOften 25% a month, about 300% APR, with your car at stake
The tools
Need money now? Every option priced
Every way to cover a shortfall, priced in dollars, cheapest first.
Payday loan calculator
The fee, the APR and what renewing the loan adds up to.
Cash advance app cost calculator
Express fees, tips and memberships, turned into a yearly rate.
Payday alternative loan (PAL) calculator
Credit union PAL limits, payment and cost next to a payday loan.
Small loan payment calculator
Payment, total cost and whether it fits your take-home pay.
Credit card cash advance calculator
The fee plus interest from day one, before you take cash from a card.
APR calculator
The yearly rate once every fee is counted, for any loan.
Title loan calculator
What a car title loan costs each month, and what's at stake.
Payday loan laws by state
Whether payday and title loans are allowed in your state, and the limits.
Loan scam checker
The warning signs of a fake loan offer, checked one by one.
Already behind on a payday loan, a card or other bills? See every way out of the debt you have, including options nobody sells.
Start a Debt CheckCommon questions
What's the cheapest way to cover a shortfall?
Usually asking the company you owe for more time or a payment plan. After that, a paycheck advance through your employer or a credit union payday alternative loan often costs less than a card advance, a payday loan or a car title loan.
How much does a payday loan cost?
A typical two-week payday loan charges $15 per $100, which the CFPB says comes to almost 400% APR.
How can I tell if a loan offer is a scam?
The FTC says any up-front fee a lender wants before granting the loan is a cue to walk away. Check that the lender is registered in your state before you share any details.
Does DebtCheckUSA get paid?
Some tools can show loan offers from a paid partner, labeled Paid partner and placed below the cheaper options. The costs the tools show are the same either way.
Estimates only; not financial or legal advice. How we make money