There can be nothing more stressful than realizing you immediately need more money than you have in your bank account. You need money urgently, and you don’t have a friend or family member you can borrow from to tide you over until payday — what do you do now?
10 Best Cash Advance Apps
Unforeseen circumstances come up frequently, and if you don’t have enough savings to cover the surprise expense, sometimes a payday advance app is your ticket out of a sticky situation.
Fortunately, some apps let you borrow money, making it easier for you to get urgent cash instantly. Not only is the processing quick, but the fees are lower than traditional payday loans.
Here are the top 10 apps for cash advances.
- Earnin — Best for earning-based borrowing
- Chime — Best for overdraft protection
- Brigit — Best for same-day loans
- MoneyLion — Best for multiple options
- Current — Best for checking and spending
- Dave — Best for highest cash advance
- Empower — Best for quick cash advances
- PayActiv — Best for short-term loans
- Vola — Best for same-day cash advances, up to $300
- Albert — Best for no late fees
1. Earnin: Best for Earning-Based Borrowing
Earnin is a payday advance app that has a unique and instant lending system. Its app tracks the number of hours you have worked and allows you to access your money according to your earnings. Plus, the app has a notification feature that alerts you in case your bank balance is low.
- Amount: $100 to $500
- Processing Time: One to two business days, but you can get your money instantly if you opt for Earnin’s Lighting Speed.
- Repayment: At your next payday.
- Fees: Earnin uses a voluntary tipping model up to $14. If you want to get the overdraft protection feature, you must set a recurring tip. However, if no overdraft protection is required, the tip can be set to $0.
| Pros of Earnin | Cons of Earnin |
|---|---|
| The more you use the app, the more Earnin will allow you to borrow | Fees may apply to use Earnin’s Lightning Speed feature |
2. Chime: Best for Overall Draft Protection
Chime is an app that offers a checking account with SpotMe overdraft protection. This protection allows you to overdraw up to $200 on debit card purchases without incurring a fee. Chime also offers a secured credit card and savings account.
- Amount: Up to $200
- Processing Time: Instantly
- Repayment: At your next payday.
- Fees: None, with option to tip.
| Pros of Chime | Cons of Chime |
|---|---|
| Overdraft protection up to $200 | Only functions as overdraft protection |
| Tipping is optional | Must have Chime account with at least $200 monthly direct deposits |
3. Brigit: Best for Same-Day Loans
Brigit lets you borrow $250 the same day you apply for it — provided your application is submitted before 10 a.m. EST. To use the app’s cash advance function you have to pay a monthly fee, however, Brigit does have free access to financial experts to help you structure your spending within your budget.
- Amount: Up to $250
- Processing Time: You get your loan the same day if you apply before 10 a.m. EST. Otherwise, the money is deposited into your account the next business day. Instant cash might be available if you have a connected debit card.
- Repayment: The app sets the repayment date as per your income schedule. You can also reschedule this once if you have paid two advances back on time.
- Fees: The Plus paid plan costs 9.99 per month.
| Pros of Brigit | Cons of Brigit |
|---|---|
| No late fees or penalties if you can’t pay on time | $9.99 fee to access cash advances |
| App allows for rescheduling of payment | Early cut-off time to request and receive money the same day unless you have a connected debit card |
| Free access to financial experts | No instant deposit options |
4. MoneyLion: Best for Multiple Options
Besides offering you a loan, MoneyLion has many other features, such as financial tracking and investment accounts.
- Amount: $50 to $250. You can access larger loan amounts if you have a RoarMoney account or become a Credit Builder Plus member.
- Processing Time: If you have a RoarMoney account, you’ll get your loan in 24 to 48 hours, and if you choose to have the money deposited to an external account, it will take 3 to 5 days. You can also opt to have your money in minutes to within a few hours by paying a Turbo Fee.
- Repayment: At your next payday.
- Fees: You can pay an optional tip. Plus, there’s a $3.99 fee for instant delivery if you’re an account holder and $4.99 if not.
| Pros of MoneyLion | Cons of MoneyLion |
|---|---|
| Access to larger amounts than $250 is possible | It can take three to eight weeks to become eligible for the maximum amount of Instacash |
| Varied account features | A fee is required to get money on the same day |
5. Current: Best for Checking and Spending
Current, though not technically a cash advance app, is an app that offers Overdrive protection for users who overdraw on their accounts up to $200.
- Amount: $200
- Processing Time: Instant
- Repayment: At your next payday or date of your next deposit.
- Fees: None
| Pros of Current | Cons of Current |
|---|---|
| No overdraft fees — up to $200 with Overdrive protection | Requires minimum monthly direct deposits |
| No monthly fees | Not a true cash advance |
6. Dave: Best for Highest Cash Advance
Dave offers the largest cash advance in the industry — up to $500 through its new ExtraCash feature. All new members also receive a Dave Spending Account, which will allow them the option to receive the funds instantly for a small fee.
- Amount: Up to $500
- Processing Time: One to three days or instantly if you opt to pay an express fee.
- Repayment: At your next payday, with the option to edit the date.
- Fees: $1 monthly subscription fee. Users also can leave an optional tip. Need cash instantly? If you opt for instant cash, you’ll pay an express fee of 99 cents to $6.99 for Dave Spending Account and $2.99 to $11.99 for external transfers.
| Pros of Dave | Cons of Dave |
|---|---|
| Dave offers the largest cash advance in the industry | An express fee applies to receive cash instantly |
7. Empower: Best for Quick Cash Advances
Empower gives you cash advances of up to $250. With an Empower Card you can get up to 10% cash back on purchases at specific merchants. The card also offers free transactions at 37,000 ATMs across the country and Empower cardholders get their paychecks up to two days early.
- Amount: Up to $250
- Processing Time: Instant
- Repayment: At your next payday
- Fees: $8 subscription fee but no interest or late fees.
| Pros of Empower | Cons of Empower |
|---|---|
| Interest-free borrowing of up to $250 | $8 subscription fee after 14-day free trial |
8. PayActiv: Best for Short-Term Loans
PayActiv is more than just an app that lets you borrow money. In fact, it also allows users to pay their bills in app and get discounts on certain department store purchases and prescription drugs. Check the stores associated with PayActiv and redeem your discounts directly in the app.
The app lets you see what you have earned and allows you to access it when you require it.
- Amount: A set percentage of what you earn
- Processing Time: Instant to PayActiv Card. Transfers to other debit cards take 48 hours. Card transfers can be made instantly for a $1.99 fee.
- Repayment: Not required since you’re getting paid for what you’ve already earned.
- Fees: Free if you direct deposit your paycheck into your PayActiv card. If you don’t, there’s a $1 per day fee for each day you use cash access, card load and bill pay. If you choose cash pick up at a Walmart store or if you’re using instant deposit to another card, you’ll pay a $1.99 processing fee.
| Pros of PayActiv | Cons of PayActiv |
|---|---|
| You can pay bills and get discounts on products like gas and prescription drugs | Without a PayActiv card, fees apply |
9. Vola: Best for Same-Day Cash Advances Up to $300
Vola is one of a few loan apps to offer same-day cash advances of up to $300 with no credit check. This makes it one of the easiest apps to get a cash advance. It also supports over 6,000 credit unions and banks.
- Amount: Up to $300
- Processing Time: Within five hours
- Repayment: Manually or automatically on the due date.
- Fees: Subscription fee of $2.99 to $28.99.
| Pros of Vola | Cons of Vola |
|---|---|
| Up to $300 advanced within the same day | Subscription fee applies |
| No credit check | Five-day cool-off period between repayment and requesting another advance |
10. Albert: Best for No Late Fees
Albert designed its products to take the complexity out of your financial life. It offers instant cash advances, auto repayment and there’s never a late fee.
- Amount: Up to $250
- Processing Time: Instantly, which may incur a fee or within two to three days for free.
- Repayment: At your next payday.
- Fees: No fees to advance cash instantly if you advance it to Albert Cash; instant advances to an external account will pay a small fee.
| Pros of Albert | Cons of Albert |
|---|---|
| Albert never charges a late fee, and there are no fees if you pay the cash back after the scheduled date | A 30-day free trial of Albert Genius is required when you sign up for Albert Instant, which you can cancel |
Cash Advance Apps at a Glance
| App | Maximum Loan Amount | Transaction Speed and Loan Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Earnin | $500 | -1 to 3 days -$1.99-$3.99 fee |
| Chime | $200 | -Instant -No loan fee |
| Brigit | $250 | -1 to 2 days -No loan fee |
| MoneyLion | $250 | -12 to 48 hours -$0.99-$7.99 fee |
| Current | $200 | -Instant -No loan fee |
| Dave | $200 | -Up to 3 days -$1.99-$5.99 |
| Empower | $250 | -Instant -No loan fee |
| PayActiv | A set percentage of what you earn | -Instant to PayActiv Card or 48 hours to transfer to other debit cards -$1.99 loan fee |
| Vola | $300 | -Within 5 hours -No loan fee |
| Albert | $250 | -2 to 3 days -$2.50 fee |
Pros and Cons of Cash Advance Apps
Borrowing money can be a daunting task, and paying fees for the money you’ll earn in the future seems inadvisable, but in case of emergency it’s good to know which cash app can best help you out. Whether you need to know how you can quickly get $100 or what the hidden fees will be when you borrow money, it’s important to do your research. Every cash advance app has its pros and cons, but it helps that there are many cash apps to choose from offering a variety of options. Pick the one that works best for you and suits your needs. Make sure you read the terms and conditions and don’t borrow more than you’ll be able to repay.
Pros
- Good in case of emergencies: Lots of things can get thrown at you on any given day. Car repairs, emergency medical exams or school expenses can all come up and sometimes cannot wait until payday. Cash apps can get you the money you need when you need it.
- Good for small loans: If you need to borrow just enough money to tide you over until payday cash apps can be handy. Anything in the $100, $200 or $300 dollar range can be enough to sort out your needs without incurring a slew of fees.
Cons
- Small fees can add up: Though the transfer, subscription or instant funding fees seem small, they can add up if you are consistently borrowing money from the app. As you are already borrowing money, chances are that you don’t have any to spare on miscellaneous fees.
- Cycle of borrowing and debt: As many of the aforementioned cash apps allow you to automatically repay the loan on your payday, you could easily build your debt if you are not careful.
FAQ
Picking the right app for a cash advance is important. To help you decide, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions.
- What’s the easiest app to get a cash advance?
- Vola allows you to borrow up to $300 with no credit check. However, every app has different qualifications for borrowing money, so it’s important to do your research and pick the one that works best for your situation.
- What app gives the most cash advance?
- Dave offers up to $500 with the ExtraCash feature.
- Earnin also offers up to $500, but the amount is based on hours worked.
- Are cash advance apps payday lenders?
- No, cash advance apps have similarities to payday lenders but are not the same. Cash advance apps loan you money, usually until your next payday with no credit check required. Payday lenders add on high interest fees and tight repayment deadlines.
- What app gives you $50?
- Most cash advance apps offer $50 loans if you qualify. Some may require you to start with lower amounts or have worse terms for higher amounts, so it’s important to read the fine print.
- How can I borrow $300 on Cash App?
- The limit you can borrow is $200 on Cash App. To do so, go to the “Banking” header and select “Borrow.” Although Cash App Borrow isn’t available to everyone yet, it does allow you to borrow up to $200 as long as you meet their requirements.
Cynthia Measom and Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
Rates and fees are accurate as of Oct. 19, 2022, and subject to change.
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