Compare legal limits, fees and the true cost of small loans in your state before you talk to any lender. Compare legal limits, fees and the true cost of small loans in your state.
Credit Unions vs Payday Loans in Phoenix, AZ
9 credit unions are headquartered in Phoenix, with 1,032,898 members in total. Credit unions are member-owned and often offer small personal loans and payday alternative loans (PALs) at far lower rates than payday lenders.
- Credit unions
- 9
- Members
- 1.0M
- Federal
- 3
- State-chartered
- 6
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Phoenix
Phoenix has 58 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 9 credit unions headquartered here — about 6.4 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 1,032,898 members — roughly 71 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
9
0.6 per 100k residents
1.0M members
Payday & loan stores
58
4.0 per 100k residents
9 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Phoenix: TitleMax (26), ACE Cash Express (8), CASH 1 Loans (7), Speedy Cash (6), Oportun (4).
Borrowing $500 for 6 months in Phoenix
| Option | Payment | Total cost of borrowing |
|---|---|---|
| Installment loan at the Arizona rate cap (36% APR) | $92.30/mo | $53.79 |
| Credit union PAL (28% APR) | $90.27/mo | $41.62 |
| Payday loan renewed every 2 weeks (typical $15 per $100, not available in Arizona) | $75.00 every 2 weeks | $975.00 |
- Monthly payment at the Arizona rate cap vs median monthly household income
- 1.4%
Example calculation with fixed monthly payments; the payday row shows typical out-of-state pricing for comparison. Actual rates and terms vary by lender.
What it means for a household in Phoenix
- Median household income
- $76,394
- A $400 emergency equals
- 1.9 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 14.1%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 15.2%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Phoenix are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Arizona
| Payday loan in AZ | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Not allowed — storefront payday loans are banned | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Rate cap | Capped at 36% APR | Up to 28% |
| Term | Usually 2–4 weeks, due in one payment | 1 to 12 months, in installments |
| Credit check | Usually none; a bank account and income are required | Membership required; payments can be reported to credit bureaus |
Payday rules: Arizona law as summarized on our Arizona payday page. PAL rules: National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) rules for federal credit unions (PAL I and PAL II); state-chartered credit unions may offer similar small loans.
Credit unions headquartered in Phoenix
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Financial Credit UnionState-chartered | 148 N 48th St Phoenix, AZ 85034 | 511,369 | desertfinancial.com |
| Oneaz Credit UnionState-chartered | 2355 W Pinnacle Peak Rd Phoenix, AZ 85027 | 237,714 | oneazcu.com |
| Arizona Financial Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 60070 Phoenix, AZ 85082 | 178,809 | arizonafinancial.org |
| Arizona Central Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 11650 Phoenix, AZ 85061 | 46,768 | azcentralcu.org |
| Copper State Credit UnionState-chartered | 15458 N 28th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85053 | 37,804 | copperstatecu.org |
| Banner Federal Credit UnionFederal | 9321 W Thomas Rd, Ste 125 Phoenix, AZ 85037 | 6,624 | bannerfcu.org |
| Marisol Federal Credit UnionFederal | PO Box 20525 Phoenix, AZ 85036 | 5,980 | marisolcu.org |
| Alhambra Credit UnionState-chartered | 7339 N 35th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85051 | 4,045 | alhambracu.com |
| U-Haul Federal Credit UnionFederal | P O Box 21506 Phoenix, AZ 85036 | 3,785 | uhaulfedcu.com |
Payday and installment loan stores in Phoenix
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Phoenix with addresses, phone numbers and hours. Check a credit union first — a PAL or small personal loan usually costs far less.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1617 E Thomas Rd Phoenix, AZ 85016 | (602) 200-9677 | — | 4.9 |
| 1702 W Bell Rd Phoenix, AZ 85023 | (602) 358-2314 | — | 5.0 |
| 1951 W Indian School Rd Phoenix, AZ 85015 | (602) 282-3174 | — | 5.0 |
| 2270 N 75th Ave Ste 112 Phoenix, AZ 85035 | (623) 255-3441 | — | 4.9 |
| 2311 W Glendale Ave Phoenix, AZ 85021 | (602) 242-9750 | — | 5.0 |
| 2401 E Bell Rd Phoenix, AZ 85032 | (602) 404-9929 | — | 5.0 |
| 3020 W Van Buren St Phoenix, AZ 85009 | (602) 233-9084 | — | 5.0 |
| 3201 E Thomas Rd #104 Phoenix, AZ 85018 | (602) 282-0584 | — | 5.0 |
| 3236 E McDowell Rd Phoenix, AZ 85008 | (602) 281-7714 | — | 4.9 |
| 3331 W Union Hills Dr Phoenix, AZ 85027 | (602) 298-9541 | — | 4.9 |
| 340 E Baseline Rd Phoenix, AZ 85042 | (602) 232-2627 | — | 4.9 |
| 3449 W Southern Ave Phoenix, AZ 85041 | (602) 276-6042 | — | 5.0 |
| 3514 W Cactus Rd Phoenix, AZ 85029 | (602) 298-9959 | — | 5.0 |
| 3514 W Glendale Ave Ste 1-A Phoenix, AZ 85051 | (602) 242-9183 | — | 5.0 |
| 3549 W Thomas Rd Phoenix, AZ 85019 | (602) 233-9103 | — | 5.0 |
| 3605 E Bell Rd Phoenix, AZ 85032 | (602) 765-4556 | — | 5.0 |
| 4130 N 83rd Ave Ste 1 Phoenix, AZ 85033 | (623) 245-9545 | — | 5.0 |
| 4218 W Bethany Home Rd Phoenix, AZ 85019 | (623) 282-3266 | — | 5.0 |
| 4255 W Bell Rd Phoenix, AZ 85053 | (602) 314-8170 | — | 5.0 |
| 4707 E Bell Rd Ste C-1 Phoenix, AZ 85032 | (602) 404-9404 | — | 5.0 |
| 4855 E Warner Rd Ste A 14 Phoenix, AZ 85044 | (480) 496-9690 | — | 4.9 |
| 5102 W Thomas Rd Phoenix, AZ 85031 | (623) 846-8123 | — | 4.9 |
| 5369 W Indian School Rd Phoenix, AZ 85031 | (623) 245-9657 | — | 5.0 |
| 5835 S Central Ave Phoenix, AZ 85040 | (602) 232-2052 | — | 5.0 |
| 7419 W Indian School Rd Phoenix, AZ 85033 | (623) 207-6060 | — | 5.0 |
| 7435 W Lower Buckeye Rd suite 106 Phoenix, AZ 85043 | (623) 478-0602 | — | 5.0 |
| 15249 N 32nd St Phoenix, AZ 85032 | (602) 482-4650 | — | 4.9 |
| 2716 W Indian School Rd Phoenix, AZ 85017 | (602) 230-2886 | — | 4.9 |
| 2835 N 16th St Ste 6 Phoenix, AZ 85006 | (602) 248-8088 | — | 4.9 |
| 3343 W Peoria Ave Ste 8 Phoenix, AZ 85029 | (602) 548-1180 | — | 4.9 |
| 3458 W Van Buren St Phoenix, AZ 85009 | (602) 272-7323 | — | 4.8 |
| 6402 S Central Ave Phoenix, AZ 85042 | (602) 243-7588 | — | 4.9 |
| 8225 W Indian School Rd Ste 106 Phoenix, AZ 85033 | (623) 245-3424 | — | 5.0 |
| 9401 N Cave Creek Rd Phoenix, AZ 85020 | (602) 331-0745 | — | 4.9 |
| 1728 W Bell Rd Phoenix, AZ 85023 | (602) 298-0394 | — | 4.9 |
| 2415 E Thomas Rd #2 Phoenix, AZ 85016 | (602) 955-8800 | — | 4.9 |
| 2539 E Bell Rd Phoenix, AZ 85032 | (602) 996-4781 | — | 4.9 |
| 4246 W Northern Ave Phoenix, AZ 85051 | (623) 939-4300 | — | 4.9 |
| 4735 E Southern Ave Phoenix, AZ 85042 | (602) 454-1300 | — | 4.9 |
| 5050 W McDowell Rd Phoenix, AZ 85035 | (602) 362-1664 | — | 4.9 |
| 549 W Thomas Rd Phoenix, AZ 85013 | (602) 277-8673 | — | 4.9 |
| 1551 E Indian School Rd Phoenix, AZ 85014 | (602) 351-2274 | — | 4.9 |
| 1841 W Northern Ave Phoenix, AZ 85021 | (602) 395-9400 | — | 4.9 |
| 3501 W Glendale Ave Phoenix, AZ 85051 | (602) 973-2274 | — | 4.9 |
| 3520 E Bell Rd Phoenix, AZ 85032 | (602) 404-2274 | — | 4.9 |
| 4040 N 40th St Phoenix, AZ 85018 | (602) 956-3802 | — | 4.9 |
| 5819 W Camelback Rd Phoenix, AZ 85031 | (623) 845-1911 | — | 4.9 |
| 1610 N 75th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85035 | (602) 282-8041 | — | 4.7 |
| 3130 E Thomas Rd Phoenix, AZ 85016 | (623) 565-9110 | — | 4.9 |
| 5127 W Indian School Rd Phoenix, AZ 85031 | (602) 281-8606 | — | 4.9 |
| 5869 S Central Ave Phoenix, AZ 85040 | (602) 281-8563 | — | 4.9 |
| 3434 W Greenway Rd #116 Phoenix, AZ 85053 | (602) 298-9436 | — | 3.9 |
| 401 E Bell Rd Unit 21 Phoenix, AZ 85022 | (602) 938-4315 | — | 3.4 |
| 4501 E Thomas Rd #104 Phoenix, AZ 85018 | (480) 429-3741 | — | 3.8 |
| 5415 E High St #425 Phoenix, AZ 85054 | (602) 699-6530 | — | 4.6 |
| 7878 N 16th St #160 Phoenix, AZ 85020 | (602) 612-7950 | — | 5.0 |
| 9130 W Thomas Road Suite A-103, Algodon Center Phoenix, AZ 85037 | (623) 849-0804 | — | 4.4 |
| 10405 N 31st Ave Ste. D103 Phoenix, AZ 85051 | (480) 690-8272 | — | 4.9 |
More about Phoenix
Only credit union headquarters are listed, with the address on file with the NCUA; phone numbers and branch locations are on each credit union’s website. Many credit unions also have branches in Phoenix and nearby — check membership requirements, as some are open to anyone who lives or works in the area. Loan stores: storefront locations of major payday, installment and title lenders; call ahead to confirm hours.