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 Tulsa, OK
14 credit unions are headquartered in Tulsa, with 319,242 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
- 14
- Members
- 319,242
- Federal
- 12
- State-chartered
- 2
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Tulsa
Tulsa has 23 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 14 credit unions headquartered here — about 1.6 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 319,242 members — roughly 73 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
14
3.2 per 100k residents
319,242 members
Payday & loan stores
23
5.3 per 100k residents
11 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Tulsa: ACE Cash Express (7), Check 'n Go (4), Advance America (2), OneMain Financial (2), Security Finance (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 OK 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 Tulsa
- Median household income
- $61,389
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 3.2%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 4.2 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 3.4%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.4 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 19.4%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 18.4%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Tulsa are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Oklahoma
| Payday loan in OK | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Allowed | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Loan amount | $500 | $200 – $2,000 |
| Fee limit | $15 per $100 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: Oklahoma law as summarized on our Oklahoma 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 Tulsa
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ttcu Federal Credit UnionFederal | PO Box 4999 Tulsa, OK 74159 | 147,698 | ttcu.com |
| Westreet Federal Credit UnionFederal | PO Box 267 Tulsa, OK 74101 | 60,922 | westreet.org |
| Oklahoma Central Credit UnionState-chartered | 4956 S Peoria Ave Tulsa, OK 74105 | 42,970 | oklahomacentral.org |
| Red Crown Federal Credit UnionFederal | 5001 E 91st St Tulsa, OK 74137 | 18,156 | redcrowncu.org |
| Energy One Federal Credit UnionFederal | PO Box 701107 Tulsa, OK 74170 | 16,745 | energyone.org |
| Dfcu Tulsa Federal Credit UnionFederal | 11310 E Pine St Tulsa, OK 74116 | 7,931 | dfcutulsa.com |
| Saint Francis Employees Federal Credit UnionFederal | P.O. Box 350 Tulsa, OK 74101 | 5,910 | sffcutulsa.org |
| Encentus Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1320 S Lewis Ave Tulsa, OK 74104 | 4,563 | encentusfcu.org |
| Employees Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1120 W 17th St Tulsa, OK 74107 | 3,434 | employeesfed.com |
| Fraternal Order of Police Federal Credit UnionFederal | P O Box 691090 Tulsa, OK 74169 | 3,301 | fopfcu.org |
| Ok Members First Federal Credit UnionFederal | 10832 E 31st St Tulsa, OK 74146 | 3,287 | omffcu.org |
| Fire Fighters Credit UnionState-chartered | 9200 E 41st St Tulsa, OK 74145 | 2,704 | firefighterscu.org |
| United Members Federal Credit UnionFederal | 4833 S Sheridan Ste 401 Tulsa, OK 74145 | 1,227 | unitedmembersfcu.com |
| Morning Star Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1014 E Pine St Tulsa, OK 74106 | 394 | — |
Payday and installment loan stores in Tulsa
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Tulsa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10664 E 31st St Ste B Tulsa, OK 74146 | (918) 270-1609 | — | 4.4 |
| 1245 S Garnett Rd Tulsa, OK 74128 | (918) 234-6006 | — | 4.6 |
| 1507 W 51st St Tulsa, OK 74107 | (918) 447-3385 | — | 4.8 |
| 275 S Lewis Ave Tulsa, OK 74104 | (918) 584-3177 | — | 4.9 |
| 6005 S Peoria Ave Tulsa, OK 74105 | (918) 747-2457 | — | 4.8 |
| 6230 N Peoria Ave Tulsa, OK 74126 | (918) 425-0096 | — | 4.8 |
| 845 N Sheridan Rd Tulsa, OK 74115 | (918) 836-0025 | — | 4.8 |
| 2146 S Sheridan Rd Tulsa, OK 74129 | (918) 836-7225 | — | 4.8 |
| 3712 E 51st St Tulsa, OK 74135 | (918) 293-0577 | — | 4.8 |
| 4963 S Union Ave Tulsa, OK 74107 | (918) 447-9653 | — | 4.9 |
| 7109 S Memorial Dr Tulsa, OK 74133 | (918) 252-7378 | — | 4.9 |
| 1620 N. Lewis Ave. Tulsa, OK 74110 | (918) 585-9962 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 9441 E. 31st St. Tulsa, OK 74145 | (918) 280-0800 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 1631 S Yale Ave Ste 3 Tulsa, OK 74112 | (918) 272-7719 | — | 4.2 |
| 3602 E 51st St Tulsa, OK 74135 | (918) 744-5320 | — | 3.7 |
| 1915 S Yale Ave Tulsa, OK 74112 | (918) 835-5772 | — | 4.7 |
| 6709 E 81st St Ste E Tulsa, OK 74133 | (918) 499-0306 | — | 4.8 |
| 4271 Southwest Blvd Tulsa, OK 74107 | (918) 445-5189 | — | 4.1 |
| 5032 S Memorial Dr Tulsa, OK 74145 | (918) 621-4466 | — | 4.7 |
| 10140 E 71st St Ste C Tulsa, OK 74133 | (539) 242-5025 | — | 5.0 |
| 1517 S Harvard Ave Spc B Tulsa, OK 74112 | (918) 208-0381 | — | 4.9 |
| Shamrock Finance 1523B S Harvard Ave Tulsa, OK 74112 | (918) 270-2700 | — | 4.4 |
| 5200 S Yale Ave Suite 605C Tulsa, OK 74135 | (918) 410-1080 | — | 3.3 |
More about Tulsa
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 Tulsa 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.