No. You cannot be arrested for failing to pay a payday loan, a credit card, a personal loan, medical bills, or any other consumer debt. Debtor's prisons were abolished in the United States in the 1830s. Failing to repay a debt is a civil matter, not a criminal offense.

But there's a catch that trips people up.

While you can't be arrested for the debt itself, you can be arrested for ignoring a court order related to the debt. Here's how that works: a creditor sues you and gets a judgment. The court orders you to appear for a debtor's examination (a hearing where you disclose your finances). If you don't show up, the judge can issue a bench warrant for contempt of court. That warrant is for failing to obey the court, not for owing money. But the practical result is the same: you can end up in handcuffs.

This happens more often than it should. Some debt collectors have learned to use this process aggressively, especially in states with weaker consumer protections. They get a judgment, schedule a debtor's examination, and if the person misses it (which is common, since they may not have received proper notice or may not understand the consequences), a warrant is issued.

What payday lenders specifically do: Some payday lenders threaten criminal charges by claiming the bounced check or failed ACH payment constitutes fraud or theft. This is almost always an empty threat designed to scare you into paying. Writing a check that bounces because you didn't have funds is generally a civil matter, not a criminal one. For it to be criminal, the lender would typically need to prove you intentionally wrote a bad check with no intention of ever paying, and prosecutors almost never pursue these cases.

If a collector threatens arrest: This is a violation of the FDCPA. Threatening to take an action that cannot legally be taken (like having you arrested for a civil debt) is specifically prohibited. Document the threat (date, time, what was said, who said it). File a complaint with the CFPB, the FTC, and your state Attorney General. Contact a consumer rights attorney. You may have a viable FDCPA lawsuit that costs you nothing out of pocket.

If you receive a court summons: Take it seriously. Respond to it. Show up for hearings. The arrest scenario only happens when people ignore court proceedings. As long as you engage with the legal process, even if you owe the money, you're protected from arrest.