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 Wichita, KS
8 credit unions are headquartered in Wichita, with 217,047 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
- 217,047
- Federal
- 2
- State-chartered
- 6
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Wichita
Wichita has 21 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 8 credit unions headquartered here — about 2.6 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 217,047 members — roughly 51 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
8
1.9 per 100k residents
217,047 members
Payday & loan stores
21
4.9 per 100k residents
6 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Wichita: ACE Cash Express (6), Speedy Cash (6), Advance America (3), TitleMax (3), OneMain Financial (2).
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 Wichita
- Median household income
- $69,378
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 2.8%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 4.1 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 3.0%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.1 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 16.5%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 15.9%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Wichita 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 Wichita
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Union of AmericaState-chartered | PO Box 47528 Wichita, KS 67201 | 106,398 | cuofamerica.com |
| Mid American Credit UnionState-chartered | 8404 W Kellogg Dr Wichita, KS 67209 | 47,000 | macu.coop |
| Skyward Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 771069 Wichita, KS 67277 | 21,798 | skywardcu.com |
| Wichita Federal Credit UnionFederal | 7325 W 33rd St N Wichita, KS 67205 | 18,893 | wichitafcu.com |
| Quantum Credit UnionState-chartered | 6300 W 21st St N Wichita, KS 67205 | 11,013 | quantumfcu.org |
| Campus Credit UnionState-chartered | 4960 E 21st St N Wichita, KS 67208 | 4,584 | campuscu.org |
| Wheat State Credit UnionState-chartered | 1400 S Oliver Wichita, KS 67218 | 3,749 | wheatstatecu.com |
| Catholic Family Federal Credit UnionFederal | 717 N Socora St Wichita, KS 67212 | 3,612 | cffcu.com |
Payday and installment loan stores in Wichita
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Wichita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1105 W Pawnee St Wichita, KS 67213 | (316) 263-6223 | — | 4.8 |
| 1535 E Central Ave Wichita, KS 67214 | (316) 267-2274 | — | 4.9 |
| 1606 S Broadway Wichita, KS 67211 | (316) 263-9223 | — | 4.8 |
| 6259 E 21st St N Wichita, KS 67208 | (316) 612-8834 | — | 4.9 |
| 7340 W Central Ave #103 Wichita, KS 67212 | (316) 773-2810 | — | 4.9 |
| 801 S Woodlawn Blvd Wichita, KS 67218 | (316) 691-5076 | — | 4.9 |
| 1050 W Pawnee St Wichita, KS 67213 | (316) 219-5333 | — | 4.9 |
| 2201 N Amidon Ave Wichita, KS 67204 | (316) 831-9800 | — | 5.0 |
| 3133 E Douglas Ave Wichita, KS 67211 | (316) 683-2274 | — | 4.9 |
| 4850 E Harry St Wichita, KS 67218 | (316) 858-2274 | — | 4.9 |
| 6300 E 21st St N Wichita, KS 67208 | (316) 771-0000 | — | 4.9 |
| 701 N West St Wichita, KS 67203 | (316) 942-2211 | — | 4.9 |
| 4100 E. Harry St., Unit 10 Wichita, KS 67218 | (316) 687-0909 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sat–Sun closed |
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| 4726 S. Broadway Ave. Wichita, KS 67216 | (316) 529-1345 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sat–Sun closed |
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| 6171 E. 13th St. N. Wichita, KS 67208 | (316) 684-8900 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Sun closed |
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| 1218 S Rock Rd Wichita, KS 67207 | (316) 215-8063 | — | 5.0 |
| 4717 E 13th St N Wichita, KS 67208 | (316) 215-8067 | — | 5.0 |
| 660 N Ridge Rd #1 Wichita, KS 67212 | (316) 215-8065 | — | 5.0 |
| 1812 S Seneca St #104 Wichita, KS 67213 | (316) 267-3357 | — | 3.9 |
| 8338 E 21st St N #307 Wichita, KS 67206 | (316) 867-3760 | — | 4.0 |
| 557 W Douglas Ave Wichita, KS 67213 | (316) 402-0720 | — | 4.9 |
More about Wichita
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 Wichita 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.