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 Atlanta, GA
8 credit unions are headquartered in Atlanta, with 956,221 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
- 8
- Members
- 956,221
- Federal
- 4
- State-chartered
- 4
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Atlanta
Atlanta has 30 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 8 credit unions headquartered here — about 3.8 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 956,221 members — roughly 92 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
8
0.8 per 100k residents
956,221 members
Payday & loan stores
30
2.9 per 100k residents
5 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Atlanta: TitleMax (18), ACE Cash Express (6), OneMain Financial (3), loanDepot (2), 1st Franklin Financial (1).
Borrowing $500 for 6 months in Atlanta
| Option | Payment | Total cost of borrowing |
|---|---|---|
| Installment loan at the Georgia rate cap (16% APR) | $87.27/mo | $23.59 |
| Credit union PAL (28% APR) | $90.27/mo | $41.62 |
| Payday loan renewed every 2 weeks (typical $15 per $100, not available in Georgia) | $75.00 every 2 weeks | $975.00 |
- Monthly payment at the Georgia rate cap vs median monthly household income
- 1.2%
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 Atlanta
- Median household income
- $87,602
- A $400 emergency equals
- 1.7 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 16.3%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 14.9%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Atlanta are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Georgia
| Payday loan in GA | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Not allowed — storefront payday loans are banned | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Rate cap | Capped at 16% APR (Payday Lending Ban) | 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: Georgia law as summarized on our Georgia 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 Atlanta
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Community Credit UnionState-chartered | 3250 Riverwood Pkwy SE Atlanta, GA 30339 | 537,196 | deltacommunitycu.com |
| Georgia's Own Credit UnionState-chartered | P.O. Box 105205 Atlanta, GA 30348 | 242,144 | georgiasown.org |
| Center Parc Credit UnionState-chartered | 400 Porsche Avenue Atlanta, GA 30354 | 125,381 | mycenterparc.com |
| Cdc Federal Credit UnionFederal | P O Box 49169 Atlanta, GA 30359 | 23,527 | cdcfcu.com |
| Credit Union of AtlantaState-chartered | 670 Metropolitan Parkway SW Atlanta, GA 30310 | 14,289 | cuatlanta.org |
| Northside Federal Credit UnionFederal | 980 Johnson Ferry Rd NE Ste 190 Atlanta, GA 30342 | 5,951 | northsidefcu.com |
| On the Grid Financial Federal Credit UnionFederal | 5901 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd Ste A275 Atlanta, GA 30328 | 3,930 | cuonthegrid.com |
| B.O.N.D. Community Federal Credit UnionFederal | P. O. Box 5286 Atlanta, GA 31107 | 3,803 | bondcu.com |
Payday and installment loan stores in Atlanta
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Atlanta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1231 Moreland Ave SE Atlanta, GA 30316 | (404) 627-2798 | — | 4.9 |
| 1820 Metropolitan Pkwy SW Atlanta, GA 30315 | (404) 758-2405 | — | 4.9 |
| 2015 N Druid Hills Rd Atlanta, GA 30329 | (404) 997-6011 | — | 5.0 |
| 2132 Campbellton Rd SW Ste G Atlanta, GA 30311 | (404) 756-8285 | — | 5.0 |
| 2280 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE Suite B Atlanta, GA 30324 | (404) 315-0778 | — | 4.9 |
| 2690 Sylvan Rd East Point, GA 30344 | (404) 761-6971 | — | 5.0 |
| 2740 Greenbriar Pkwy SW Ste A6 Atlanta, GA 30331 | (404) 349-7354 | — | 5.0 |
| 3024 M.L.K. Jr Dr SW Suite A Atlanta, GA 30311 | (404) 691-4770 | — | 5.0 |
| 307 Candler Rd SE Atlanta, GA 30317 | (404) 288-6821 | — | 5.0 |
| 3137 Main St East Point, GA 30344 | (404) 761-1252 | — | 5.0 |
| 3825 Jonesboro Rd SE Atlanta, GA 30354 | (404) 477-2155 | — | 5.0 |
| 4667 Buford Hwy Chamblee, GA 30341 | (770) 454-8847 | — | 5.0 |
| 5420 Old National Hwy College Park, GA 30349 | (404) 761-1174 | — | 5.0 |
| 5431 Riverdale Rd #3176 Atlanta, GA 30349 | (770) 907-7474 | — | 5.0 |
| 5567 Peachtree Industrial Blvd Chamblee, GA 30341 | (770) 452-8666 | — | 5.0 |
| 5679 Buford Hwy NE Doraville, GA 30340 | (770) 451-2390 | — | 4.9 |
| 7293 Roswell Rd Sandy Springs, GA 30328 | (678) 443-8604 | — | 5.0 |
| 7875 Roswell Rd Ste G Sandy Springs, GA 30350 | (678) 443-0751 | — | 5.0 |
| 2798 Camp Creek Pkwy College Park, GA 30337 | (404) 763-9292 | — | 4.9 |
| 3583 M.L.K. Jr Dr SW Atlanta, GA 30331 | (404) 505-0170 | — | 4.9 |
| 381 Moreland Ave SE Atlanta, GA 30316 | (404) 525-1668 | — | 4.8 |
| 461 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30308 | (404) 888-0890 | — | 4.9 |
| 5190 Old National Hwy Ste A College Park, GA 30349 | (404) 768-6260 | — | 4.8 |
| 863 Oak St SW Atlanta, GA 30310 | (404) 756-0101 | — | 4.9 |
| 3645 Marketplace Blvd Ste 180 East Point, GA 30344 | (404) 344-3682 | — | 3.7 |
| 55 Trinity Ave SW Atlanta, GA 30303 | (943) 943-9472 | — | 2.7 |
| 5883 Glenridge Dr Ste 120 Atlanta, GA 30328 | (678) 514-7156 | — | 3.0 |
| 115 Perimeter Center Pl #600 Atlanta, GA 30346 | (678) 221-2810 | — | 4.4 |
| 3455 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30326 | (470) 243-7764 | — | 1.4 |
| 8610 Roswell Rd Suite 750 Sandy Springs, GA 30350 | (770) 587-5489 | — | 4.7 |
More about Atlanta
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 Atlanta 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.