Local briefing · ME
Payday loans in Lewiston, ME
Payday lending is permitted for licensed lenders in Maine, inside the state fee cap, so any licensed lender serving Lewiston has to stay inside Maine's fee cap and licensing rules. Below you will find what a payday loan actually costs in Lewiston, the sourced Maine rules, and the lower-cost alternatives worth checking first.
Advertising disclosure: Paydayloaning may receive a referral fee if you apply through the link above. That fee does not change the rate you are offered, and it does not change our content. We are not a lender. The lowest rates are only available to the most qualified applicants. Read the full disclosure.
Payday lending in Maine
Payday lenders are licensed as supervised lenders by the BCCP and subject to the 9-A § 2-401 finance-charge caps
The local picture
Payday loan rules that apply in Lewiston
Every figure below is published by the state or the regulator that sets it, with a link to the primary source. These rules apply to any lender serving Lewiston — Maine's fee cap is not adjusted city by city.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 30% per year on unpaid balances up to $2,000; 24% on $2,000–$4,000; 18% above $4,000 (9-A M.R.S. § 2-401(2))Source quoteSource says: "30% per year on that part of the unpaid balances of the amount financed that is $2,000 or less" | Maine Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Payday lenders are licensed as supervised lenders by the BCCP and subject to the 9-A § 2-401 finance-charge capsSource quoteSource says: "Supervised Lenders Including Mortgage Lenders and Servicers, Non-Mortgage Supervised Lenders, Payday Lenders, and Insurance Premium Finance Companies" | Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Supervised lender license required when the finance charge exceeds 12 1/4% per year (or the loan is secured by real estate); applications via NMLSSource quoteSource says: "Anyone who makes, takes assignment of, or services consumer loans in which the rate of the finance charge ... exceeds 12 1/4% per year" | Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (Department of Professional and Financial Regulation)Source quoteSource says: "The Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection licenses and registers the following business entities" | Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection as of 2026-09-16 |
| Minimum finance charge for supervised lenders | $5 (loans ≤$75), $15 ($75–<$250), $25 (≥$250) — 9-A M.R.S. § 2-401(7)Source quoteSource says: "the lender may contract for and receive a minimum charge of not more than ... Twenty-five dollars when the amount financed is $250 or more" | Maine Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
What a payday loan costs in Lewiston
A payday loan is priced by a fee per $100 borrowed, not by a monthly interest rate. Because the loan is usually due in about two weeks, that fee translates into an annual percentage rate many times higher than an installment loan or a credit card — the Federal Trade Commission's own example, a $15 fee per $100 on a two-week loan, works out to roughly 391% APR. Federal law requires the lender to show you the finance charge and the APR in writing before you sign, so the real cost is knowable before you commit. How payday loan fees work.
Cheaper alternatives in Lewiston
A small personal installment loan is the closest like-for-like replacement: the same lump sum, but repaid in fixed monthly payments, so the APR is a fraction of a payday advance's. Pre-qualification uses a soft credit pull that does not affect your score, so you can compare offers without cost. Payday loan vs personal loan.
About Lewiston
- Population: 38,404 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- Size in Maine: the 2nd-largest of 23 Census places in the state.
- Population trend: Its population grew about 3.4% between the 2020 Census base and the 2023 estimate.
- Nearest larger cities: Portland, ME (32 mi); Concord, NH (91 mi); Manchester, NH (99 mi). Bigger markets often have more lenders, but a lender licensed in Maine serves Lewiston under the same state rules.
Before you borrow in Lewiston
- Confirm payday lending is permitted in Maine and check the maximum fee in the table above.
- Compare the APR, not the dollar fee — that is the only way to compare a two-week loan with a two-year one.
- Run the numbers with our loan payment calculator to price the same amount as an installment loan.
- Verify the lender is licensed in Maine with the regulator listed above.
- Never give a lender remote access to your bank account beyond the amount you actually owe, and ask for any repayment plan in writing.
Advertising disclosure: Paydayloaning may receive a referral fee if you apply through the link above. That fee does not change the rate you are offered, and it does not change our content. We are not a lender. The lowest rates are only available to the most qualified applicants. Read the full disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
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Nearby places
All Maine citiesNearest Census places by distance.