Cost research tool · Updated June 2026
Before you borrow, see what it really costs.
A research-grade calculator that models the full cost of a payday loan — including fee compounding, rollover risk, and affordability against your real cash flow. Built for borrowers, educators, and journalists who want honest numbers.
Your situation
We'll auto-load your state's typical fee structure and legal limits.
Most payday loans are due in 14–30 days.
Your cash flow
PDLoans247 is not a lender. This tool provides estimates for educational purposes. Always rely on lender disclosures.
- If you pay on time
- —
- Total payback in 14 days
- If you roll over 3 times
- —
- Real-world worst case
- APR equivalent
- —
- Annualized for comparison
- Your cash buffer
- —
- Income minus expenses
How rollovers compound
The number people don't see in lender ads. Here's what your loan looks like over 6 months under three behavior patterns.
What costs less
Ranked by typical APR (lowest first) for a $500 emergency. Always verify current rates with the provider.
How we calculate
Full transparency. Every formula, every assumption, every data source.
Cost calculation
For a $500 loan with $15 fee per $100 and 2 rollovers: $500 + ($75 × 3) = $725.
APR equivalent
This is the standard CFPB methodology for converting fee-based products into annualized comparable rates.
Risk score (0–100)
Weighted scoring based on four factors:
- Affordability ratio (40%): Total payback ÷ disposable income
- Disposable income (25%): Income minus expenses, normalized vs loan amount
- Existing debt load (20%): Number of active payday loans
- State regulatory environment (15%): Stricter regulation = lower trap risk
Data sources
- CFPB Data Point: Payday Lending (rollover patterns)
- Pew Charitable Trusts: Payday Lending in America
- State Attorney General offices and financial regulators (per-state data)
- National Consumer Law Center reports
Cite this calculator
If you're a journalist, researcher, or educator, please cite as:
Editorial standards
This tool is reviewed quarterly by our editorial team led by Alison Bennett (Finance Editor) and Kalash Aggarwal (Content Lead). Methodology updates are documented in our about page. We do not accept payment for placement in this calculator.
License
Findings and aggregated data from this tool are released under Creative Commons BY 4.0. You may use them in articles, research, and educational materials with attribution to PDLoans247.