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 Topeka, KS
6 credit unions are headquartered in Topeka, with 115,029 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
- 6
- Members
- 115,029
- Federal
- 1
- State-chartered
- 5
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Topeka
Topeka has 7 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 6 credit unions headquartered here — about 1.2 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 115,029 members — roughly 70 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
6
3.7 per 100k residents
115,029 members
Payday & loan stores
7
4.3 per 100k residents
5 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Topeka: Speedy Cash (2), TitleMax (2), ACE Cash Express (1), Advance America (1), OneMain Financial (1).
What a $500 loan costs over 3 months
| Option | Payment | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan, re-borrowed 6 times (~391% APR) | $75.00 every 2 weeks | $450.00 |
| Credit union PAL, 3 monthly payments (28% APR + $20 fee) | $174.50 a month | $43.51 |
- You keep with a credit union PAL over 3 months
- $406.49 payday costs 10× more
Payday: the KS maximum — $75 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks, paid again each time the loan is renewed or taken out again (6 times in 3 months). PAL: payday alternative loan from a federal credit union, capped at 28% APR with an application fee of up to $20.
What it means for a household in Topeka
- Median household income
- $67,341
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 2.9%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 3.9 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 3.1%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.2 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 16.7%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 13.4%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Topeka are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Kansas
| Payday loan in KS | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Allowed | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Loan amount | $500 | $200 – $2,000 |
| Fee limit | 15% of cash advanced ($75) | Application fee up to $20 |
| Typical APR | ~391% | 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: Kansas law as summarized on our Kansas 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 Topeka
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azura Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 1128 Topeka, KS 66601 | 59,571 | azuracu.com |
| Envista Federal Credit UnionFederal | 3626 SW Wanamaker Rd Topeka, KS 66614 | 49,003 | envistacu.com |
| Empower Blue Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 1975 Topeka, KS 66601 | 3,427 | empowerbluecu.org |
| 1st Kansas Credit UnionState-chartered | 400 S Kansas Ave Ste B Topeka, KS 66603 | 1,091 | 1stkansascu.com |
| Topeka Police Credit UnionState-chartered | 320 S Kansas Ave Ste 100 Topeka, KS 66603 | 1,040 | toppdcu.com |
| Topeka Firemen's Credit UnionState-chartered | 2447 SE 29th St. Topeka, KS 66605 | 897 | tfcu9.org |
Payday and installment loan stores in Topeka
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Topeka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1729 NW Topeka Blvd Topeka, KS 66608 | (785) 232-8821 | — | 4.9 |
| 2027 SW Fairlawn Rd Topeka, KS 66604 | (785) 271-2362 | — | 4.9 |
| 1700 SW Wanamaker Rd Topeka, KS 66604 | (785) 229-0965 | — | 5.0 |
| 2041 NW Topeka Blvd Topeka, KS 66608 | (785) 229-0959 | — | 5.0 |
| 400 SW 29th St Ste X Topeka, KS 66611 | (785) 266-3777 | — | 4.9 |
| 3258 SW Topeka Blvd. Topeka, KS 66611 | (785) 267-4220 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sat–Sun closed |
— |
| 2800 SW Wanamaker Rd Ste 170 Topeka, KS 66614 | (785) 272-7765 | — | 3.4 |
More about Topeka
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 Topeka 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.