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Whether you need to pay for an emergency root canal or have unexpected home repairs, sometimes those bills can’t wait for your next paycheck.

If you’ve researched how to access cash quickly, you might wonder if online payday loans are the answer. Lenders that offer payday loans typically promise you things like quick applications, no credit checks, and expedited approvals. They may say you’ll get the cold hard cash you need the very next day. But interest rates can be very high and create debt problems for borrowers. Learn more here so you can make the right choice when you need cash fast.

How Do Payday Loans Work?

Payday loans are called that because they’re meant to be paid back the next time you get a paycheck. They’re generally for small amounts, and usually don’t require collateral or even necessarily a credit check.

The catch? Payday loans come at a price — and a high one, at that. They can have interest rates of 400% or even higher, depending on the lender you choose and which state you’re in. (Some states have stronger protective laws, including rate caps.)

Such high-interest rates and other associated fees can quickly lead to situations where you end up getting behind on the loan. You may end up having to borrow more and more in order to pay back the money you borrowed, especially since the loan might come due in only two weeks or a month. Soon you may be in a hole so deep you might not know how to get out. It can be costly, greatly damage your credit, or even lead to bankruptcy.

Recommended: What Are Common Uses for Personal Loans?

How Much Does a Payday Loan Cost?

The short answer: a lot. Here’s a specific example.

Say you take out a $500 payday loan at an annual percentage rate (APR) of 300%. You would only pay that full 300% if you took a whole year to pay off the loan because the APR is what you would be charged in interest over 12 months.

However, even if you only borrow money for one month, you’d have to pay 1/12 of 300%, which translates to 25%. Here’s where the math gets ugly: 25% of $500 is $125, which means that when your loan comes due at the end of its very short term, you’ll owe $625. This amount might be tough to meet, especially if you’re in a situation where you needed a payday loan in the first place.

What Is a Direct Payday Loan?

Payday loans are offered by a wide variety of vendors, but for the most part, they break down into two categories: direct payday loans and those offered through a broker.

With direct payday loans, the entire loan process, from application to funding to repayment, is all managed by the same company. Although these can be slightly better than indirect loans — which may involve multiple fees, longer funding wait times, and harder-to-pin-down communication — they’re still generally considered a bad idea.

Why Is it Best To Avoid Payday Lending?

Other than the possibility that you can get money quickly if you have bad credit, there aren’t many benefits associated with payday loans. You’ll end up paying a significant amount in interest, and you’re usually expected to pay the money back in a very short period of time — usually within two weeks or so.

The interest on your loan can also compound daily, weekly, or monthly. This means that interest charges will start accumulating on the interest you already owe, which will inflate your loan balance even more.

Depending on how much you borrowed and your financial situation, compounding interest can make it incredibly difficult for you to pay back the loan. Many times borrowers end up taking out additional loans to pay off the payday loan, which can lock them into a seemingly endless cycle of debt.

You’re also unlikely to be able to borrow a large amount of money because payday and fast cash loan lenders typically have low maximum borrowing amounts.

What’s more, you won’t even be building your credit if you do manage to pay the loan back on time, because most of these lenders don’t report your behavior back to credit bureaus. In contrast, above-board lenders will report back to credit bureaus when you’re paying your bills on time and in full, and that can positively impact your credit score.

What Are Some Alternatives to Payday Loans?

In an ideal world, you’d avoid any kind of consumer debt. But sometimes it’s simply unavoidable. There are financially favorable alternatives to consider before you sign up for a risky payday loan.

Paycheck Advance

The best kind of money to borrow is money you’ve already earned. While not every employer offers it, a paycheck advance can be a relatively low-risk way to fund last-minute emergencies. An advance on your paycheck basically means getting paid earlier than you normally would, with the balance deducted from your future paycheck.

But tread carefully: Many employers offer paycheck advances through apps and platforms that may assess a one-time fee or even charge interest. While the rates may not be as astronomical as payday loan rates, it’s still worth taking a second look at the paperwork to ensure you understand what you’re signing up for ahead of time.

Recommended: What to Know About Credit Card Cash Advances

Debt Settlement

Another option is debt settlement, which is where you offer a creditor a lump sum payment on a delinquent debt — a lump sum that often ends up being far less than the original amount you owed.

However, doing this does require some negotiating, and sometimes even some legal know-how, which is why many people seek the help of professional debt settlement companies. This, too, is tricky, because scams abound, and some debt settlement companies may try to charge exorbitant fees to “eliminate your debt,” all without actually doing any work on your behalf. The Federal Trade Commission has more information on debt settlement and how to look for a reliable firm if you choose to go this route.

Personal Loans

Many types of personal loans are unsecured loans — meaning no collateral is involved — that can be used to pay for just about anything. And although they tend to have higher interest rates than secured loans, like mortgages or auto loans, those rates are still much lower than payday loans.

With its lower interest rate and longer-term, a personal loan will likely cost you less money than a payday loan in the long run. And some online personal loan lenders can process your application quickly and even get you the money you need in a matter of days.

Unlike payday loans, you have to go through a credit check to qualify and get approved for a personal loan. However, if you have a steady income and meet the lender’s eligibility requirements, you’re likely to qualify for a lower interest rate than you would if you used an online payday loan.

Your repayment timeline could also be less stressful if you opt for a personal loan rather than a payday loan. Personal loans come with the option of longer terms — a few years, for example, instead of a few months.

And because you can pay your loan off over a longer-term, your monthly payments might be more manageable than a payday loan. There also tend to be fewer fees attached to personal loans, and you might be able to borrow more because personal loans have higher loan maximums.

Personal loans aren’t much more difficult to apply for than payday or fast cash loans. You can typically get pre-qualified online by answering a few questions about your income, financial history, and occupation.

Recommended: Personal Loan Calculator

The Takeaway

When you need money quickly, payday loans — and their promise of fast money — can be tempting. But you’ll want to proceed with caution. These loans generally come with very high interest rates and associated fees, and you may only have a couple of weeks or so to pay back the money you borrowed. There are less-risky alternatives to consider, including paycheck advance, debt settlement, or a personal loan.

Think twice before turning to high-interest credit cards. Consider a SoFi personal loan instead. SoFi offers competitive fixed rates and same-day funding. See your rate in minutes.

FAQ

What is a disadvantage of a payday loan?

Payday loans generally come with high interest rates and associated fees. What’s more, you typically have to pay back the money you borrowed on your next payday.

Are payday loans a good idea?

Payday loans are usually not the top choice when you need cash quickly. That’s because they often come with high interest rates and tight repayment timelines.

What is the catch to payday lending?

The catch to payday loans is that borrowers are typically charged very high fees and interest rates.

Are payday loans easy or hard to pay back?

With their high interest rates and fees and short repayment timelines, payday loans can be difficult for borrowers to pay back on time.

Can payday loans hurt your credit?

While payday loans are unlikely to build your credit score, they can hurt your credit if you don’t pay back your loan and your lender sends the debt to a debt collector.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SOPL-Q225-097

In 2025, 42.7 million Americans collectively have over $1.77 trillion in student loan debt. If you are one of the millions with some form of student debt, you may have asked yourself, Should I consolidate my student loans?

Consolidation is a process that allows you to combine your student loans into one loan with one monthly payment. Simplifying the student loan repayment process might seem like a good idea, but there are a few things to consider before you consolidate your loans. In some cases, consolidating loans may disqualify you from certain federal student loan repayment programs and forgiveness. But other times, consolidation can allow you to lower your interest rates or shorten the amount of time it takes you to pay off your loan.

Read on to learn how student loan consolidation works, the pros and cons of the process, and when to consolidate student loans.

What is Student Loan Consolidation?

Student loan consolidation combines some or all of your student loans into one loan and makes repayment more manageable. There are both federal and private options when it comes to consolidating your student loans.

Private Student Loan Consolidation

Private student loan consolidation is more commonly known as student loan refinancing. This is when a private lender pays off all or some of your student loan debt and creates a new loan, which you will then make payments on. Ideally, when you refinance student loans, the new loan will have a lower interest rate and better terms than your previous student loans.

With a private lender, you can combine both federal and private loans. But if you refinance your federal loans you will lose access to federal student loan forgiveness programs, such as income-driven repayment plans. If you plan on using one of these programs now or at some point in the future, it’s best to hold off on refinancing federal loans. Instead, you could refinance just your private loans.

Federal Student Loan Consolidation

If you are hoping to consolidate federal loans only and want to keep access to federal forgiveness programs and other federal benefits, you can consolidate with a Direct Consolidation Loan through the U.S. Department of Education.

Consolidating through the federal student loan system doesn’t usually save you money; it simply combines multiple loans into one. Your new interest rate is a weighted average of all your loans’ interest rates, rounded up to the nearest eighth of a percentage point. Should you consolidate student loans, any unpaid interest on the loans you’re consolidating will be capitalized — that is, added to the principal of the new loan.

Consolidation may be particularly useful for borrowers who are pursuing federal student loan forgiveness or who are enrolled in one of the more flexible federal student loan repayment plans, such as an income-driven repayment plan.

You can also choose to consolidate your federal loans and refinance your private loans. If you go this route, you may be able to get the possible benefits of refinancing (lower interest rates, better terms) without losing the perks of having federal loans.

Before you consolidate or refinance your loans, you should consider the pros and cons of the process. Getting clarity on whether consolidation is right for you will help you make the right decision for your financial needs.

Benefits of Consolidating Student Loans

As you’re considering when to consolidate student loans either with a Direct Consolidation Loan or refinancing through a private lender, there are several advantages to keep in mind.

Simplified Repayment

Whether you choose a Direct Consolidation Loan or choose to refinance through a private lender, your loan repayment may be simplified. Managing multiple student loan payments might increase your chances of missing a payment. If you miss even one payment, you may risk damaging your credit score. Late payments may also stay on your credit profile for up to seven years.

Consolidating loans into one may help eliminate some of the stress of juggling multiple loan payments and may make repayment more manageable.

Fixed Interest Rate

When you refinance your loans through a private lender, your interest rate and terms will be based on your credit score, payment history, type of loan you’re seeking, and other financial factors. While requirements may vary by lender, applicants who meet or exceed the lender’s criteria may qualify for better interest rates and terms and save money over the life of the loan.

Borrowers can also switch from a variable to a fixed interest rate when refinancing through a private lender if they’d like a payment that stays the same every month (variable rates can fluctuate with market conditions).

With federal Direct Loan Consolidation, as mentioned earlier, a borrower’s interest rate is a weighted average of current loan rates rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of a percentage point, which means this doesn’t typically result in savings for the borrower. The borrower does, however, keep their access to federal loan forgiveness programs.

Flexible Loan Terms

Student loan consolidation may allow you to change the duration of your loan. If you currently have a 10-year repayment plan, for example, you may choose to shorten or lengthen the term of your loan when you consolidate or refinance. Typically, lengthening the term of your loan will reduce your monthly student loan payment but add up to more total interest in the long run.

Drawbacks of Student Loan Consolidation

Even though there are benefits of student loan consolidation, there are also drawbacks. Here are a few considerations to be aware of before consolidating student loans.

You Can’t Lower Interest Rates on Federal Student Loans When Consolidating

If you choose the Direct Consolidation Loan, generally you won’t see any savings. Because your new interest rate is a weighted average of your current loans rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of a percentage point, you will probably pay around the same amount you would have paid if you didn’t consolidate. In addition, any unpaid interest on the loan you’re consolidating will be capitalized — that is added to the loan principal.

If you extend your term, you may see your monthly payment decrease, but your total interest payments will increase.

On the other hand, if borrowers choose to refinance with a private lender, they may qualify for a lower interest rate, thus saving money over the term of the loan. They could also opt for lower monthly payments by extending their loan term. But they may pay more interest over the life of the loan if they refinance with an extended term.

Possible Disqualification from Federal Repayment Programs

Refinancing federal student loans with a private lender means you lose access to federal repayment programs, including the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) and income-driven repayment plans.

Borrowers will also be disqualified from federal benefits such as student loan forbearance and deferment options, which allow qualifying borrowers to pause payments in the event of financial hardship.

Some private lenders may offer their own hardship programs, but policies are determined by individual lenders.

Student Loan Refinancing vs. Consolidation

Consolidating or refinancing student loans are terms that are used interchangeably, but they actually apply to two different types of loans. A federal student loan consolidation is when you combine federal loans through a Direct Consolidation Loan. This is done by the U.S. Department of Education.

A student loan refinance allows you to combine private and/or federal loans into one new loan and is done by a private lender. While this does effectively “consolidate” your loans, it’s different in some important ways from federal student loan consolidation.

Below are some differences and similarities between student loan consolidation vs. refinancing.

Key Takeaways

Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of student loan consolidation — as well as the difference between federal student loan consolidation and private refinancing — can help you make an informed decision about repaying student loans.

If you decide to consolidate your loans through student loan refinancing, you might want to consider evaluating a few options from different lenders, because requirements — as well as interest rates and loan terms — can vary from lender to lender.

Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.

FAQ

Can your student loans still be forgiven if you consolidate them?

If you consolidate your federal student loans with a Direct Loan Consolidation, you are still eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs. However, if you choose to consolidate your federal loans through a private lender, which is known as refinancing, you will no longer be eligible for forgiveness programs and other federal student loan benefits.

When is consolidating student loans worth it?

Consolidating student loans is worth it if you’re looking to combine multiple student loan payments into one. You can use a Direct Consolidation Loan for your federal loans and keep your access to federal benefits like income-based repayment programs or forgiveness.

Another option is to refinance your student loans through a private lender, which may give you a lower interest rate and lower monthly payment, but if you refinance federal loans, you lose access to federal benefits like forgiveness and income-driven repayment plans.

What are some advantages of consolidating student loans?

The biggest advantage of consolidating your student loans is that you combine them into one loan so you only have one payment every month. This makes it easier to track your loans.

If you choose to refinance your loans with a private lender, you may also receive a lower interest rate, which can help you save money. But if you refinance federal loans with a private lender, you lose access to federal programs like forgiveness and forbearance.

What types of student loans are eligible for consolidation?

The types of federal student loans eligible for consolidation through federal Direct Loan Consolidation include: Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, Direct Plus Loans, Federal Stafford Loans from the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program, FFEL PLUS Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans.

The types of student loans eligible for refinancing are federal student loans and private student loans. But refinancing federal student loans makes them ineligible for federal benefits such as income-driven repayment and federal forgiveness programs.

SoFi Student Loan Refinance
Terms and conditions apply. SoFi Refinance Student Loans are private loans. When you refinance federal loans with a SoFi loan, YOU FORFEIT YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR ALL FEDERAL LOAN BENEFITS, including all flexible federal repayment and forgiveness options that are or may become available to federal student loan borrowers including, but not limited to: Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Income-Based Repayment, Income-Contingent Repayment, extended repayment plans, PAYE or SAVE. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Learn more at SoFi.com/eligibility. SoFi Refinance Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.