Payday loans in the United Kingdom

Payday loans in the United Kingdom are typically loans of up to £500 to be repaid over a short term, or until "payday". In the absence of restrictions on interest rates the typical annual percentage rate (APR) for payday loans can be 1,000% APR or more. A typical payday loan in the United Kingdom costs as much as £25 for every £100 borrowed per month.

The payday loan industry in the United Kingdom has grown rapidly, with four times as many people using such loans in 2009 compared to 2006. In 2009 1.2 million people took out 4.1 million loans, with total lending amounting to £1.2 billion. The average loan size is between £265 and £270, and two-thirds of borrowers have annual incomes below £25,000. In 2009, the payday loan industry generated around £242m in revenue - accounting for around 20 percent of the total lending.

The largest payday lender in the United Kingdom is Wonga, which in 2014 was estimated to have a market share of between 30% and 40%. The second largest lender is Dollar Financial Group, which operates The Money Shop network, as well as online lending platforms Payday Express, Payday UK, and Ladder Loans. Dollar Financial acquired PayDay UK in 2011, then the UK's largest online lender, and suggested The Money Shop's network could grow from around 350 shops to around 1200.

Payday loans originated in the United States and have been growing quickly in the UK market over the last five years. They offer a relatively small amount of capital (usually up to £500) for a short term, often under two weeks on average (or until "payday").

The number of people taking out paydyay loans in the UK in recent years has increased fourfold, to 1.2 million in 2009. Borrowers took out around 4.1 million loans amounting to £1.2 billion in money lent. Payday loan borrowers are taking out an average of six loans per year and the average size of a payday loan in 2009 was an estimated £294. 67% of borrowers had incomes below £25,000.

A typical payday loan in the United Kingdom costs as much as £25 for every £100 borrowed per month, meaning a £300 loan would cost £375 to repay after one month. The UK imposes no legal limit on rolling over loans, and there are no restrictions on the interest rates payday loan companies can charge: one UK payday lender charges a "typical APR" of 1,355%, another lender advertises an APR of 2,225%. Most companies charge 25% for an advance repayable at the end of the month, a few charge 30%, which is equivalent to an APR of over 2000%. Failure to repay a payday loan leads to spiraling APR. According to Consumer Focus, "the cost of obtaining a loan online (often £25-£30 [per month] per £100) exceeds the costs of obtaining a loan on the High Street (often £13-£18 per £100)" because the lenders reject fewer applicants and face higher rates of fraud and default. The providers charge a fee for the loan usually expressed as a flat fee per £100 borrowed for the stated short period, usually around £25.

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