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.
Pawn Shops vs Payday Loans in Bessemer, AL
5 pawn shops in and around Bessemer — 6.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with 4.6 across Alabama. Call ahead to ask what they're buying and lending on today: inventory needs change weekly. Bessemer ranks #4 of 15 Alabama cities with pawn shops by shops per resident.
- Pawn shops
- 5
- Pawn shops per 100k
- 6.7
- Alabama: 4.6
- Big-chain shops
- 1
- Payday & loan stores
- 8
- Population
- 74,518
Pawn shops in Bessemer: addresses and phone numbers
| Pawn shop | Address | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coin Castle West | 700 Academy Dr #106 Bessemer, AL 35022 | (205) 426-3984 | coincastlewest.placeweb.site |
| EZPAWNChain | 614 9th Ave N Bessemer, AL 35020 | (205) 424-8060 | ezpawn.com |
| Gold Star Pawn | 715 9th Ave N Bessemer, AL 35020 | — | — |
| Hueytown Pawn and Coin | 725 Brooklane Dr Hueytown, AL 35023 | (205) 491-6800 | hueytown-trailers.com |
| Pee Wee's Pawn Shop | 1221 Lake Dr SE Bessemer, AL 35022 | (205) 428-7333 | peeweespawn.com |
Pawn shops vs payday loan stores in Bessemer
Bessemer has 8 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 5 pawn shops.
Pawn shops
5
6.7 per 100k residents
Payday & loan stores
8
10.7 per 100k residents
6 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Bessemer: Check 'n Go (2), TitleMax (2), 1st Franklin Financial (1), Advance America (1), OneMain Financial (1).
Borrowing $500 for one month: payday vs pawn vs credit union
| Option | How it works | Cost for one month |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan (~456% APR) | $87.50 fee every 2 weeks, renewed once | $175.00 |
| Pawn loan (example: 20% a month) | You leave an item worth more than the loan; repay to get it back | $100.00 |
| Credit union PAL (28% APR + $20 fee) | Repaid in installments; membership required | $31.67 |
- Payday cost, share of monthly household income in Bessemer
- 3.5%
- Pawn cost, share of monthly household income in Bessemer
- 2.0%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.4 days of income
Payday: the AL maximum — $87.50 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks, paid twice for a one-month loan. Pawn: an example rate of 20% a month; pawn fees and interest are set by Alabama law and vary by shop — ask for the total in writing. PAL: payday alternative loan from a federal credit union, capped at 28% APR plus an application fee of up to $20. Income: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Pawn loan vs payday loan: the key differences
| Pawn loan | Payday loan in AL | |
|---|---|---|
| What you need | An item of value (jewelry, gold, electronics, tools, firearms) and an ID | A bank account, proof of income and an ID |
| Credit check | None | Usually none |
| How much you get | A fraction of the item's resale value | Based on your income, up to the state limit |
| If you can't repay | The shop keeps the item; no collections and no credit damage | Fees pile up with renewals; the debt can go to collections |
| Bank account access | None | Lender can debit your account or cash your check |
| Rules in Alabama | Pawnbrokers are licensed and regulated by Alabama; fees, terms and holding periods are set by state law | Allowed, up to $500; typical APR ~456% |
Bessemer at a glance
- Median household income
- $60,201
- Alabama: $65,640
- Poverty rate
- 20.0%
- Alabama: 15.8%
- Households under $25,000
- 23.1%
- Alabama: 20.3%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.4 days of income
Payday and installment loan stores in Bessemer
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Bessemer with addresses, phone numbers and hours.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 501 W Town Plaza Bessemer, AL 35020 | (205) 426-4681 | — | 4.9 |
| 833 Allison-Bonnett Memorial Dr Ste 101 Bessemer, AL 35023 | (205) 744-3867 | — | 4.9 |
| 828 Allison-Bonnett Memorial Dr Hueytown, AL 35023 | (205) 497-4765 | — | 4.9 |
| 912 9th Ave N Bessemer, AL 35020 | (205) 425-5894 | — | 4.9 |
| 718 Academy Dr Ste 108 Bessemer, AL 35022 | (205) 426-0711 | — | 4.7 |
| 160 River Square, #22 Hueytown, AL 35023 | (205) 497-9873 | Mon–Fri 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM Sat–Sun closed |
— |
| 700 Academy Dr #100 Bessemer, AL 35022 | (205) 428-6237 | — | 4.8 |
| 833 Allison-Bonnett Memorial Dr Hueytown, AL 35023 | (205) 424-5057 | — | 4.9 |
Pawn shops near Bessemer
More about Bessemer
Pawn shop listings: © Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive 2.0), including Foursquare OS Places and © OpenStreetMap contributors; filtered and de-duplicated by us. Population, income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Call ahead to confirm hours and what a shop buys or lends on.