You can get a payday loan in one of two places, online or in-store.
Payday loans are only offered by specialized payday loan lenders and, typically, cannot be found at traditional financial institutions. However, some credit unions offer a very similar alternative to payday loans called “payday alternative loans”, which offer the same benefits as payday loans but usually at a lower cost and with better terms.
Learn: What is a payday alternative loan?
Now that you know where to look and have hundreds of lenders at your fingertips, it’s important to know how to choose a reputable one. So, before you set your sails in the direction of your nearest payday loan lender (or first online search result), here are a couple of things you’ll want to steer clear of:
❌ Payday loan lenders that call you.
If you’re considering a payday loan because you got an unsolicited offer by phone, think again — legitimate payday loan lenders do not do this. If you get a call like this, don’t give up any of your information, hang up, and do your research on the caller.
❌ Lenders who ask for money upfront.
A legitimate lender will never ask you for money up front for commission, a return deposit, insurance, to guarantee your loan or for any other purpose. If a lender demands money from you before getting your loan, you are talking to a fraudster.[1]
Learn: Are payday loans safe?
To make sure the lender you’re considering is properly licensed and reputable, a preliminary first step I highly recommend you take is to check them out on the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Scam Tracker website and your state’s Attorney General’s website.[2] This will tell you if the lender has any reported scams and whether they are indeed a legit lender.
To make your process of due diligence easier, Sound Financial has partnered with trusted and vetted lenders to get you the money you need. So, to save yourself time and worry, you can easily find the lender that best fits your needs, compare rates (and different products 😃), and apply for your payday loan all right here!
