Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Payday Loans But Were Afraid to Ask

A payday loan is a small short term loan you can use to cover
expenditure until your next payday. You can apply online and the
decision to loan you the money is made almost straight away. In most
cases the whole application can be completed online and the money loaned
can be credited into your bank account on the same day as you make your
application.

A payday loan is an unsecured loan, so it is not dependent on collateral, such as you owning a house or car etc.

Generally
when you make your first application you can borrow any amount up to
�300, depending on your take home pay. You are more likely to be
approved the less you want to borrow, so it is advisable to borrow only
what you need. Once you have successfully repaid loans with one
particular company they may then offer to lend you anything up to about
�750 in subsequent loans.

Payday loans can provide a useful solution for short term cash flow problems.

Who can apply for a Payday loan?

In
order to be eligible for a payday loan you must be over 18 years old
and in employment with a take home wage of at least �750 per month. You
must also have a bank account with a valid debit card.

Even if you have bad credit history you should still be able to obtain a payday loan as long as you fulfil the above criteria.

How do you get a Payday loan?

The
majority of payday loans are available online, so there is no delay
with faxing or posting of documents. The application process is quick
and easy to complete. You will be asked for your name, address, details
about your monthly income and employment, when your next payday is,
along with the amount you wish to borrow and your bank account details.

Once
you have submitted your application you should hear back from the
payday loan provider within minutes. They will email you with their
decision to the email address you have registered with your application.

Payday
loan providers partly make their decision as whether to lend you money
dependent on the amount you want to borrow compared to the amount you
earn. Only borrow what you need, the less you borrow the more likely
that your application will be accepted and the smaller the amount of
interest you will accrue.

If your application is successful you
will be sent, by email, your loan agreement showing the amount that will
be lent to you, the repayment date and the amount of interest you will
pay on the repayment date. Along with the loan agreement you should also
be sent loan conditions. These loan conditions should outline your
rights under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 along with details about
repaying the loan, cancelling the loan and the use the personal
information you supply when applying for the payday loan.

If you
are happy to proceed you sign online by providing details of your name
and answering a security question such as your mothers’ maiden name.
Then, email this back to the loan provider and the money will be
deposited into the bank account you registered at the application
process. The money can be deposited in your bank account on the same day
you make the application, so this is a very fast and efficient way of
borrowing money short term.

How do I repay the loan?

You
will need to repay the loan amount and the interest accrued on the
repayment date as specified in the loan agreement. The repayment date is
usually your payday, hence the name payday loan.

The repayment
will be collected by the loan provider by debiting the bank account you
registered at the application process, which is the bank account into
which you get your wages paid.

Repayment over a longer period

Payday
loans may be extended if you find yourself in a position to be unable
to satisfy all or part of the amount due on the repayment date. If this
happens it is recommended that you contact your payday loan provider as
soon as possible and explain your circumstances to them. They will then
be able to explain your options and how to go about extending your loan.

Even
if you are not able to fully settle the repayment amount, it is
advisable to pay off as much as possible on the repayment date. This
will help to keep the amount of interest you owe to a minimum. Some
companies may charge you additional fees for extending your loan, you
should check if this is the case before you sign your loan agreement.

Regulation of Payday Loan Companies

Properly regulated payday loan companies must adhere to strict laws governing the finance industry.

As with any financial product you apply for it is
always advisable to check that the company offering the loan is properly
regulated. The payday loan company you are applying to should show its
Consumer Credit Licence number within its loan conditions and it should
also be authorised by the Office of Fair Trading. If you are in any
doubt as to whether the payday loan company you are considering applying
to is fully regulated then you are within your rights to contact either
of these bodies for further information.

As long as the payday
loan company you are applying to is properly regulated, there will be a
recognised body to make any complaints you may have to and you can be
assured that you will not be subject to any unfair practices.

What are the benefits of a Payday loan?

Fast

One
of the main benefits of a payday loan is the speed at which the cash
can be credited to you. The money you need can be available to you in
your bank account on the same day that you make the application. This
can provide valuable assistance if you have a short term cash flow
problem and need money in an emergency.

Simple

The
application process is very simple, it takes just minutes to apply for a
payday loan and you do not have waste time posting or faxing documents
to the payday loan provider, as you would with other more traditional
high street loans.

Poor Credit History

Payday
loans are available to people with a poor credit history. This is
because payday loan companies do not solely make their decision to lend
based on a persons credit history. As long as you fulfil the application
criteria you have a good chance of obtaining a payday loan. For many
people a payday loan may be the only way they are able to obtain credit,
especially in the current financial climate where the majority of
lenders are unwilling to provide loans altogether, never mind to a
person with a poor credit history.

Use of the Loan Money

You
do not have to tell the payday loan provider what you need the payday
loan for. You can use the money for whatever you want. You may need
money in an emergency which can not wait until payday for instance;
emergency medical or dental treatment, to settle a bill quickly, extra
spending money on holiday or even for a romantic weekend away. The
choice is yours as long as you make the repayment due on the repayment
date.

No Upfront Costs

There are no upfront
costs associated with a payday loan. You do not pay anything back until
the repayment date you have agreed to in the loan agreement.

Why does the APR appear high on payday loans?

The
APR applied to payday loans appears at first glance to be high. This is
very misleading, but there is a simple reason why this figure looks so
high. APR is an Annual Percentage Rate, and as such is calculated over a
whole year (365 days). However, a payday loan is taken usually only
over a number of days or weeks.

The APR calculation was not
designed to apply to very short term loans such as payday loans. It was
designed to apply to long term loans in existence for a year or more. It
is really a theoretical figure than enables people to compare similar
longer term loan products, like mortgages or ongoing credit balances.

Rather
than relying on the APR rate it is more advisable to look directly at
the loan agreement to see exactly how much interest you will be charged
for the period of your payday loan. Some companies have a standard
interest charge for the amount you wish to borrow regardless of the
duration of the loan. It is then up to you to decide whether you will be
able to repay both the cash advance you receive initially and the
interest amount on the repayment date.

To Conclude

Many
people do not have savings or access to credit cards or more
traditional loans and so the convenience of a regulated payday loan
provides piece of mind should the occasion arise that they need some
money quickly.

If you need money in a hurry, can not wait until
payday and are confident that you can make the necessary repayments on
the repayment date, this could be the ideal solution for you.

Overall,
payday loans are convenient, easy to access and offer a viable option
for people who require money quickly for whatever reason.