When is payday loan a good thing, if at all?

The advantage of payday loan is you can take out a loan of small amount and you don't need to have any credit score to qualify for it. You can pay off your loan on your next paycheck date. And for that, you have submit a post-dated check to the payday lender. But you will be shocked to know about the high-interest rates of the payday loans, which make it cumbersome to pay off.
So, I would suggest you to take out a payday loan when you need urgent money and you don't have any other option like credit card cash advance, etc. But make sure to pay it off as soon as you receive your next paycheck.

A payday loan is advantageous when you need money for an emergency. But, make sure you borrow the money from an authentic lender. Also, repay the money with time.

Payday loan is not good. It can never be good. Period. You should never take out a payday loan. If you need money, borrow a personal loan from a credit union. Do you need the names? Alliant is a good one. You can also take out a personal loan from your friends.