EntityMap · v1.0
Payday UK
A structured, entity-first index of this site's knowledge for AI systems, LLMs and RAG pipelines. The same data is available as entitymap.json.
Organisation
Organisation e_001
Payday UK also PaydayUK, Payday Loans Ltd
UK credit broker, not a lender. An appointed representative of Flux Funding Limited that matches applicants with a panel of FCA-regulated lenders.
Same as: Companies House ↗ · FCA Register ↗ · Trustpilot ↗
Relations
- OFFERS → Loan matching service
- OFFERS → Loan eligibility checker
- OFFERS → Payday Loans
- OFFERS → Short Term Loans
- OFFERS → Bad Credit Loans
- OFFERS → Quick Loans
- OFFERS → Small Loans
- OFFERS → Same Day Loans
- OFFERS → No Guarantor Loans
- RELATES TO → Flux Funding Limited
- RELATES TO → Financial Conduct Authority
Evidence
We do not lend money, and we never decide whether you are approved. We take one application and put it to a panel of lenders.
Payday UK is a trading name of Payday Loans Ltd (FRN 921539), an appointed representative of Flux Funding Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 806333.
We are paid a commission by the lender when an introduction turns into a loan. That is how the service stays free for you.
The lenders make the decisions, so approval is never guaranteed.
Organisation e_002
Flux Funding Limited also Flux Funding
Flux Funding Limited is the firm authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, under firm reference number 806333, whose permission Payday UK operates under. Payday Loans Ltd, which trades as Payday UK, is its appointed representative.
Relations
- REGULATED BY → Financial Conduct Authority
Evidence
Flux Funding Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is entered on the Financial Services Register under reference number: 806333.
Flux Funding Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and we are its appointed representative.
1.2. Payday Loans Ltd is an appointed representative of Flux Funding Limited. Flux Funding Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 806333.
Services
Service e_004
Loan matching service also Credit broking service
Payday UK's loan matching service takes one online application and submits it to a panel of FCA-regulated lenders, who each run their own soft search, credit checks and affordability assessment. Payday UK does not lend, run credit checks or make lending decisions; the lender the applicant chooses decides, sets the terms and pays out. The service is free to applicants, and Payday UK may receive a commission from the lender.
Relations
- INCLUDES → Loan eligibility checker
- DESCRIBED BY → Responsible borrowing
Evidence
What Payday UK does is make applying easy. Rather than going to payday loan companies one by one, you fill in a single short form. We then search our panel of FCA-regulated lenders for you.
2.2. We match it against the lending criteria published by the lenders on our panel.
Service e_005
Loan eligibility checker also Eligibility Checker
Payday UK's online eligibility checker shows which FCA-regulated lenders on its panel are likely to consider an application before the applicant commits. It uses a soft search, which does not affect the applicant's credit score; a hard search is recorded only if the applicant accepts an offer and proceeds with a lender. It cannot promise approval, because each lender makes its own decision.
Relations
- INCLUDES → Soft credit search
Evidence
Nobody can promise you approval before a lender has looked at your application. Anyone who does is not being straight with you. When you check, lenders on our panel run a soft search. It does not affect your credit score, and you see any offers they make.
Checking is a soft search.
It leaves no mark other lenders can see, and you can check as often as you like. A hard search is only recorded if you accept an offer, and the lender tells you first.
We are a credit broker, not a lender.
Payday UK does not make the lending decision and does not run the credit check.
Service e_006
Payday Loans also Payday advance
Payday loans are short-term loans traditionally used to cover an unexpected cost until the borrower's next payday, and are now commonly repaid in instalments over several months. Payday UK matches applicants with FCA-regulated lenders offering payday loans; each lender checks affordability and makes its own decision.
Evidence
A payday loan, sometimes called a payday advance, can help cover an unexpected cost until your next payday.
Every lender checks whether you can afford the repayments, so approval is never guaranteed. Rates vary from lender to lender too, which means no one can promise you the cheapest payday loans. Your quote will be based on your personal circumstances.
Payday loans are not long-term financial solutions. You should generally avoid them for non-emergencies or non-essential expenses, if you are already in debt, or if you do not have a stable source of income.
Service e_007
Short Term Loans also Short-term loans
Short term loans are loans repaid in fixed monthly instalments over a relatively brief period, from a few months to a few years, typically used for one-off costs such as repairs or unexpected bills. Payday UK matches applicants with FCA-regulated lenders offering short term loans; each lender sets its own criteria and terms and makes its own decision.
Relations
- INCLUDES → Small Loans
Evidence
A short term loan is money you borrow and repay over a relatively brief period. Most short term loans in the UK range from a few months to three years, with fixed monthly repayments.
Payday UK is a credit broker, not a direct lender. We search a panel of FCA authorised direct lenders to find ones that may offer you a short term loan.
Your term and monthly payment are fixed when you sign. Before you apply, check that the cost you are covering will be dealt with before your last payment is due. A repair bill is a one-off. A shortfall that comes back every month is not.
Service e_008
Bad Credit Loans also Loans for bad credit
Bad credit loans are loans for people whose credit file shows problems such as missed payments, defaults, CCJs or little borrowing history. Payday UK matches applicants with FCA-regulated lenders on its panel, some of whom consider poor credit histories and weigh current income and outgoings alongside the credit file. Those lenders still run full credit checks and make their own decisions, and a weaker file usually means a higher rate.
Evidence
Bad credit means a credit file that makes a lender hesitate, usually because of missed payments, a default, a CCJ, an IVA or a thin file. There is no official bad-credit list, and no score that makes you an automatic no.
Approval is never guaranteed, but a poor credit score does not rule you out on its own. Lenders on our panel look at your income and outgoings as well as your credit history.
You borrow from a lender on our panel, never from Payday UK. We are a credit broker, not a lender.
Service e_009
Quick Loans
Quick loans are not a separate type of credit: 'quick' describes how fast an applicant gets a decision and, if approved, the money. Payday UK matches applicants with FCA-regulated lenders offering short-term instalment loans; the lender runs a full credit check, makes the decision and sends the funds, and timing also depends on the applicant's bank.
Evidence
A quick loan isn't a separate type of product. The word "quick" describes how fast you get a decision and the money, not what you're borrowing.
A quick loan is quick because the decision is. Most lenders on our panel give an automated answer within minutes of you sending the form.
Payday UK is a credit broker, not a lender. We don't lend money ourselves.
Service e_010
Small Loans
Small loans are modest amounts borrowed to close a short-term gap, such as a bill or a repair, and repaid over months rather than years; there is no official definition of a small loan. Payday UK matches applicants with FCA-regulated lenders offering small loans; the lender runs the full credit check and makes the decision.
Evidence
There's no official limit on a small loan in the UK. The term usually means the amount that closes a gap: a meter top-up, a garage bill, the food shop before payday.
Small loans are one type of short term loan, borrowed over months rather than years.
Small does not mean cheap. Interest on a small amount over a few months is a fixed sum in pounds, but stated as an annual rate it reads as a very large number. The figure to compare is the total in pounds, not the APR.
Service e_011
Same Day Loans
A same day loan is an ordinary short-term loan that a lender may pay out on the day it approves the application; 'same day' describes how quickly the money arrives, not a separate product. Payday UK matches applicants with FCA-regulated lenders offering such loans, but nobody can promise same day payment, which depends on the lender's cut-off, its checks and the applicant's bank.
Evidence
A same day loan works like any short-term loan: you apply, a lender decides, you accept the offer, and the lender sends the money by Faster Payments. It isn’t a separate product, just an ordinary loan that’s paid out quickly.
You can often get a loan on the same day if a lender approves you early on a working day, but same day payment is never guaranteed. As a broker, we don’t lend the money or send it.
Payment timing is set by the lender you choose and by your bank. Payday UK is a credit broker, not a lender, and does not move the money.
Service e_012
No Guarantor Loans also Loans without a guarantor
No guarantor loans are personal loans where the borrower alone is responsible for repayment, with no second person agreeing to repay if they cannot. Payday UK matches applicants with FCA-regulated lenders offering loans that do not need a guarantor; the lender assesses the applicant's own income, outgoings and credit history, sets the terms and decides.
Evidence
No guarantor loans are personal loans where you take full responsibility for the borrowing yourself. Unlike guarantor loans, there’s no need to find someone willing to co-sign your agreement or promise to repay if you can’t.
A guarantor is someone who agrees to cover your repayments if you can't. You don't need one to apply here.
Criteria differ from lender to lender. PaydayUK is a credit broker, not a lender: the lender assesses the application, sets the terms and decides.
Concepts and regulation
Concept e_013
Borrowing as a student also Loans for students
How students can borrow outside Student Finance, the government-backed tuition and maintenance loan system. Commercial lenders assess a student's income and whether they can afford the repayments rather than their course, and Payday UK, a credit broker, can match students who meet lenders' criteria with FCA-regulated lenders. Payday UK's guide also covers cheaper alternatives, such as university hardship funds and credit unions, and when not to borrow.
Relations
- COVERS → Soft credit search
- COVERS → Hard credit search
Evidence
There are several ways to borrow money as a student outside of your regular Student Finance.
Being a student isn't the barrier. What lenders check is whether the income you have is enough to cover the repayments.
A commercial loan isn’t a substitute for Student Finance.
Concept e_014
No credit check loans
'No credit check loans' is a phrase used in loan advertising. FCA-authorised UK lenders must check that applicants can afford the repayments before lending, so genuine no credit check loans are not available from legal lenders; such adverts usually mean a soft search, which does not affect the credit score, comes first, with a full credit check before any loan is paid out. Payday UK's guide explains this and how to spot illegal lenders.
Relations
- COVERS → Soft credit search
- COVERS → Hard credit search
Evidence
Genuine no credit check loans don't exist in the UK. Every lender authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has to check you can afford the repayments before it lends. An offer that skips that check entirely isn't coming from a legal lender.
Most lenders now use a soft search first. It won't affect your credit score and leaves no mark other lenders can see. A full check follows only if you go ahead with an offer.
A lender that genuinely does no checks is almost certainly a loan shark. Loan sharks lend without FCA authorisation.
Concept e_015
Soft credit search also Soft search, Quotation search
A soft credit search, also called a quotation search, is a check of a person's credit file used when they check eligibility or ask for a quote. It does not affect their credit score and other lenders cannot see it, although it appears on the person's own credit report. When someone applies through Payday UK, the soft search is carried out by the panel lenders, not by Payday UK.
Evidence
Soft search: This is used when you check your eligibility or get a quote. Other lenders can’t see it, and it doesn’t change your credit score. You can see it on your own credit report. You can run as many as you like.
2.4. Lenders run a soft credit search when they give you a quote.
Concept e_016
Hard credit search also Hard search, Full credit check
A hard credit search is a full check of a person's credit file made when they formally apply and a lender is about to decide. It is recorded on the credit file and visible to other lenders, and several in a short period can lower a credit score. When someone applies through Payday UK, a hard search happens only if they accept a lender's offer and proceed, and that lender carries it out.
Evidence
Hard search: This happens when you formally apply and a lender is about to decide. It's recorded on your file, and any lender who checks your file can see it. The credit reference agencies keep it visible for around 12 months.
One hard search is normal. Several in a few days can lower your score and read as financial distress, whatever the outcome. A refusal itself isn't recorded on your file, only the search.
A hard credit check will only take place if you accept an offer and proceed with a lender. Unlike a soft search, this will be visible to other lenders on your credit report.
Concept e_017
Credit broker vs direct lender also Direct lenders vs credit brokers
The difference between a direct lender, which lends its own money and decides, prices and pays out a loan itself, and a credit broker, which puts one application in front of several lenders on its panel and introduces the applicant to the lender they choose. A broker's panel is not the whole market. Payday UK is a credit broker, not a lender.
Relations
- COVERS → Soft credit search
- COVERS → Hard credit search
Evidence
A direct lender decides your application and funds it themselves. A broker puts the same application in front of several lenders and shows you what comes back. Every difference below follows from that one distinction.
A broker puts the same application in front of several lenders and shows you what comes back.
A lender panel is the fixed list of firms a broker sends applications to. It isn't the whole market.
Metric e_018
Representative APR also Representative Annual Percentage Rate
Representative APR is an advertised annual percentage rate that at least 51% of the people who take out the advertised credit must receive or better; it is an advertising rule, not a personal quote. The rate an individual is offered, their personal APR, is set by the lender after assessing their application and may differ. Payday UK's guide advises comparing the total amount repayable rather than the APR alone.
Relations
- RELATES TO → FCA price cap on high-cost short-term credit
Evidence
Personal APR is the rate you're offered on your own agreement, once a lender has looked at your application. It replaces the representative rate the moment you apply.
It's the yearly cost of a loan, shown as a single percentage, and every lender has to calculate it the same way.
Regulation e_019
FCA price cap on high-cost short-term credit also CONC 5A price cap, High-cost short-term credit price cap
The FCA price cap, set out in CONC 5A of the FCA Handbook, limits daily interest and fees, default fees and the total amount repayable on high-cost short-term credit. It applies only where both conditions are met: the APR is 100% or more, and the credit is due to be repaid within about a year. An agreement that meets only one condition, such as one repaid over more than about a year, is not capped, so borrowers should check the total repayable on their own agreement.
Relations
- RELATES TO → Financial Conduct Authority
Evidence
Where a loan is high-cost short-term credit - an APR of 100% or more, and the credit due to be repaid within about a year - the FCA price cap applies: interest and fees cannot exceed 0.8% of the amount borrowed per day, default fees are capped at £15, and the total you repay cannot be more than twice the amount you borrowed. Both conditions have to be met: an agreement that meets only one of them is not capped, so always read the total repayable on your own agreement.
The cap is a ceiling, not a price. Many agreements cost less than the maximum, and a payment made to schedule usually means you never get near it.
6.3. For other credit, the lender charges what your credit agreement sets out.
Methodology e_020
Responsible borrowing also Responsible Lending policy
Payday UK's Responsible Lending policy sets out how applications are handled: Payday UK, as a credit broker, matches applications against panel lenders' criteria, while each lender assesses creditworthiness and affordability under FCA rules. It asks borrowers to apply only for what they can repay from ordinary income, to read the total amount repayable, and to seek free debt advice rather than borrow to service debt they cannot sustain.
Relations
- INCLUDES → Complaints procedure
- RELATES TO → MoneyHelper
- RELATES TO → StepChange Debt Charity
- RELATES TO → Citizens Advice
- RELATES TO → National Debtline
Evidence
1.3. We are a credit broker, not a lender.
3.1. The lender must check your creditworthiness before lending to you, under FCA rules.
3.3. Only apply for an amount you can repay from your normal income.
3.6. Don’t borrow to keep up with existing debts you can’t afford.
Methodology e_021
Complaints procedure also Complaints
Payday UK's complaints procedure explains how customers can complain by email, telephone or post, and the timescales it follows under FCA rules for acknowledging, investigating and giving a final response. A customer who is unhappy with the final response, or has not received one within the required time, can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge. Complaints about a credit agreement itself go to the lender.
Relations
- RELATES TO → Financial Ombudsman Service
Evidence
This page explains how to complain, what we will do, and where you can take your complaint if you are not satisfied with our answer.
We will then investigate. We will send you our final response within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint.
You can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you are unhappy with our final response, or if 8 weeks have passed since you complained and we have not given you one.
Regulators and support organisations
Organisation e_003
Financial Conduct Authority also FCA
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the UK regulator of financial services firms, including consumer credit lenders and credit brokers. Firms lending or broking consumer credit in the UK must be authorised, and the FCA's Financial Services Register lets anyone check a firm's status and permissions.
Same as: fca.org.uk ↗ · Wikidata ↗
Evidence
Anyone lending or broking consumer credit in the UK must be authorised. Look the firm up on the FCA Register before you hand over a single detail.
Since 2014, the FCA has required every authorised lender to check you can afford to repay before it lends. That isn't optional. Skipping the check breaks FCA rules.
Organisation e_022
Financial Ombudsman Service
The Financial Ombudsman Service is a free, independent UK service that settles disputes between financial firms and their customers. Payday UK customers can refer a complaint to it after receiving a final response, or if no final response has been given within the required time.
Same as: financial-ombudsman.org.uk ↗ · Wikidata ↗
Evidence
You can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. It is a free, independent service for settling disputes between financial firms and their customers.
You must refer your complaint within 6 months of the date of our final response, or you may lose the right to have it considered.
Organisation e_023
MoneyHelper
MoneyHelper is a free, impartial, government-backed money guidance service, independent of Payday UK. Its services include a debt advice locator.
Same as: moneyhelper.org.uk ↗
Evidence
For free, impartial money guidance that has nothing to do with us, MoneyHelper is government-backed and independent.
Free, impartial money and debt guidance, backed by government, including a debt advice locator.
Organisation e_024
StepChange Debt Charity also StepChange
StepChange Debt Charity is a UK charity giving free, confidential debt advice and managed debt plans, online or by phone. It is independent of Payday UK and does not sell loans.
Same as: stepchange.org ↗ · Wikidata ↗
Evidence
Free, confidential debt advice and managed debt plans, online or over the phone.
Free, confidential debt advice and managed debt plans, online or over the phone.
Organisation e_025
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice is a UK organisation giving free, confidential help with debt, benefits, housing and employment, in person or online. It is independent of Payday UK.
Same as: citizensadvice.org.uk ↗ · Wikidata ↗
Evidence
Free help with debt, benefits and housing, in person, by phone or online.
Free help with debt, benefits and housing, in person, by phone or online.
Organisation e_026
National Debtline
National Debtline is a UK service giving free, independent and confidential debt advice by phone, with fact sheets and sample letters. It is independent of Payday UK.
Same as: nationaldebtline.org ↗
Evidence
Free, independent advice on dealing with debts, with fact sheets and sample letters.
Free, independent advice on dealing with debts, with fact sheets and sample letters.
Payday UK is a trading name of Payday Loans Ltd (FRN 921539), an appointed representative of Flux Funding Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 806333. We are a credit broker, not a lender.
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