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More often, and less each time. Edmonton sent us 1,661 small-loan applications in the first half of 2026, against 1,338 from Calgary. The loans are smaller. Almost half are under $500, the average is about $490, and fewer than one in five is over $1,000.
Bills are the top reason, at more than a third of requests. One in seven is for a medical cost.
Nearly four in ten Edmonton applicants live on benefits, almost as many as the about four in ten who work full-time. That matters, because none of the four payday lenders lists benefits as income it accepts. They want $800 to $1,500 a month from full-time, part-time or self-employed work. If benefits are your income, pick benefits on the application. That choice decides which lenders see it.
Credit is less of a barrier. About a third of Edmonton applicants have a score under 560, and about a quarter have none. Three of the four lenders set no minimum score, and the fourth considers poor credit.
Alberta fixes it at $14 per $100 at every lender. The table shows what that means at the sizes Edmontonians ask for. The average Edmonton loan costs about $69.
| Amount asked for | Share of Edmonton requests | Average request | Fee at $14 per $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 to $499 | 47.0% | $231 | About $32 |
| $500 to $999 | 35.0% | $565 | About $79 |
| $1,000 to $1,499 | 18.1% | $1,025 | About $144 |
Smarter Loans platform, applications from Edmonton for $100 to $1,499, 1 January to 30 June 2026. The fee column applies Alberta's rate to the average request.
The loan lasts 42 to 62 days, repaid in instalments under Alberta's Consumer Protection Act. For a medical bill, that spreads the cost over two or more paydays. If a payment is missed, the lender can add a charge.
GoDay, iCash, Money Mart and My Canada Payday, the four on the payday loans in Alberta page. All four lend online. Each pays out within 24 hours of approval, and iCash within the hour. Our application reaches all four at once. Each holds an Alberta payday loan licence.
For anything you cannot repay within 62 days, a short-term loan under the 35% federal cap is cheaper. Every payday lender we work with is on the payday loans in Canada page.
Reviewed by Vlad Sherbatov, Co-Founder and President, Smarter Loans, 3 October 2026. Lender terms checked August 2026. Platform figures cover applications from 1 January to 30 June 2026.
These four lenders ask for income from work, not benefits. Nearly four in ten Edmonton applicants are on benefits. Picking benefits on the form sends the application to lenders that accept it. Figures are from Smarter Loans applications, January to June 2026.
Edmontonians ask for about $490 on average, less than Calgarians do. Almost half of Edmonton requests are under $500. Figures are from Smarter Loans applications, January to June 2026.
It costs about $69, because Alberta fixes the fee at $14 per $100 borrowed at every lender.
Alberta requires an instalment plan lasting 42 to 62 days, so the payments are spread over two or more paydays.
Not with most of these lenders. Three of the four serving Edmonton set no minimum score, and about a third of Edmonton applicants have a score under 560. Figures are from Smarter Loans applications, January to June 2026.
