There comes a time in everyone's life when you just don't have enough money to cover your expenses between paydays. Whether it's due to an emergency car repair, an injury not covered by health insurance or some other emergency it happens to more people than you think and you're not alone. Most everyone has run out of money before they've run out a month and sometimes a payday loan is the right solution for your situation.

Below are 10 tips you need to consider before applying for a payday loan.

1. In order to qualify for a payday loan you need to be at least 18 years old and have a job on a full-time basis.

2. You need to be receiving a steady income on weekly, bi weekly or monthly basis.

3. You need to have a checking or savings account.

4. When you apply for a payday loan online or in person you will need to have proof of these items to convince the lender you are a trustworthy risk and you will be able to pay back your payday loan.

5. When choosing a payday loan company be sure it is registered and in good standing with the Better Business Bureau with no outstanding or unresolved complaints.

6. You need to understand the terms of the payday loan you are applying for.

7. When selecting a payday loan company online their website needs to clearly state the fees involved and the interest rate being charged.

8. You need to know the penalties if you do not pay the loan back on time.

9. You need to read and understand the fine print of your payday loan.

10. If you can not easy find the above information on the lenders website then don't use them.

There are plenty of payday loan companies online that are completely legitimate but you need to protect yourself by reading the fine print. One rule of thumb I use is if a company is advertising on the internet they are most likely trustworthy because it cost money to advertise and the company would have to be profitable to pay for the advertising. Most customers will not deal with a non-reputable company very long and they eventually will be out of business with no profits to spend on advertising.

As you consider the above tips keep in mind you need to be able to repay your payday loan and still cover next weeks bills. Payday loans at times make perfect sense and you need to use them wisely to help your short term cash flow problems.