About 500 Payday Loans

Who we are

500paydayloans.net is an online referral and comparison service for small, short-term loans. Since 2009 we have helped US consumers who need a little cash before their next payday find lenders willing to review their request — quickly, for free, and entirely online.

We are an independent advertising service. We are not a bank, a lender, or a loan broker, and we do not make credit decisions. Our job is to take a single application and pass it to participating lenders and lending networks that may be able to help, so you do not have to fill out form after form.

What we do — and what we don't

To be completely clear about our role:

• We DO connect your request with participating lenders that serve your state.
• We DO offer free educational guides on how payday loans, fees and APRs work.
• We DO NOT lend money or fund loans ourselves.
• We DO NOT make approval or interest-rate decisions — the lender does.
• We DO NOT charge you a fee to use our matching service.

How we make money

When a lender or lending network accepts a request we refer, we may be paid a marketing fee. That fee is paid by the lender, never by you, and it does not change the rate or terms you are offered. You can read the full details on our Advertiser Disclosure page.

Because we are paid by the lenders we work with, we are an advertiser — not an impartial financial adviser. We try to be honest about the real cost and risk of short-term borrowing, and we always encourage you to compare options and borrow only what you can repay on time.

Our editorial approach

Payday loans are expensive and are meant for genuine short-term emergencies, not everyday spending. Our guides describe APR as a range, explain the risk of the debt cycle, and point to lower-cost alternatives such as credit-union Payday Alternative Loans (PALs) wherever they fit. We aim to help you make an informed choice, even if that choice is not to borrow.

Rules for short-term lending differ by state, and they change. We do our best to keep guidance general and accurate and to point you to your state regulator and to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for the current details that apply to you.