Payday Loan Calculator: Fee, Total Due and True APR

Set the amount, your state fee, and the term. See the flat fee, the total due, and the APR it hides.

This calculator prices a payday advance the way state law prices it: a flat fee per $100 borrowed, due in full on your 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 that fee represents.

Worked example: Alabama caps the fee at 17.5% of the loan amount. A $500 advance for 14 days carries an $87.50 fee, leaves $587.50 due on payday, and annualizes to about 456% APR. California prices differently: a $300 check carries a 15% fee, so the net advance is $255 and the fee is $45 for up to 31 days.

The APR line is not a scare number; it is a translation. A fee charged for two weeks would compound enormously if it renewed for a year, and the APR makes offers of different sizes and terms comparable. The fee line is the one your budget has to clear: run the slack check below the numbers and borrow nothing bigger than it.

Loan amount ($100-$1,000) Fee per $100 ($10-$30) Term in days (7-31)

Fee

Total due on payday

Annualized APR

Your state page lists the exact fee regime; the full comparison is in the rates and fees table.

Checked your number and the repayment fits? The request form prices a real offer with no fee to apply. Still comparing? The rates and fees table shows every state's ceiling side by side.

Frequently asked questions

How is the payday loan APR calculated?

Fee divided by amount, multiplied by 365 divided by the term in days. A $75 fee on a $500 advance over 14 days is 391% APR. The annualization makes offers of different sizes and terms comparable.

Why is the APR so high when the fee looks small?

Because a fee charged for two weeks would be charged roughly 26 times in a year if the loan rolled over. The APR translates that short-term charge into an annual rate; the flat fee is the number that actually leaves your account.

What fee does my state charge?

Fees run from about $10 to $30 per $100 depending on the state. Thirteen states do not license payday lending at all. Your state page shows the exact ceiling, the statute behind it, and the regulator that enforces it.

Does the calculator include rollovers?

No. It prices a single cycle honestly, which is the only way to use it: if the total due cannot clear in one paycheck, the fee is not the problem, the size is. Rollovers add a fresh finance charge every cycle.

Reviewed by Marcus Bell, Reviewer, credit counseling background. Every fee, cap, and formula on this page was checked against the published state rules.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-26