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 Providence, RI
10 pawn shops in and around Providence — 4.6 per 100,000 residents, compared with 2.3 across Rhode Island. Call ahead to ask what they're buying and lending on today: inventory needs change weekly. Providence ranks #1 of 4 Rhode Island cities with pawn shops by shops per resident.
- Pawn shops
- 10
- Pawn shops per 100k
- 4.6
- Rhode Island: 2.3
- Big-chain shops
- 0
- Payday & loan stores
- 1
- Population
- 219,179
Pawn shops in Providence: addresses and phone numbers
| Pawn shop | Address | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Gold | 522 Smith St Providence, RI 02908 | (401) 572-3323 | capitalgold401.com |
| Cash For Gold RI | 321 Plainfield St Providence, RI 02909 | (401) 864-6494 | cashforgoldri.com |
| Easy Money Pawnbrokers | 1920 Westminster St Providence, RI 02909 | (508) 719-8355 | easymoneypawnbrokers.business.site |
| Empire Loan | 1271 N Main St Providence, RI 02904 | (401) 437-8421 | empireloan.com |
| Empire Loan | 358 Broad St Providence, RI 02907 | (401) 273-7050 | empireloan.com |
| Fall River Pawn Brokers | 29 Elmwood Ave Providence, RI 02907 | (401) 461-1818 | fallriverpawnbrokers.com |
| Fall River Pawn Brokers | 612 Hartford Ave Providence, RI 02909 | (401) 383-8177 | fallriverpawnbrokers.com |
| North Main Jewelers | 1275 N Main St Providence, RI 02904 | (401) 831-2674 | northmainjewelers.business.site |
| Providence Pawn | 1155 N Main St Providence, RI 02904 | (401) 331-1133 | ebay.com |
| Providence Pawnbrokers | 1405 Broad St Providence, RI 02905 | (401) 461-6337 | providencepawnbrok.wixsite.com |
Pawn shops vs payday loan stores in Providence
Providence has 10 pawn shops and 1 payday, installment and title loan stores.
Pawn shops
10
4.6 per 100k residents
Payday & loan stores
1
0.5 per 100k residents
1 store chain
Biggest loan store chains in Providence: Advance America (1).
Borrowing $500 for one month: payday vs pawn vs credit union
| Option | How it works | Cost for one month |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan (~261% APR) | $50.00 fee every 2 weeks, renewed once | $100.00 |
| 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 Providence
- 1.8%
- Pawn cost, share of monthly household income in Providence
- 1.8%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.2 days of income
Payday: the RI maximum — $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 Rhode Island 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 RI | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Rhode Island | Pawnbrokers are licensed and regulated by Rhode Island; fees, terms and holding periods are set by state law | Allowed, up to $500; typical APR ~261% |
Providence at a glance
- Median household income
- $67,848
- Rhode Island: $89,026
- Poverty rate
- 20.5%
- Rhode Island: 11.5%
- Households under $25,000
- 24.6%
- Rhode Island: 15.7%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.2 days of income
Payday and installment loan stores in Providence
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Providence with addresses, phone numbers and hours.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 361 Reservoir Ave., Unit B-2 Providence, RI 02907 | (401) 941-0814 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
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Pawn shops near Providence
More about Providence
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.