Apps Like Earnin (That Can Get You a Cash Advance TODAY)

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Editor’s Note: Overdraft Apps provides detailed product reviews and recommendations based upon extensive research and our own hands-on testing. We may earn a referral fee when you sign up for or purchase products mentioned in this article.

Mitchel Harad

Earnin is hugely popular among in-demand and hourly workers by offering up to $100 of their earned wages per day and up to $750 per pay period. 

Even better, there is no interest, no credit check and no mandatory fees – you can get cash from Earnin at no cost! Earnin is a great deal and one of the most popular advanced apps out there, but not everyone qualifies. 

So, we’ve rounded up several cash advance apps like Earnin that provide additional ways to get the cash you need when your account is running low.

Get up to $100 of your pay, today >>> Check out Earnin

no fee cash advances from Earnin app

How long does it take to get money from Earnin?

Earnin can often give you access to your unpaid wages in under 30 minutes.  Funds are sent directly to your existing bank account via Earnin’s Lightening Speed feature. And unlike some other apps, there is no fee for getting nearly instant access to your money. 

In fact, Earnin won’t charge you any interest or mandatory fees. That’s right, nothing. Instead, users can “tip” any amount. 

Tipping is completely optional, and the amount of your tip won’t impact your Cash Out limit, though note that regular tipping can add up. You’ll also need to pay a Lightning Speed fee of up to $4.99 if you want your cash right away; otherwise you’ll wait up to several days for your funds to arrive.. You’ll get Lightning Speed for free on your first advance.

Used by millions of American workers – we’re talking salaried, hourly, or gig workers – Earnin’s Cash Out feature lets you access up to $100 per day based on the hours you’ve already worked, up to a $750 advance per pay period, or up to $1,000 per pay period if you’re invited to participate in the new Earnin Express featureefn_note] Lightning Speed may not be available to all Community Members. Cash Outs may take up to thirty minutes, actual transfer speeds will depend on your bank connection. Restrictions and/or third party fees may apply, see earnin.com/privacyandterms for details [/efn_note].

Earnin works by linking to your existing bank account so you can turn any day into payday and use your money in any way you want – debit card swipes, ATM withdrawals, ‘tap and go’ transactions on your smartphone, bill payments, paying friends through Venmo… you get the idea.

There’s no credit check and no need to move your direct deposit. That’s partly why Earnin offers some pretty clear advantages over other cash advance apps that have longer wait times to access funds. New Earnin users can access up to $100 right away after creating and verifying their account. 

For those who want to spend less time tracking notifications, Earnin’s Balance Shield has funds automatically transferred to your bank account if your balance falls below a certain level. Yep, that means dodging overdraft fees before your bank can ever fire them off at you.

And since you’re busy, you know, living life and not checking your bank account every 5 seconds, your Earnin Cash Out advance is automatically paid back when your next paycheck arrives. With your account balance, you’ll be able to access your NEXT paycheck early too!

Get up to $750 with no interest or credit check >>> Check out Earnin

Is Earnin a good cash advance app for you?

For some people, the Earnin app is a lifesaver. But not everyone can use it, so it pays to know if you’re a good fit. There are eligibility criteria that won’t suit everyone. For example, the Earnin app is for US customers only (sorry international readers!). You’ll also need a steady paycheck (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly), a checking account, and a smartphone.

Since Earnin needs to advance your wages, you’ll need proof of employment and hours worked, which can be done by submitting an electronic timesheet, signing up your employer-provided email address, or adding your earnings manually.

Earnin can be helpful if

✔ Over 50% of your direct deposit is sent to a checking account

✔ You have a job or gig work with regular pay

✔ You need a small amount of cash before payday

Earnin might not be right for you if…

You don’t have a regular paycheck

You’re freelance, remote or work multiple jobs (Many gig workers aren’t eligible for an advance)

You need more than $100 a day (or more than $500 per pay period)

You don’t have enough unpaid earnings to Cash Out 

You have an outstanding Cash Out from Earnin that you are late in paying back

You use one of the several dozen banking apps that Earnin doesn’t support, including Albert, Current, Dave, Go2Bank, and Varo.

Even if Earnin ticks all of your boxes, it can be helpful to have another cash advance app on your phone to make sure you’ve got access to cash when you need it (especially if you don’t qualify for Earnin’s paycheck advance feature).

Get up to $750 with no interest or credit check >>> Check out Earnin

Cash Advance Apps like Earnin

We share lots of love in our Earnin review. But if you don’t qualify for Cash Outs, need to access more than the $100 daily limit, or don’t want to have to plan ahead for when you might be short on cash, Earnin might not be the best (or only) cash advance app for you. 

A number of apps like Earnin offer features that make it easier to get money when you need it, without limits based on your paycheck or job description. (Note that some wage advance programs, such as Payactiv and the Even app are only available via participating employers.)

Here are three cash advance apps that can make up for Earnin’s shortcomings:

MoneyLion – Up to $1,000 in cash advances for a small subscription

borrow $250 from MoneyLion

With MoneyLion’s Instacash feature, you can borrow up to $250 with no interest, no monthly fee, and no background credit check2

If you subscribe to the RoarMoney service (MoneyLion’s equivalent to a checking account with no hidden fees), you’ll be able to increase that limit to up to $1,000. 

MoneyLion knows that some financial emergencies can’t wait, so you have the option of getting your cash on the same day by paying an express fee, which can range from $1.99 to $8.99 depending on the amount you’re borrowing. Subscribing to RoarMoney reduces this fee to $0.49 – $6.99.

Although MoneyLion’s cash advance limits sound impressive, keep in mind that the app only lets you get $100 per day. If you want to borrow those $1,0003, you’ll need to do it through 10 advances across 10 days, paying the respective turbo fee for each one.

Since cash advances are just one part of the full-featured MoneyLion app, you can also access a bunch of handy tools for digital banking, automated investing, credit-building loans, budgeting and financial tracking, and rewards.

Get cash advances up to $250 with no interest >>> Check out MoneyLion

PockBox – Compare cash advance options for up to $2,500

Pockbox app homescreen

Most cash advance apps offer the convenience of fast funds but often have limitations on how much you can borrow.

Want more than most cash advance apps are willing to spot you? PockBox is an easy way to compare your options and see how much you can borrow. All you’ll need to do is answer a few questions about yourself. From there, PoxBox will instantly fetch loan quotes from up to 50 lenders.

You compare your options, weigh up your choices, and move forward with the lender that offers the best deal for you. Cash advances start as low as $100 for those smaller emergencies. But you can borrow up to $2,500 if you need more than apps like Earnin can provide. 

And since no one wants to wait when they need fast cash, most PockBox lenders can get a cash advance into your bank account by the next business day (though it’s possible to get your money in a matter of hours too).

As for the cost, PockBox is free to use. There’s no obligation to proceed with any of the loan quotes put forward to you. If you like the look of a loan, you can move forward and learn more. If not, you haven’t committed a thing. 

Don’t stress if you’re dealing with bad credit either (34% of Americans have average to poor credit). Many lenders on PockBox specialize in borrowers with bad credit. You won’t be left out of the conversation if you want to chat with a lender through PockBox.

Compare loan offers for up to $2,500 >>> Check out the free PockBox app

Chime – Get paid two days early and access up to $200 whenever you need it

Chime advances your paycheck up to two days early

Chime SpotMe® can also provide you with up to $200* in fee-free overdrafts.

This is possible with Chime’s SpotMe feature which lets you overdraw your account via debit card purchases or ATM withdrawals – all with zero overdraft fees. Your limit starts at $20, but you may be able to overdraft up to $200 as your account history grows 4.

Since you’re already running low on cash, you’ll be happy to know that enrolling in SpotMe is free. You’ll be able to use Chime’s SpotMe feature once you’ve signed up and received a direct deposit of $200 or more. 

Chime’s SpotMe feature will be used whenever you need to make a payment and don’t have enough funds in your account. For example, if you’re paying for a $40 meal but only have $20 in your account, Chime will cover you for the extra $20 if you’ve got SpotMe activated. 

The overdraft will be automatically paid once you get new funds into your account and, best of all, there are no overdraft fees. 

Get fast access to fee-free overdrafts >>> Sign up for Chime in less than 2 minutes

Should you keep using Earnin or look for other apps like it?

Overall, Earnin is not a bad option when you need a cash advance to get you out of a pinch. 

The lack of a monthly subscription payment along with some relatively low express delivery fees (or Lightning Speed fees, as they call them), make Earnin a solid choice, but it can be hard to qualify if you don’t have a regular paying job.

MoneyLion might be the go-to choice for you if you want to get higher amounts, or you may use Chime if you need to be able to overdraw your account without having to go through the process of requesting an individual cash advance.


How we picked these apps

To come up with this list of cash advance apps, we picked 4 apps like Earnin, downloaded them onto our phones, and got to work testing them out. We considered features including fees (upfront or hidden), eligibility, borrowing limits, and interest rates. We also looked for additional features that might benefit workers running short before payday. These include credit checks, speed of accessing funds and overdraft support.  We may receive a referral fee if you purchase or use some of the products described in this article.

*Chime SpotMe eligibility requirements and overdraft limits: Chime SpotMe is an optional, no fee service that requires a single deposit of $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to the Chime Spending Account each month. All qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their account up to $20 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals initially, but may be later eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on member’s Chime Account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your limit. Your limit may change at any time, at Chime’s discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third party fees associated with ATM transactions. SpotMe won’t cover non-debit card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Friends transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. See Terms and Conditions .

Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by, and debit card issued by, The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC.

WAIT! Why borrow quick cash when you can earn it?!

Cash advance apps can be a great tool for getting a little extra cash when you need it, but you’ll need to repay it – plus fees – wihtin a week or two. Did you know there’s an easy way to earn extra cash that’s yours to keep?

KashKick is a wildly popular service that lets you earn money for playing games, completing surveys, signing up for trial offers and more. (You’ll even earn cash for just completing your profile!) You can earn cash today and withdraw your earnings through PayPal once you’ve reached $10. You can earn over $100/month with KashKick – and you don’t need to spend a dime or take out your credit card to do it.

There are dozens of high-paying offers available on KashKick, and if you’re into playing new games on your phone, you can earn some serious cash for doing what you love. Though offers change regularly, there are currently1 more than three dozen offers available where you can earn cash – sometimes over $100 – just by downloading and playing popular games like Coin Master, Monoply Go, Bingo Blitz, and more. These games are all free to download, and no in-app purchases are required to earn with KashKick.

Get paid to play on your phone >>> Check out KashKick

Mitchel Harad
  1. As of February 13, 2024. Offers may change and may not be available to all users. Eligibity requirements apply. See KashKick's Terms of Service for full details.
  2. Turbo Fees vary based on the advance amount and disbursement account you choose
  3. The $5 Instacash Boost will increase your Instacash advance limit for the calendar month in which it is received and can only be utilized by users with maintained Instacash eligibility. The $5 Instacash Boost can only be used once. You may only receive one Boost from up to 5 friends per month.
  4. Funds are automatically debited from your Checking Account and typically deposited into the recipient’s Checking Account within seconds. Pay Anyone transactions will be monitored and may be held, delayed, or blocked if the transfer could result in fraud or another form of financial harm. Sometimes instant transfers can be delayed.

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