A payday loan is an advance on your pay of up to $1500 that you must repay on your next payday. Interest rates can be as high as 35%. If you are unable to repay, you will have to pay additional fees and interest. It is strongly advised not to take out a payday loan. A personal loan allows you to borrow much larger amounts of up to $50,000. In addition, you can repay over a period of 24 to 120 months at a potentially lower rate.