Calculators · 04

Weekly Loan Calculator

This calculator works out the repayments on weekly-instalment agreements using a flat rate of interest per annum. In addition to the repayments, the resulting APR is also provided so agreements can be compared fairly.

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Overview

The weekly loan calculator works out the repayments on agreements paid weekly rather than monthly. It uses the same flat-rate method as the standard loan calculator — interest is charged on the whole amount of credit for the whole term — but the term is expressed in weeks and the APR is compounded over the 52 weeks in a year. Enter the cash price, any deposit, the term in weeks and the flat rate to get the weekly instalment, the total charge for credit and the APR.

Weekly agreements are common in rent-to-own and sub-prime lending, where a modest flat rate can translate into a strikingly high APR once it is annualised over 52 weekly payments. Deriving the APR makes that real cost visible, so weekly deals can be compared with monthly ones on the same basis.

How it works

01
Enter the agreement

Cash price, deposit, the term in weeks and the flat rate of interest, plus any arrangement or option-to-purchase fee.

02
We work the charges

The amount of credit is the cash price less the deposit. Interest is the credit multiplied by the flat rate and the number of weeks divided by 52; fees are added on top.

03
Get weekly repayments and APR

The total is spread across the weeks to give the weekly instalment, and the APR is compounded over 52 periods so it is comparable with a monthly agreement.

Worked example

£4,500 of credit over 104 weeks at 12.5% flat

Take a £5,000 cash price with a £500 deposit — £4,500 of credit — over 104 weeks (two years) at a 12.5% flat rate, with a £100 arrangement fee spread across the payments. The calculator returns a first instalment of £55.05, a total charge for credit of £1,125.20 and a total amount payable of £6,225.20.

The APR works out at 28.2% — far above the 12.5% flat rate — because the flat rate is charged on the full £4,500 even as you pay it down across the two years.

Frequently asked questions

How is a weekly loan different from a monthly one?
The maths is the same flat-rate method, but the term is counted in weeks and the APR is compounded over the 52 weeks in a year instead of 12 months. The weekly instalment is the total amount financed divided by the number of weeks.
Why is the APR so much higher than the flat rate on weekly deals?
Frequent payments and a flat rate that ignores the falling balance combine to push the annualised cost up sharply. A 12.5% flat rate over two years, for example, can work out at around a 28% APR.
Can I include a deposit or fees?
Yes. Enter a deposit to reduce the amount of credit, and add an arrangement fee (spread across the payments or charged upfront) and an option-to-purchase fee if the agreement has them. All are reflected in the total charge for credit and the APR.
Does it support a balloon payment?
No. Weekly agreements do not use a final balloon payment, so that option is only on the standard monthly loan calculator.

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