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 Corpus Christi, TX
9 credit unions are headquartered in Corpus Christi, with 319,586 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
- 9
- Members
- 319,586
- Federal
- 1
- State-chartered
- 8
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi has 28 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 9 credit unions headquartered here — about 3.1 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 319,586 members — roughly 100 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
9
2.8 per 100k residents
319,586 members
Payday & loan stores
28
8.8 per 100k residents
13 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Corpus Christi: ACE Cash Express (7), Security Finance (3), Speedy Cash (3), Cash Store (2), OneMain Financial (2).
What a $500 loan costs over 3 months
| Option | Payment | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan, re-borrowed 6 times (~662%+ 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: a typical fee of $75 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks (TX limits are not set in dollars), paid 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 Corpus Christi
- Median household income
- $68,495
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 2.8%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 4.4 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 3.1%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.1 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 18.5%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 17.6%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Corpus Christi are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Texas
| Payday loan in TX | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Allowed | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Loan amount | No limit (CSO Model) | $200 – $2,000 |
| Fee limit | No state cap (fees set by city ordinances) (Varies) | Application fee up to $20 |
| Typical APR | ~662%+ | 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: Texas law as summarized on our Texas 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 Corpus Christi
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rally Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 81349 Corpus Christi, TX 78468 | 240,632 | rallycu.com |
| Coastlife Credit UnionState-chartered | 6810 Saratoga Blvd Corpus Christi, TX 78414 | 34,532 | coastlifecu.com |
| Gulf Coast Federal Credit UnionFederal | P O Box 8849 Corpus Christi, TX 78468 | 18,259 | gulfcoastfcu.com |
| Members First Credit UnionState-chartered | 5444 S Staples St Corpus Christi, TX 78411 | 12,657 | m1st.org |
| Texas Bridge Credit UnionState-chartered | 3131 Holly Rd Corpus Christi, TX 78415 | 6,727 | txbcu.com |
| Star Financial Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 10324 Corpus Christi, TX 78460 | 2,918 | starcu.com |
| Corpus Christi Postal Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 4545 Corpus Christi, TX 78469 | 1,898 | ccpecu.com |
| Nce Credit UnionState-chartered | 901 Leopard Street, County Courthou Corpus Christi, TX 78401 | 1,326 | ncecreditunion.net |
| Corpus Christi S.P. Credit UnionState-chartered | P.O. Box 556 Corpus Christi, TX 78403 | 637 | ccspcu.com |
Payday and installment loan stores in Corpus Christi
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Corpus Christi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1209 Waldron Rd Corpus Christi, TX 78418 | (361) 937-5620 | — | 4.8 |
| 1305 S Port Ave Corpus Christi, TX 78405 | (361) 882-1205 | — | 4.8 |
| 1805 S Padre Island Dr Corpus Christi, TX 78416 | (361) 814-1416 | — | 4.9 |
| 3765 Leopard St Corpus Christi, TX 78408 | (361) 888-9415 | — | 4.9 |
| 4130 Ayers St Corpus Christi, TX 78415 | (361) 857-0131 | — | 4.9 |
| 5425 S Padre Island Dr #105 Corpus Christi, TX 78411 | (361) 991-9206 | — | 4.9 |
| 5634 Weber Rd Ste A Corpus Christi, TX 78411 | (361) 225-4615 | — | 4.8 |
| 10926 Leopard St A Corpus Christi, TX 78410 | (361) 241-5580 | — | 4.3 |
| 4701 Ayers St Suite 500 Corpus Christi, TX 78415 | (361) 854-0108 | — | 4.7 |
| Security Credit 5230 Kostoryz Rd Ste 8 Corpus Christi, TX 78415 | (361) 857-5624 | — | 4.9 |
| 11217 Leopard St # 1 Corpus Christi, TX 78410 | (361) 241-2370 | — | 4.8 |
| 4009 S Padre Island Dr Corpus Christi, TX 78411 | (361) 806-2068 | — | 4.9 |
| 4701 Ayers St Ste 600-10 Corpus Christi, TX 78415 | (361) 852-1242 | — | 5.0 |
| 4425 Kostoryz Rd Ste B Corpus Christi, TX 78415 | (361) 225-2709 | — | 4.9 |
| 6181 Saratoga Blvd Ste 101 Corpus Christi, TX 78414 | (361) 906-0237 | — | 4.9 |
| 5625 Saratoga Blvd Ste 211 Corpus Christi, TX 78414 | (361) 992-7711 | — | 4.6 |
| 6012 S Padre Island Dr Corpus Christi, TX 78412 | (361) 992-4550 | — | 4.1 |
| 2773 S Staples St Corpus Christi, TX 78404 | (361) 814-2986 | — | 4.8 |
| 4918 Ayers St #110 Corpus Christi, TX 78415 | (361) 814-2986 | — | 4.9 |
| 4517 Everhart Rd Corpus Christi, TX 78411 | (361) 855-1463 | — | 5.0 |
| 5839 Weber Rd Corpus Christi, TX 78413 | (361) 225-2411 | — | 5.0 |
| Western Finance 4316 Ayers St Corpus Christi, TX 78415 | (361) 857-0081 | — | 4.9 |
| Western Finance Weber Square Shopping Center, 5841 Weber Rd Corpus Christi, TX 78413 | (361) 404-5244 | — | 5.0 |
| 4117 S Staples St #270 Corpus Christi, TX 78411 | (361) 248-5550 | — | 4.9 |
| 5656 Weber Rd., Ste. 102 Corpus Christi, TX 78411 | (361) 854-5136 | Mon–Fri 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 4114 Ayers St Corpus Christi, TX 78415 | (361) 853-4666 | — | 4.2 |
| 5638 Saratoga Blvd #104 Corpus Christi, TX 78414 | (361) 356-7572 | — | 5.0 |
| 6113 Saratoga Blvd Ste C Corpus Christi, TX 78414 | (361) 500-6525 | — | 4.8 |
More about Corpus Christi
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 Corpus Christi 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.