Payday loans in Canada, priced before you apply
Move the sliders and the cheque shows exactly what you’d borrow, what it costs and the day it’s due. When the numbers work for you, one secure application reaches licensed lenders in your province. Money usually arrives by Interac e-Transfer.
Start my application See how it works
- $14most a lender may charge per $100
- 62 dayslongest a payday loan can run
- $0to apply, and no effect on your credit score
What is a payday loan in Canada?
A payday loan in Canada is a short-term loan of $100 to $1,500 that you repay, with its fee, from your next paycheque. In the nine provinces with payday loan laws, the total cost is capped at $14 per $100 borrowed and the loan can’t run longer than 62 days. Quebec and the three territories have no payday loan laws, so lenders there can’t charge more than 35% a year.
Payday loan guides for your situation
Most people arrive with one specific question: how fast, whether bad credit matters, whether a fax machine is involved. Each guide answers one question properly, with the numbers, the rules and the catch.
Written and fact-checked in Canada. Every guide shows the date it was last reviewed and links to the regulator behind each rule.
- Online payday loansWho qualifies, how much you can borrow against your pay, and how to tell a licensed site from a copycat.Read the guide
- E-Transfer payday loansWhen the money actually lands, why Autodeposit matters, and the e-Transfer scams aimed at borrowers.Read the guide
- No credit check payday loansWhat lenders review instead of your score, and when a loan can still show up on your credit file.Read the guide
- Instant payday loansAn honest hour-by-hour timeline, and the five things that turn “instant” into tomorrow.Read the guide
- Faxless payday loansHow instant bank verification replaces paperwork, and what the lender can and can’t see.Read the guide
- No credit check loansSix ways to borrow without a hard inquiry, compared by real cost, from cheapest to most expensive.Compare options
- No refusal loansWhy no licensed lender can promise approval, and seven things that genuinely improve your odds.Read the guide
- Car loans for bad creditGet approved for a monthly payment first, then a dealer matches a used vehicle to that budget.See car financing
How a payday loan works, from application to payday
Tell us what you need
One form, about five minutes on your phone: the amount, your province, your income and your contact details. Applying is free and doesn’t touch your credit score.
A licensed lender reviews it
Our partners pass your application to lenders licensed where you live. Most decide within an hour on business days, using your income and bank history more than your credit score.
Read the agreement, then sign
Before you sign, the lender has to show the total cost in dollars and as an annual rate, the due date and your cancellation rights. Nothing is final until you e-sign.
Get the money, repay on payday
Funds usually arrive by Interac e-Transfer, often the same business day. On your due date, the repayment comes out of the same account by pre-authorized debit.
The full walkthrough, including what happens if a payment fails
How much you can borrow depends on your province, and your pay
The cost cap is now national, but the borrowing limit isn’t. Each province ties the maximum loan to your take-home pay, and they don’t all use the same share. On $1,200 of take-home pay every two weeks, the largest loan can be very different from one province to the next:
| Province | Limit per loan | On $1,200 take-home | Time to cancel for free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 50% of net pay | $600 | 2 business days |
| British Columbia | 50% of net pay in the loan term | $600 | 2 business days |
| Alberta | Repaid in instalments over 42+ days | Lender assessed | 2 business days |
| Saskatchewan | 50% of take-home pay | $600 | To end of next business day |
| Manitoba | 30% of calculated net pay | $360 | 48 hours |
| New Brunswick | 30% of net pay | $360 | See the province guide |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 50% of expected net pay | $600 | See the province guide |
Simplified. Manitoba uses a monthly-to-biweekly formula, and every province caps a single payday loan at $1,500. Lenders may approve less than the limit. Full rules: payday loan rules by province.
The standard every lender on Jessica’s House has to meet
We don’t lend money ourselves. We decide who you’re introduced to, and the bar is the same for every lender, whatever it pays us.
- Licensed for payday lending in your province, with a licence number you can look up
- Total cost shown in dollars and as an annual rate before you sign
- No fee to apply, and no “insurance” or “processing” charge added to the loan
- Your cancellation period honoured in full, with no questions asked
- No rollovers, and no new payday loan used to pay off an old one
- Collection calls kept within provincial limits, with no workplace pressure
When you need more than a payday loan can lend
A payday loan is built for a gap of a couple of weeks and a few hundred dollars. For bigger or slower problems, such as a $3,000 dental bill or two credit cards you want to merge into one payment, the same application on Jessica’s House can match you with personal loans of up to $15,000. They’re repaid monthly over 6 to 60 months, and the law caps them at 35% APR.
That’s usually far cheaper than stacking payday loans. Borrowing $2,000 as payday loans costs up to $280 every pay period, with no progress on the balance. The same $2,000 as a two-year personal loan at the legal maximum works out to roughly $117 a month, and the balance falls with each payment.
If the gap is a vehicle, our car loans for bad credit page works differently. You’re approved for a monthly payment first, and the dealer then matches a reliable used car to that budget.
Payday loan rules where you live
Rules are set by your province, so start with yours. In Ontario, we also have city guides with the free local help to try first: Ontario Works offices, utility emergency programs and 211 services.
- Ontario50% of net pay, extended plans on a third loan
- British ColumbiaCancel any time if the lender breaks disclosure rules
- AlbertaRepaid over at least 42 days, in instalments
- SaskatchewanOne loan at a time, tight default limits
- Manitoba30% limit, $5 per $100 on a repeat loan
- Nova ScotiaPermit shown on the site, $20 default cap
- New Brunswick30% of your latest pay stub
- Prince Edward IslandSeven days between loans
- Newfoundland and LabradorInstalments on a third loan in 62 days
- QuebecNot offered, and the cheaper options instead
- Yukon, NWT and NunavutThe 35% rate limit applies
Ontario city guides
When a payday loan is the wrong answer
At $14 per $100, a two-week payday loan works out to about 365% a year. That price can make sense for a one-off emergency you can repay in full on payday: a tow, a prescription, a furnace part in January. It stops making sense when the loan is covering rent, groceries or another loan, because the same shortfall comes back two weeks later with a fee on top.
If that’s where you are, try these first. Each one is cheaper, and most are free:
- Call the company you owe. Utilities, landlords and phone carriers often agree to a payment arrangement if you call before the due date.
- Ask your employer for an advance on wages you’ve already earned. Many employers, and some payroll apps, do this at no cost.
- Check the overdraft or line of credit at your bank or credit union. The interest is a fraction of a payday loan fee.
- Talk to a non-profit credit counsellor. It’s free and confidential, and they can negotiate with creditors for you.
More options, with the real cost of each: no credit check loans compared and our money guides.
Payday loans in Canada: common questions
How much does a payday loan cost in Canada?
In the nine provinces with payday loan laws, the most a lender can charge is $14 for every $100 you borrow, including all interest and fees. A $500 loan costs at most $70, so you repay $570. Over a typical two-week term, that’s an annual percentage rate of about 365%.
Can I get a payday loan with bad credit?
Often, yes. Most payday lenders decide based on your income, how your bank account is used and whether the repayment fits your pay, rather than your credit score. Bad credit isn’t an automatic no, but nobody can promise approval. See what lenders check instead.
How fast will I get the money?
If you apply on a business morning and your bank verification goes smoothly, many lenders decide within an hour and send the money by Interac e-Transfer the same day. Applications late in the day, on weekends or on holidays usually fund the next business day.
Does applying affect my credit score?
Sending an application through Jessica’s House doesn’t affect your credit score. A lender may run a soft check, which you can’t see on your score, or tell you before it runs a hard check as part of a final offer.
Is Jessica’s House a lender?
No. We’re a free matching service. We pass your application to lending partners, who connect you with licensed lenders. The lender makes the decision, sets the terms within the law and signs the agreement with you. Lenders may pay us a fee, which never changes the legal maximum cost of your loan.
Can I get a payday loan in Quebec or the territories?
No. Quebec and the territories don’t have payday loan laws, so lenders there can’t charge more than the 35% annual rate in the Criminal Code, and the payday product isn’t offered. You can still apply for a personal loan at or below 35% APR. See Quebec and the territories.
Know the number first. Then decide.
Your cheque above shows the most your loan can cost. If it works for your budget, the application takes about five minutes and is free to send.