# Compare Payday Loans: 30-Second Cost Check, $100–$1,000 | MeridianWallet > State-licensed payday loans $100–$1,000. Real costs in ~30 seconds. MeridianWallet shows cheaper alternatives first—no commitment required. Источник: https://nimblepayday.com/ --- Live in 23 states · alternatives in 27 # $100 to $1,000. Exact cost in real time. **Two weeks, $300: fees range from $3 to $75 depending on your state laws, not your credit score.** MeridianWallet maps state-licensed lenders and cheaper local alternatives side by side, delivers real borrowing costs in about 30 seconds, and never locks you in. [See my options](/apply/) [Compare alternatives first](/other-options/) MeridianWallet is paid by the lenders we match you with. We rank options by cost, not commission. 🔒 256-bit AES encrypted ⚖️ State-licensed lenders only ⚡ Decision in ~90 seconds 🛡️ No fee to compare Your real cost LIVE $500 Texas: typical fee $22.10 per $100 / 14 days. $100$1,000 In which state? Loan fee $110.50 Effective APR 576% PAL alternative (28% APR, 6 mo) ~$45 Total to repay $610 [See my options →](/apply/) 🔒 No credit check to see costs · Your data is encrypted 🛡️ SSL Secured 🏛️ State-licensed 🔐 AES-256 PII 📃 TCPA-compliant ⚖️ Reviewed AFC® · CFP® 0 States covered 0+ Licensed lender partners $0 Median loan amount 0s Average decision time ### Is payday lending legal in your state? 14 states + DC effectively ban payday lending (bans or 36% rate caps). Pick your state — we'll show you the rules in two lines. Select a state to see what's legal where you live. ## See your options without commitment. Free to compare. State-licensed lenders only. Always with alternatives shown. [Start in 30 seconds](/apply/) No credit pull to see costs · 256-bit encrypted · You can stop at any step How it works ## Three steps. Total transparency. We're a lead-matching service, not a lender. We check your state, screen for MLA status, and show you both the licensed-lender option and the lower-cost alternative — every time. ~30 seconds 1 #### Tell us where you live State + ZIP only. We check what's legal in your state *before* asking for anything personal. Banned states see alternatives, not a CTA. ~2 minutes 2 #### A few quick details Five short steps. AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit. SSN-last-4 only; full SSN never stored in plain text. Separated TCPA consents per channel. ~90 seconds 3 #### Real options on screen State-licensed lender offers in your hands instantly, ranked by cost. The Payday Alternative Loan from a credit union is always shown alongside — typically 90% cheaper. Common questions ## Things people actually ask. Honest answers, fact-checked, reviewed by AFC® and CFP®. How much does a payday loan really cost? It depends on your state. In Alabama, the maximum fee is 17.5% per $100 — $52.50 on a $300 loan over 14 days (~456% APR). In Colorado, the same loan would be capped at 36% APR (about $4.14). California allows up to $17.65 per $100. Our 50-state Cost Index shows every state's typical cost in dollars, not just percentages. Will applying hurt my credit score? Most payday lenders use alternative-data sources (banking history, income verification) rather than the three major bureaus, so applying typically does a soft inquiry that doesn't affect your score. If you take and repay a loan, most payday lenders don't report to bureaus either — meaning it won't help your score, but it also won't hurt unless the loan goes to collections. What if I can't repay on time? Contact the lender first. Most states require lenders to offer an Extended Payment Plan (EPP) at no extra cost once per year. Don't let the loan default — that triggers collections, NSF fees, and possible litigation. Our [step-by-step guide](/guides/what-if-you-cant-repay/) walks through your rights under the FDCPA and state-specific protections. Are there cheaper alternatives to a payday loan? Yes — almost always. The Payday Alternative Loan (PAL) from federal credit unions caps at 28% APR. Earned Wage Access apps like DailyPay, EarnIn, and Brigit advance pay you've already worked for. Many employers and nonprofits offer hardship grants. See our full [15 alternatives ranked by cost](/other-options/) page. Is MeridianWallet a lender? No. MeridianWallet is a lead-generation service. We match applicants with state-licensed third-party lenders. We don't lend money, don't make credit decisions, and don't charge applicants any fee. Each lender independently sets terms and decides whether to extend credit. How does MeridianWallet make money? We're paid by the lender network — a referral fee on accepted loans. The fee structure is the same across our network, so we don't have incentive to route you to one lender over another based on what they pay us. We route you to the lender most likely to approve at the lowest rate for your profile. Browse by product ## Find the right kind of loan. Costs vary by 22× across products. We rank them — and always show what beats them. [Payday loans High cost](/payday-loans/) [Online payday loans High cost](/payday-loans-online/) [Same-day payday loans High cost](/same-day-payday-loans/) [Payday loans near me High cost](/payday-loans-near-me/) [Installment loans Variable](/installment-loans/) [Title loans Highest cost](/title-loans/) [Cash advance High cost](/cash-advance/) [Bad credit loans Variable](/bad-credit-loans/) [Loan alternatives 15 cheaper options](/other-options/) Browse by state ## Rules vary a lot. 14 states + DC effectively ban payday lending (bans or 36% rate caps). Texas runs a unique CAB/CSO model. Find yours. [Texas CAB](/state-guides/texas/) [California $300 cap](/state-guides/california/) [New York Banned](/state-guides/new-york/) [Florida Allowed](/state-guides/florida/) [Ohio Capped](/state-guides/ohio/) [Michigan Allowed](/state-guides/michigan/) [Georgia Banned](/state-guides/georgia/) [Illinois 36% cap](/state-guides/illinois/) [Pennsylvania Banned](/state-guides/pennsylvania/) [North Carolina Banned](/state-guides/north-carolina/) [Tennessee Allowed](/state-guides/tennessee/) [Missouri Allowed](/state-guides/missouri/) [Nevada Allowed](/state-guides/nevada/) [Arizona Banned (installment available)](/state-guides/arizona/) [Colorado 36% cap](/state-guides/colorado/) [+ 36 more states & DC →](/state-guides/) Why we're different ## We rank #1 on Google by being honest about cost. Most payday-loan sites hide the price under "fast cash" promises. We do the opposite. Every page leads with the dollar cost, the alternatives, and the responsible-borrowing path. Google's helpful-content systems reward it. Borrowers thank us for it. [See what borrowing really costs](/payday-loans/) #### What you'll find on every MeridianWallet page: - ✓ The exact cost in dollars, not just APR - ✓ Your state's specific rate cap and statute - ✓ The Payday Alternative Loan option, ranked side-by-side - ✓ Real authors with verified credentials (AFC®, CFP®, JD) - ✓ "What if you can't repay" walked through step-by-step - ✓ Editorial policy + fact-check + corrections log - ✓ TCPA-separated consents, no pre-ticked boxes - ✓ MLA compliance: 36% MAPR cap auto-honored