Pennsylvania at a glance
- Personal loansAllowed 24% APR
- Installment loansAllowed 24% APR
- Emergency loansAllowed 24% APR
- Payday loansNot allowed
- Title loansNot allowed
Loan options in Pennsylvania
Every loan type we cover is listed, including the ones Pennsylvania law does not allow, so you can see why and what else can work.
- Personal loansAllowedA lump sum you repay in fixed monthly payments. See what your state allows and what a loan can cost.
- Installment loansAllowedFixed payments over months, not weeks. See your state's rate limits and a worked cost example.
- Emergency loansAllowedMoney for an urgent bill, usually a smaller installment loan. Check your state's limits before you borrow.
- Payday loansNot allowedA short loan usually due in one payment on your next payday. Allowed in fewer states, so read the fee limits first.
- Title loansNot allowedA loan secured by your car title. Allowed in fewer states, and your car is at risk if you cannot repay.
Other ways to borrow
- Credit union payday alternative loans: small loans from federal credit unions with an APR capped at 28% under NCUA rules. (12 CFR 701.21)
- Credit-builder loans: a small loan held in savings while you pay it off, which can help build a payment history.
- Secured credit cards: a card backed by a deposit you make, which can help build credit when you pay on time.
- Payment plans: many utilities, hospitals and lenders offer hardship plans if you ask before you miss a payment.
What a loan can cost in Pennsylvania
Worked examples at an illustrative rate, never above Pennsylvania's rate cap for that loan amount where the law sets one. They are examples, not quotes.
Representative example
- Amount borrowed
- $500
- Annual percentage rate (APR)
- 24%
- Repayment
- 12 monthly payments
- Payment
- $47.28
- Finance charge
- $67.36
- Total of payments
- $567.36
Example: a $500 installment loan at 24% APR repaid in 12 monthly payments of $47.28 costs $567.36 in total, including a finance charge of $67.36. Illustration only; your lender will disclose your actual APR, payment schedule and total cost before you accept a loan.
Representative example
- Amount borrowed
- $1,000
- Annual percentage rate (APR)
- 24%
- Repayment
- 12 monthly payments
- Payment
- $94.56
- Finance charge
- $134.72
- Total of payments
- $1,134.72
Example: a $1,000 installment loan at 24% APR repaid in 12 monthly payments of $94.56 costs $1,134.72 in total, including a finance charge of $134.72. Illustration only; your lender will disclose your actual APR, payment schedule and total cost before you accept a loan.
Representative example
- Amount borrowed
- $3,000
- Annual percentage rate (APR)
- 24%
- Repayment
- 12 monthly payments
- Payment
- $283.68
- Finance charge
- $404.16
- Total of payments
- $3,404.16
Example: a $3,000 installment loan at 24% APR repaid in 12 monthly payments of $283.68 costs $3,404.16 in total, including a finance charge of $404.16. Illustration only; your lender will disclose your actual APR, payment schedule and total cost before you accept a loan.
Resources in Pennsylvania
Free and low-cost places to turn in Pennsylvania, each linked to its official source and dated when we last checked it.
Lending regulator and complaints
Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (DoBS) licenses lenders in Pennsylvania. Check a lender's license here, and file a complaint if something goes wrong.
Check a lender's license File a complaint
pa.gov Checked September 23, 2026
Attorney general consumer protection
The attorney general's consumer protection office takes complaints about scams, unfair debt collection and other business practices.
attorneygeneral.gov Checked September 23, 2026
211
Call 211 or visit your local 211 site to reach help with rent, utilities, food and other urgent bills.
pa211.org Checked September 23, 2026
Legal aid
Free civil legal help for people with low incomes, including debt collection, repossession and eviction problems. Income limits vary.
palegalaid.net Checked September 23, 2026
Nonprofit credit counseling
Nonprofit counselors can help you build a budget or set up a debt management plan. Look for an NFCC or FCAA member agency.
nfcc.org Checked September 23, 2026
Benefits portal
The official site for checking whether you qualify for food, cash or other benefits in Pennsylvania, and for signing up.
compass.dhs.pa.gov Checked September 23, 2026
Federal complaints
Submit a complaint about any lender to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Submit a complaint to the CFPB
consumerfinance.gov Checked September 23, 2026 Available in Spanish
Cheaper options to try first
Worth checking whatever your credit: these can cost less than a high-rate loan.
- Credit union payday alternative loans (PALs). Federal credit unions may offer small loans of up to $2,000 with terms of up to 12 months and an APR no higher than 28%, under NCUA rules (12 CFR 701.21). You usually need to be a member.
- Nonprofit credit counseling. A counselor accredited by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling can help you build a budget or a debt management plan.
- Ask your creditor for a payment plan. Utilities, hospitals and many lenders offer hardship or extended payment plans if you ask before you miss a payment.
- Local assistance. Call 211, or visit 211.org, for emergency help with rent, utilities and food in Pennsylvania.
The rules lenders follow in Pennsylvania
These rules protect you as a borrower and explain the labels above. Each one links to the source we took it from. How we research state rules.
Allowed in Pennsylvania: installment and personal loans. Not allowed: title loans and payday loans.
| Product | Status | APR cap | Amount | Term | License | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installment and personal loans[1][2][3] | Allowed | 24% APR | Up to $25,000 | Not set by statute | Consumer Discount Company license under the CDCA | Consumer Discount Company Act, 7 P.S. Section 6201 et seq.; general usury cap: Loan Interest and Protection Law, 41 P.S. Section 101 et seq. |
| Title loans[3] | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not set by statute | Not set by statute | None | Loan Interest and Protection Law, 41 P.S. Section 101 et seq.; Consumer Discount Company Act, 7 P.S. Section 6201 et seq. |
| Payday loans[3] | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not set by statute | Not set by statute | None | Check Cashing Licensing Act, 63 P.S. Section 2301 et seq.; Loan Interest and Protection Law, 41 P.S. Section 101 et seq. |
| Verified against the statute and regulator on September 23, 2026. Laws change; confirm with the regulator before you borrow. | ||||||
Bars place each APR cap on a 0 to 400% scale; the pin marks the cap. A striped bar means the statute sets no numeric cap.
Rate, fee and license rules in Pennsylvania
Installment and personal loans
- Rate cap
- Under the Consumer Discount Company Act (CDCA), a licensed consumer discount company may make loans of $25,000 or less at interest rates up to 24% per annum.
- Fees
- Entities merely holding themselves out as willing to arrange loans of $25,000 or less without a CDCA license are limited to Pennsylvania's general 6% Loan Interest and Protection Law (LIPL) rate.
- License
- Consumer Discount Company license under the CDCA (Act of Apr. 8, 1937, P.L. 262, No. 66), Dept. of Banking and Securities.
Title loans
- Rate cap
- Not applicable. No dedicated title-loan license exists; title lenders charging their typical rates violate Pennsylvania's general usury cap under the Loan Interest and Protection Law (41 P.S. Section 201 et seq., roughly 6-27% depending on characterization) absent a CDCA license, and the PA Attorney General has obtained restitution (e.g., a $705,000 settlement) against title lenders charging illegal rates.
- License
- None; no license authorizes vehicle title lending at title-loan-typical rates in Pennsylvania.
Payday loans
- Rate cap
- Not applicable; payday lending (deferred presentment on a postdated check) is not authorized. Pennsylvania's Check Cashing Licensing Act (1998) prohibits licensed check cashers from cashing or advancing money on postdated checks, and payday-style loans are also barred by the general usury cap (Loan Interest and Protection Law, 41 P.S. Section 201 et seq., roughly 6% absent a CDCA-type license) since no payday-specific licensing carve-out exists.
- License
- None; no license authorizes payday/deferred-presentment lending in Pennsylvania.
Money snapshot for Pennsylvania
Guides for Pennsylvania borrowers
Check your options in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania questions
Does Pennsylvania law allow payday loans?
Pennsylvania law does not allow payday loans. Source: Check Cashing Licensing Act, 63 P.S. Section 2301 et seq.; Loan Interest and Protection Law, 41 P.S. Section 101 et seq..
What is the most a lender can charge in Pennsylvania?
By loan type in Pennsylvania: Installment and personal loans: 24% APR. Title loans: Not allowed. Payday loans: Not allowed.
Where can I file a complaint about a lender in Pennsylvania?
You can file a complaint with Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (DoBS), and you can also submit one to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Both links are under Resources in Pennsylvania on this page.
How do I check a lender's license in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (DoBS) licenses lenders in Pennsylvania. Use the license link under Resources in Pennsylvania on this page to check a lender before you share your information.
Is there free help paying bills in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Resources in Pennsylvania on this page lists free help, including 211, legal aid, nonprofit credit counseling and benefits portal.
Can I get a loan in Pennsylvania with a 500 credit score?
Lenders look at more than your score, such as income and existing debts, and each sets its own rules. BadCreditMD cannot tell you whether a lender will approve you.
Nearby states
- District of ColumbiaAllowed 24% APR
- MarylandAllowed 33% APR (top tier)
- New JerseyAllowed 30% APR
- New YorkAllowed 25% APR
- DelawareAllowed No numeric cap
Sources
- legis.state.pa.us. Consumer Discount Company Act, 7 P.S. Section 6201 et seq.. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- pa.gov/services/dobs/file-a-complaint-about-a-financial-entity-or-professional. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (DoBS). Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- National Low Income Housing Coalition. Out of Reach 2026: Pennsylvania. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. Vintage 2024 National and State Population Estimates. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), All States, Seasonally Adjusted. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
Important disclosures
Illustrative range for installment loans in Pennsylvania: APRs from 5.99% to 24%, where the state APR cap is 24%. This range is not a quote; each lender sets its own rates. Your APR depends on your credit, income, state and the lender.
- BadCreditMD is not a lender or broker and does not make loans or credit decisions. When you submit a request, a lending network partner shares it with third-party lenders, and those lenders or the partner may pay us a fee for each referral. The lenders decide whether to offer you a loan.
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- Our service is not available in all states, and not every loan type is available in every state.
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- Short-term loans are costly and are not a long-term financial solution. Borrow only what you can repay on time.
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- Questions about a lender licensed in Pennsylvania? Contact the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (DoBS) or file a state complaint.
- You can submit a complaint about any lender to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.