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 Pittsburgh, PA
20 credit unions are headquartered in Pittsburgh, with 90,264 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
- 20
- Members
- 90,264
- Federal
- 20
- State-chartered
- 0
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh has 22 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 20 credit unions headquartered here — about 1.1 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 90,264 members — roughly 13 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
20
2.9 per 100k residents
90,264 members
Payday & loan stores
22
3.2 per 100k residents
5 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Pittsburgh: ACE Cash Express (11), OneMain Financial (4), Mariner Finance (3), Lendmark Financial Services (2), loanDepot (2).
Borrowing $500 for 6 months in Pittsburgh
| Option | Payment | Total cost of borrowing |
|---|---|---|
| Installment loan at the Pennsylvania rate cap (24% APR) | $89.26/mo | $35.58 |
| Credit union PAL (28% APR) | $90.27/mo | $41.62 |
| Payday loan renewed every 2 weeks (typical $15 per $100, not available in Pennsylvania) | $75.00 every 2 weeks | $975.00 |
- Monthly payment at the Pennsylvania 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 Pittsburgh
- Median household income
- $78,059
- A $400 emergency equals
- 1.9 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 17.1%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 13.3%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Pittsburgh are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Pennsylvania
| Payday loan in PA | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Not allowed — storefront payday loans are banned | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Rate cap | Capped at 24% 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: Pennsylvania law as summarized on our Pennsylvania 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 Pittsburgh
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegent Community Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1001 Liberty Ave, Suite 100 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 | 21,845 | allegentfcu.org |
| Century Heritage Federal Credit UnionFederal | 700 Regis Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15236 | 18,935 | chfcu.org |
| Greater Pittsburgh Federal Credit UnionFederal | 4415 Fifth Avenue, Webster Hall Pittsburgh, PA 15213 | 10,455 | gpittfcu.org |
| Greater Pittsburgh Police Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1338 Chartiers Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15220 | 9,310 | gppfcu.com |
| Pittsburgh Firefighters' Federal Credit UnionFederal | 2239 Banksville Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15216 | 4,496 | pghffcu.org |
| Hill District Federal Credit UnionFederal | 2021 Centre Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15219 | 3,820 | hilldistrictfcu.org |
| Iron Workers Federal Credit UnionFederal | 2201 Liberty Ave Ste 201 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 | 3,630 | iwfcu.com |
| Paac Transit Division Federal Credit UnionFederal | 219 Fort Pitt Boulevard Pittsburgh, PA 15222 | 3,073 | paacfcu.com |
| Va Pittsburgh Employees Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1010 Delafield Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15215 | 2,884 | vapghefcu.org |
| Pittsburgh City Hall Employees Federal Credit UnionFederal | 414 Grant St, Ste 911 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 | 2,625 | pche-fcu.org |
| I.B.E.W. - Local No. 5 Federal Credit UnionFederal | 5 Hot Metal Street, Suite 201 Pittsburgh, PA 15203 | 1,644 | ibew5fcu.com |
| Post Gazette Federal Credit UnionFederal | 300 Corliss St Pittsburgh, PA 15220 | 1,386 | postgazettefcu.org |
| Pittsburgh Federal Credit UnionFederal | 317 Brownsville Road Pittsburgh, PA 15210 | 1,297 | pittsburghfcu.org |
| Acba Fed Credit Union (3226)Federal | Law & Finance Building, 429 4th Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15219 | 967 | acbafcu.com |
| A T & T Employees Pittsburgh Federal Credit UnionFederal | 635 Grant St Pittsburgh, PA 15219 | 892 | attpghfcu.com |
| Eqt Federal Credit UnionFederal | 603 Stanwix Street, Suite 1776, Two Pittsburgh, PA 15222 | 846 | eqtfcu.org |
| Allegheny Valley Federal Credit UnionFederal | 250 William Pitt Way Pittsburgh, PA 15238 | 795 | alleghenyvalleyfcu.com |
| Smmh Federal Credit UnionFederal | 815 Freeport Road Pittsburgh, PA 15215 | 743 | gpittfcu.org |
| East End Food Cooperative Federal Credit UnionFederal | 7516 Meade St Pittsburgh, PA 15208 | 418 | eastendfood.coop |
| Penn Hills Municipal Federal Credit UnionFederal | 102 Duff Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15235 | 203 | — |
Payday and installment loan stores in Pittsburgh
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Pittsburgh 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 129 Lincoln Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15209 | (412) 821-0769 | — | 4.9 |
| 1922 Spring Garden Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15212 | (412) 322-4338 | — | 4.9 |
| 2020 E Carson St Pittsburgh, PA 15203 | (412) 431-4047 | — | 4.8 |
| 206 Fifth Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15222 | (412) 201-2018 | — | 4.8 |
| 21 Yost Blvd Ste 132 Pittsburgh, PA 15221 | (412) 829-3997 | — | 4.9 |
| 2351 Noblestown Rd b3 Pittsburgh, PA 15205 | (412) 921-7123 | — | 4.9 |
| 248 Brownsville Rd Mount Oliver, PA 15210 | (412) 381-2354 | — | 4.9 |
| 4528 Liberty Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15224 | (412) 621-5968 | — | 4.9 |
| 656 Lincoln Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15202 | (412) 766-1047 | — | 4.9 |
| 722 Penn Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15221 | (412) 247-9837 | — | 5.0 |
| 7773 McKnight Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15237 | (412) 369-9865 | — | 4.9 |
| 3274 Babcock Blvd #4 Pittsburgh, PA 15237 | (412) 369-0414 | — | 3.3 |
| 3613 Library Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15234 | (412) 881-6915 | — | 4.5 |
| 400 Penn Center Blvd Ste 410 Pittsburgh, PA 15235 | (412) 829-8189 | — | 4.8 |
| 875 Greentree Rd #260 Pittsburgh, PA 15220 | (412) 881-6915 | — | 3.2 |
| 1800 Golden Mile Hwy #102 Plum, PA 15239 | (724) 519-8989 | — | 4.9 |
| 4700 McKnight Rd Ste 1B Pittsburgh, PA 15237 | (724) 419-2860 | — | 4.9 |
| 560 Clairton Blvd # D Pittsburgh, PA 15236 | (412) 543-4083 | — | 4.7 |
| 300 Curry Hollow Rd Pleasant Hills, PA 15236 | (412) 568-3755 | — | 4.4 |
| 6538 Steubenville Pike Pittsburgh, PA 15205 | (412) 208-4585 | — | 4.4 |
| 201 Penn Center Blvd Ste 400 Pittsburgh, PA 15235 | (412) 465-1301 | — | 3.4 |
| 651 Holiday Dr Pittsburgh, PA 15220 | (412) 737-2575 | — | 2.5 |
More about Pittsburgh
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 Pittsburgh 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.