Payday Loan Calculator: Fee, Total Due and Real APR
Enter an amount, a fee and a term. See what the advance costs in dollars and what that costs in APR.
This calculator prices a payday advance the way state law does: a flat fee per $100 borrowed, due in one payment on the next payday. Set the amount, the fee your state’s cap produces, and the term in days. The result shows the flat fee, the total due, and the annualized APR hiding inside it.
Worked example: Alabama caps the charge at 17.5% of the amount. A $500 advance for 14 days carries an $87.50 fee, leaves $587.50 due on payday, and annualizes near 456% APR. California prices by the check instead: a $300 check carries a 15% fee, the net advance is $255, and the fee is $45 for up to 31 days.
The APR line is a translation, not a scare number: it restates a two-week fee as a yearly rate so offers of different sizes and terms can be compared. The line your budget must clear is the flat fee. Run the slack check under the numbers and borrow nothing larger than it.
Your state page lists the exact fee regime, and the full comparison lives in the rates and fees table.
If the repayment fits the paycheck, the request form prices a real offer at no cost. Still comparing? The rates and fees table puts every state's ceiling on one page.
Frequently asked questions
How does this calculator get the APR?
Why does the APR look so high when the fee looks small?
What fee does my state charge?
Does it price rollovers?
Reviewed by Ray Drummond, Reviewer, credit counseling background. Every fee, cap, and formula on this page was checked against the published state rules.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-06