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Payday Loans in Seattle, WA: Stores, Costs and Rules
Updated November 2026 · By Payday Loans Reviews Editorial Team · Not a lender
Yes, payday loans are legal and available in Seattle through licensed storefront lenders. Washington State caps these loans at $700 or 30% of your gross monthly income, whichever is less, and limits the term to 45 days. The law sets fees at 15% on the first $500 borrowed and 10% on any amount above that, with a maximum total fee of $95.
Seattle itself has only five licensed storefronts listed in our directory, with Moneytree operating three locations. State law also restricts you to eight payday loans per year total, not per lender, and rollovers are prohibited. As a concrete example, a $500 loan for 14 days carries a $75 fee, meaning you would repay $575 total. That specific example works out to an APR of 391%. You'll find the full fee structure, nearby branch addresses, and a cost calculator below, along with alternatives such as credit union PALs that cap APR at 28%.
King County · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area
Seattle borrowers and Washington payday laws
- Max loan amount
- $700 or 30% of income
- Min loan term
- N/A
- Max loan term
- 45 days
- Finance charge cap
- 15% up to $500; 10% above
- Max absolute fee
- $95
- Typical APR
- ~390%
- Rollovers (extensions)
- Prohibited
- Simultaneous loans
- Max 8 loans per year
- Right to rescind
- Next business day
- Governing law
- Washington Check Cashers and Sellers Act
- Regulator
- WA State DFI
Payday loan cost calculator for Seattle
Move the sliders to see what a payday loan would cost under Washington rules and how it compares with local incomes.
Example range up to $1,000
Washington sets no fixed fee; $15 is typical
Rollovers are not allowed in Washington.
- Fee
- $75
- Total to repay
- $575
- APR
- 391%
- Share of a two-week household paycheck in Seattle
- 1.7%
Estimate only. APR = fee ÷ amount × 365 ÷ term. Lenders may charge less than the state maximum; actual terms vary.
Payday loan stores in Seattle, WA
Licensed storefront lenders in Seattle with addresses, phone numbers and hours. We do not rank or recommend any lender; confirm each company's license with the WA State DFI before you borrow.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10500 Greenwood Ave N Seattle, WA 98133 | (206) 782-2274 | — | 4.6 |
| 116 SW 148th St Ste D-120 Burien, WA 98166 | (206) 835-1700 | — | 4.3 |
| 1528 3rd Ave Seattle, WA 98101 | (206) 254-0202 | — | 3.6 |
| 10740 Meridian Ave N #105 Seattle, WA 98133 | (206) 362-4566 | — | 4.3 |
| 14200 1st Ave S #104 Burien, WA 98168 | (253) 854-3460 | — | 3.8 |
Seattle at a glance
| Metric | Seattle | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 994,393 | 7.7M | 332.3M |
| Median household income | $116,414 | $100,769 | $85,275 |
| Median rent | $1,933/mo | $1,680/mo | $1,432/mo |
| Income spent on rent | 30.6% | 30.7% | 31.6% |
| Homeownership | 49.6% | 64.9% | 65.4% |
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 10.0% | 12.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.3% |
| Without health insurance | 5.3% | 6.4% | 8.6% |
| Veterans | 4.0% | 8.2% | 6.5% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code. City and state figures are population-weighted averages of ZIP code data and are approximate.
What a payday loan costs in Seattle
- Fee on a $500 loan
- $75
- Share of a two-week household paycheck
- 1.7%
- Hours of work at the local median wage
- 2.4 hours
- Rollovers
- Not allowed in Washington
Washington sets no fixed fee in dollars, so this example uses a typical fee of $15 per $100 on a $500 loan and local median incomes: two-week paycheck = household income ÷ 26, hourly wage = individual income ÷ 2,080. Actual terms vary by lender.
Payday loans in Seattle: how to apply
Sometimes money runs tight before payday. For anyone in Seattle who needs funds fast, we connect you with reputable lenders licensed in your state.
Send in your application online, receive a quick decision, and, if approved, get the cash deposited to your account by the following business day.
Why Seattle residents use us
- Fast 5-minute request A virtual form that spares you a trip to any brick-and-mortar location.
- Bad credit considered Your steady paycheck matters more to lenders than your credit score.
- Loans within Washington limits All rates and contract terms must satisfy the requirements of the Washington Check Cashers and Sellers Act.
- Safe & confidential We protect your identity and account details using industry-standard encryption.
Notice for Seattle residents: Short-term payday credit is meant for sudden financial gaps, not ongoing budget problems. Maximum loan sizes, charges and interest rates must follow Washington rules under the Washington Check Cashers and Sellers Act. Take time to read every part of your loan agreement before you sign.
Read more about borrowing in Seattle
Who runs payday stores in Seattle
| Company | Stores | Share of stores | Average Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moneytree | 3 | 60% | 4.2 |
| OneMain Financial | 2 | 40% | 4.0 |
Store counts and ratings from our directory. We do not rank or recommend lenders.
Seattle in context
- Population rank in Washington
- 1st
- of 33 Washington cities with 50,000+ residents
- Median household income rank
- 12th
- of 33 Washington cities with 50,000+ residents
- Households earning under $25,000
- 11.0%
- ▼ 0.1 pts vs WA
- Median home value
- $855,299
- ▲ 46% vs WA
- Home value to income
- 7.3×
- A $400 emergency expense
- 1.3 days
- of median household income
Local numbers for Seattle borrowers
Seattle in King County is home to about 994,393 residents, Washington's most populous city on this site. The median household income in Seattle is $116,414, 16% higher than the Washington figure of $100,769 (above the U.S. figure).
A typical home here is valued at about $855,299 (46% above the Washington median). The price-to-income ratio is near 7.3. Individual earners take home a median of $63,958 a year. Seattle is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area.
A $500 payday loan with a $75 fee would take 1.7% of a typical two-week paycheck in Seattle, or about 2 hours of work at the local median wage. Among nearby cities, Longview has the lowest median rent at $1,142. Kent, close by, reports a median household income of $100,336. Locally, you will find 5 licensed loan storefronts, most of them Moneytree, 5 credit unions, 195 bank branches and 12 pawn shops in Seattle.
Seattle renters pay a median of $1,933 a month versus $1,680 statewide. At 30.6% of income, rent is a real but manageable share of the budget for many. The poverty rate is 10.2% (above Washington's 10.0%). 11.0% of households bring in less than $25,000. Unemployment stands near 4.6% (statewide: 5.0%). 50.4% of households are renters.
Seattle and nearby cities
| City | Population | Median household income | Median rent | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 994,393 | $116,414 | $1,933 | 10.2% |
| Kent | 168,134 | $100,336 | $1,926 | 9.5% |
| Tacoma | 352,796 | $85,294 | $1,690 | 11.4% |
| Longview | 50,845 | $64,705 | $1,142 | 14.4% |
| Vancouver | 356,538 | $89,919 | $1,681 | 9.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates.
Seattle payday loan cost table
| Amount | Fee (14 days) | APR | Repay once | Repay after 2 renewals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $15 | 391% | $115 | $145 |
| $200 | $30 | 391% | $230 | $290 |
| $300 | $45 | 391% | $345 | $435 |
| $400 | $60 | 391% | $460 | $580 |
| $500 | $75 | 391% | $575 | $725 |
| $750 | $112 | 391% | $862 | $1,088 |
Fee of $15 per $100 per term from state rules in our database; renewals only where the state allows them.
FAQ for Seattle borrowers
How much do households earn in Seattle?
Census estimates show a median household income of $116,414 and a median rent of $1,933 a month in Seattle.
How many lenders are there in Seattle?
Our directories list 5 licensed loan storefronts and 5 credit unions in Seattle, Washington. Credit unions usually charge far less than storefront lenders for small loans.
How much of their income do Seattle renters spend on housing?
Renters in Seattle spend about 30.6% of their income on housing, against a 30% affordability benchmark, and 10.2% of residents live below the poverty line (statewide: 10.0%).
Is a trip to a physical store in Seattle necessary to apply?
There is no need to visit a storefront. Apply and sign online, then receive your funds by direct deposit to your checking account.
When will the money hit my account in Seattle?
Getting an initial response typically takes only minutes. Provided you review and digitally sign the loan agreement before the lender's daily cutoff, funds are normally released the same day or the next business day, based on your bank's posting rules.