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 Port Arthur, TX
2 credit unions are headquartered in Port Arthur, with 5,420 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
- 2
- Members
- 5,420
- Federal
- 2
- State-chartered
- 0
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Port Arthur
Port Arthur has 6 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 2 credit unions headquartered here — about 3.0 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 5,420 members — roughly 10 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
2
3.6 per 100k residents
5,420 members
Payday & loan stores
6
10.8 per 100k residents
5 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Port Arthur: Texas Car Title and Payday Loan Services (2), Advance America (1), Security Finance (1), Sun Loan Company (1), Western Shamrock Finance (1).
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 Port Arthur
- Median household income
- $44,559
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 4.4%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 5.7 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 4.7%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 3.3 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 32.7%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 29.2%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Port Arthur 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 Port Arthur
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Arthur Teachers Federal Credit UnionFederal | 3001 Jimmy Johnson Blvd Port Arthur, TX 77642 | 3,065 | patfcu.org |
| Port Arthur Community Federal Credit UnionFederal | 3100 Central Mall Drive Port Arthur, TX 77642 | 2,355 | pac-fcu.com |
Payday and installment loan stores in Port Arthur
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Port Arthur 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Texas Car Title and Payday Loan Services
2 stores in Port Arthur
texascartitleandpaydayloanservicesinc.com
|
|||
| 3620 FM 365 Port Arthur, TX 77642 | (409) 722-1060 | — | 4.9 |
| 4515 Twin City Hwy Port Arthur, TX 77642 | (409) 962-7700 | — | 4.8 |
| 4515 N. Twin City Hwy., Ste. 300 Port Arthur, TX 77642 | (409) 962-8216 | Mon–Fri 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 1907 Jefferson Dr Ste 400 Port Arthur, TX 77642 | (409) 960-6524 | — | 5.0 |
| 4997 Twin City Hwy Ste 134 Port Arthur, TX 77642 | (409) 963-3099 | — | 5.0 |
| Western Finance 1907 Jefferson Dr #200 Port Arthur, TX 77642 | (409) 295-2847 | — | 4.9 |
More about Port Arthur
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 Port Arthur 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.