PawnSmarts comes pre-configured for SC Code Title 40, Chapter 39 — it calculates blended five-tier interest, prorates daily for early redemption, enforces the $15,000 loan cap, and exports your records to the state law-enforcement database.
South Carolina pawn law sets a descending five-tier interest schedule, requires daily proration of charges on early redemption, caps loans at $15,000, and mandates electronic reporting of pledged items to a law-enforcement database — all under the South Carolina Pawnbroker Act (SC Code Title 40, Chapter 39), administered by the SC Department of Consumer Affairs. Instead of a single monthly cap, the state's rate falls as the loan amount rises, so most loans blend several tiers. PawnSmarts comes pre-configured for all of it before you write your first ticket, so the math, the refunds, and the state reports happen automatically.
Under SC Code §40-39-100, the maximum allowable rate decreases as the loan amount increases, so most loans blend several tiers. PawnSmarts splits any loan into its tiers, charges each portion at its own rate, and sums the total for you — no manual bracket math.
| Loan portion | Rate per $10 / month | Monthly % | APR |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 – $50 | $2.50 | 25% | 300% |
| $50 – $100 | $2.00 | 20% | 240% |
| $100 – $200 | $1.50 | 15% | 180% |
| $200 – $1,000 | $1.00 | 10% | 120% |
| $1,000 – $15,000 | $0.50 | 5% | 60% |
Larger loans cross every bracket. For a $1,500 loan, PawnSmarts computes:
The software decides which dollars fall in which tier and returns the blended charge automatically, so your tickets are right every time.
South Carolina law (§40-39-100) requires pawnbrokers to prorate interest and charges daily when a pledgor redeems early or pays before the end of a 30-day period. You must count the exact days from the start of the period to the redemption date and refund any excess already collected. PawnSmarts does this for you:
PawnSmarts tracks payments received, calculates the prorated amount owed, and identifies refunds automatically — the consumer protection the statute requires, handled without a calculator.
Every South Carolina pawnshop must provide records of pledged items by electronic data transfer to a database accessible by law enforcement and approved by the SC Department of Consumer Affairs (§40-39-90). PawnSmarts builds the export for you and integrates with LEADS Online and other police-reporting workflows. Each transmission carries the required transaction data:
SC Code §40-39-100(C) prohibits loans exceeding $15,000 — a large increase from the prior $2,000 ceiling that lets you serve customers with higher-value collateral. PawnSmarts tracks every loan amount and helps you stay within the cap.
Under §40-39-145, law enforcement may place a written hold order on property suspected to be stolen or misappropriated, imposing a 90-day holding period unless extended by court order. During the hold:
PawnSmarts records each hold order, calculates the 90-day expiration, flags items under hold, and generates the expiration notices.
The governing law is the South Carolina Pawnbroker Act — SC Code of Laws Title 40, Chapter 39, administered by the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs.
Whether you run one counter or several locations, PawnSmarts is $89/month for the Essential plan or $129/month for Professional — month to month, no contract, no setup fee, and no exit fee. Prefer to own it outright? Professional is also a one-time purchase of $2,995. It's even free when you use our integrated credit-card processing. On Professional, pledgors get three automatic reminders before a loan is due and can pay online from home — fewer forfeitures and more redemptions.
See the full list of states we serve, review the US state licensing guide, or learn how PawnSmarts handles LEADS Online and police reporting. New to this? Start with what pawn shop software does, or compare PawnSmarts to other systems.
South Carolina Code §40-39-100(C) caps pawn loans at $15,000 per transaction, a large increase from the prior $2,000 limit that lets pawnbrokers serve customers with higher-value collateral such as jewelry, electronics, or musical instruments. PawnSmarts tracks every loan amount and helps you stay within the cap.
Under SC Code §40-39-100, the allowable monthly rate decreases as the loan amount increases: 25% on the first $50, 20% on $50–$100, 15% on $100–$200, 10% on $200–$1,000, and 5% on $1,000–$15,000. Most loans span multiple tiers, so the blended rate must be calculated across each bracket. PawnSmarts blends each bracket and returns the correct total charge automatically, without any manual math.
Yes. SC Code §40-39-100 mandates that pawnbrokers prorate interest and charges on a daily basis when a pledgor redeems before the end of a 30-day period. The pawnbroker must refund any excess already collected, calculated by dividing the monthly charge by 30 and multiplying by the actual days elapsed. PawnSmarts calculates the prorated amount and flags any refund due automatically.
Yes. Under SC Code §40-39-90, every South Carolina pawnshop must transmit records of pledged items by electronic data transfer to a database accessible by law enforcement and approved by the SC Department of Consumer Affairs. PawnSmarts builds the required export for you and supports LEADS Online and other police-reporting workflows, with OFAC screening and 48 states preconfigured.
Yes. SC Code §40-39-20 and §40-39-30 require a Certificate of Authority from the SC Department of Consumer Affairs for each location, with a $275 filing fee, annual renewal by June 30, and background checks; felony convictions prohibit licensure. PawnSmarts does not issue licenses, but it supports your compliance once you are licensed by keeping complete transaction records and the reports the state expects.
PawnSmarts is $89/month for the Essential plan or $129/month for Professional, month to month with no contract, no setup fee, and no exit fee. You can also own Professional outright for a one-time $2,995, or get it free when you use our integrated credit-card processing. Migration is a flat $395 and most shops switch in under 24 hours.
Open the live demo and click around. If it looks right, sign up and we'll move your data for $395.
Questions? [email protected] · 800-710-6184