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 Wausau, WI
1 pawn shop in Wausau — call ahead to ask what it's buying and lending on today.
- Pawn shops
- 1
- Pawn shops per 100k
- 1.8
- Wisconsin: 0.8
- Big-chain shops
- 0
- Payday & loan stores
- 6
- Population
- 56,406
Pawn shops in Wausau: addresses and phone numbers
| Pawn shop | Address | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Pawn | 531 Jefferson St Wausau, WI 54403 | (715) 848-0775 | downtownpawn531.com |
Pawn shops vs payday loan stores in Wausau
Wausau has 6 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 1 pawn shops.
Pawn shops
1
1.8 per 100k residents
Payday & loan stores
6
10.6 per 100k residents
6 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Wausau: Cash Store (1), Check 'n Go (1), Dollar Loan Center (1), OneMain Financial (1), Security Finance (1).
Borrowing $500 for one month: payday vs pawn vs credit union
| Option | How it works | Cost for one month |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan (~574%+ APR) | $75.00 fee every 2 weeks, renewed once | $150.00 |
| 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 Wausau
- 2.6%
- Pawn cost, share of monthly household income in Wausau
- 1.8%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.1 days of income
Payday: a typical fee of $75 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks, paid twice for a one-month loan (Wisconsin payday rules are not set in dollars or payday loans are not allowed). Pawn: an example rate of 20% a month; pawn fees and interest are set by Wisconsin 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.
Pawn loan vs payday loan: the key differences
| Pawn loan | Payday loan in WI | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Wisconsin | Pawnbrokers are licensed and regulated by Wisconsin; fees, terms and holding periods are set by state law | Allowed, up to No state limit; typical APR ~574%+ |
Wausau at a glance
- Median household income
- $67,991
- Wisconsin: $78,208
- Poverty rate
- 11.7%
- Wisconsin: 10.8%
- Households under $25,000
- 14.9%
- Wisconsin: 13.5%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.1 days of income
Payday and installment loan stores in Wausau
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Wausau with addresses, phone numbers and hours.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 306 S 17th Ave Ste D Wausau, WI 54401 | (715) 841-1770 | — | 4.8 |
| 605 S 24th Ave Suite 32 Wausau, WI 54401 | (715) 849-4444 | — | 5.0 |
| 2220 Grand Ave Wausau, WI 54403 | (715) 393-8848 | — | 4.4 |
| 151516 County Rd NN Wausau, WI 54401 | (715) 845-7227 | — | 3.9 |
| 330 Grand Ave Ste 106 Wausau, WI 54403 | (715) 849-1888 | — | 4.6 |
| 2200 Grand Ave Wausau, WI 54403 | (715) 230-2040 | — | 4.9 |
Pawn shops near Wausau
More about Wausau
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.