Skip to content

Cash Advance Calculator: What an Advance Really Costs

A cash advance sounds small and casual. Priced annually it usually is not, and this tool shows the yearly rate hiding behind a modest fee.

Cash advance is a retail label, not a product with fixed terms. Lenders use it for the same flat-fee borrowing a payday lender sells, and the arithmetic underneath is identical: a fee per hundred dollars for a short term. The defaults here price a typical small request, $250 at $15 per $100 for 14 days, which is a $37.50 fee on a $287.50 payoff, an annual rate of about 391%.

In our region the label covers four different legal realities. In Virginia and Illinois it most often means licensed installment credit at a 36% all-in figure. In Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC there is no licensed storefront advance at all. Delaware licenses up to $1,000 with the price set by contract. And everywhere, the sovereign lane offers tribal installment loans of $300 to $2,500 at 400% to 800% APR over 3 to 12 months. Same label, four price worlds.

One comparison belongs in every small-amount decision: app-based advances that charge tips or subscriptions instead of interest, usually capped near $500. Their effective cost can be far lower than $37.50 per two weeks, though fees hide in membership pricing. Weigh them alongside the licensed routes in our Maryland alternatives guide before you commit to a fee-based advance.

Fee
Total due on payday
Annualized APR

The defaults price a typical small request: $250 at $15 per $100 for 14 days, a $37.50 fee on a $287.50 payoff. If the numbers trouble you, our Maryland alternatives guide lists cheaper routes first.

For a wider view of the small-dollar market, start at our cash advance hub, or send a no-fee request through the application page.

Line items: common questions, answered straight

Is a cash advance different from a payday loan?
In pricing, no. Both describe small-dollar borrowing repaid from your next paycheck, and both charge a fee per hundred dollars rather than a stated interest rate. The label differs more than the math: lenders pick whichever term reads better in their state. Run either offer through this calculator and you will get the same payoff and the same annual rate.
What does the default example cost?
The defaults show $250 at $15 per $100 for 14 days. That is a $37.50 fee, a $287.50 payoff on the due date, and an annualized rate of about 391%. Lower the fee to $10 per $100 and the tool drops to about 261%, which is how you test whether a lender advertising lower fees is actually cheaper.
Are app-based advances cheaper than this?
Often yes, though not always. Advance apps typically charge optional tips or monthly subscriptions instead of per-hundred fees, and most cap advances near $500. If you tip a few dollars on a $250 advance, your cost is a fraction of the $37.50 in the default example. The tradeoffs are lower limits, slower funding on free tiers, and membership fees that are easy to forget.
Can I get a cash advance in Maryland or Pennsylvania?
Not from a licensed storefront lender. Maryland caps small-loan interest at 33% and Pennsylvania at 6%, price levels at which payday storefronts cannot operate, and Washington DC caps at 24% for the same reason. Residents of those three jurisdictions use credit union loans, licensed online installment lenders, or tribal lenders, each priced very differently. This calculator prices any of them once you have a written offer in hand.

Reviewed by Lena Pindell, Reviewer, credit counseling background. Every fee, cap, and formula on this page was checked against the linked statutes and the regulator that enforces them.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-20

Free · No obligation · Decision in minutes

Apply Now →