Most people know what ‘APR’ stands for, as they’ve seen it with home loans, and other sort of big pieces of money - but often times, a payday loan APR can be a very daunting thing, and for good reason.

There are many states that have regulated the maximum APR for payday loans and this is a really good thing. It’s not going to be close to what you are thinking for an APR though. Try looking a lot higher because a short term loan often has a very high APR.

Understanding an APR

Although many people do know what an APR is, some do not. In fact, many people have no understanding of a payday loan APR.

APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate, which is basically the annual interest rate on the loan itself. With large loans, like a home loan, or small business loan, the APR is usually very low, mostly because the loan is paid back over a long period of time.

But, a Payday loan APR doest work a little differently.

How Does Payday Loan APR Work?

Unfortunately, a payday loan APR is extremely high, in fact, the highest interest rate seen with any type of loan. Since this is a short term loan, which is usually no more than 14 days, the loan companies can get by charging unbelievable rates. As a result, people going this route could easily be charged anywhere from $20 to $40 in high interest.

Normally, you will find APRs that are between 250% - 390%, which is really large except that you are just borrowing a small amount and are planning to pay it back in a fast rate of time.

There are some states that have put a cap on the highest possible APR that a Payday loan company can use. They regulate how long the loan can be and if it can be renewed or extended in any way. Some states have hugely strict laws and some have none at all.

Things to Look for in a Payday Loan

If you are in the market for a payday loan APR, then remember that the lower the interest rate the less amount of money you would be required to pay back on the actual loan.

However, sometimes people overlook the fees. What happens is that they see the APR and believe it is reasonable but once fees are added, they realize they are paying outrageous fees for a loan. Therefore, it is always best to look for loan companies that offer not only a low APR, but also low fees.

Things To Remember

You should borrow wisely and don’t go with a company that has high payday loan APR rates or you will feel it later.