7 Paycheck Advance Apps That Help You Get Paid Early

Finances would be simple if everything went according to plan. You work and make money, then you pay for what you need. But what if you’re living paycheck to paycheck and you have an unexpected expense?

According to a survey by the American Payroll Association, nearly 69% of Americans would experience financial difficulties if their paychecks were delayed for a week. You could turn to a payday loan or cash advance on a credit card to help get the money you need. But these options can be expensive and may end up being more trouble than they’re worth.

With some help from technology, you have a more favorable option. Paycheck advance apps can help you get the cash you need to make ends meet without the scary feeling of getting into high-interest debt. Here are seven apps that can help you get a paycheck advance when you need it most.

Featured checking account

Chime®

Chime® offers financial services through a mobile app that’s available on iOS or Android devices.² Services include the Chime® Checking account and Chime Savings account. The Chime savings account can't be opened without the Chime Checking account.³

If you want to get money early with Chime, you need to open a Chime Checking Account and set up direct deposit. This will connect the account with your employer and automatically qualify you to get early access to your paychecks. Paychecks could arrive up to two days early with this feature. This may come in handy if you run into unforeseen circumstances or want to get a head start on paying for certain expenses.⁴⁵

Chime has no monthly fees and often has better benefits than many traditional banks. No monthly fees means no overdraft fees, minimum balance fees, monthly maintenance fees, or foreign transaction fees. You also get access to tens of thousands of fee-free ATMs in the MoneyPass and Visa Plus Alliance networks and up to $250,000 in Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. coverage on eligible Chime accounts.⁶

In addition, the Chime Savings Account allows you to earn a generous annual percentage yield (APY) of 2.00% (as of Oct. 25, 2023).⁷ This is much higher than the national average for savings accounts of 0.47% (as of Feb. 8, 2024).⁸ 

Read our Chime review for more details.

Dave

Dave is a mobile app (available on both iOS and Android devices) that offers certain banking services and a way to get your paycheck earlier than traditional banks.¹⁰ To get your paycheck early, make sure you sign up for a Dave spending account and set it up with direct deposit through your employer. Following these steps could get you access to your paycheck up to two days early.

Dave spending accounts have no minimum balance fees or overdraft fees. You also get access to 32,000 fee-free MoneyPass ATMs, and your account is covered for up to $250,000 in FDIC insurance. In addition, Dave partners with the LevelCredit service to help you build your credit by reporting rent payments to the major credit bureaus. LevelCredit typically costs $100 per year, but it’s free for Dave banking members.

Dave also offers an ExtraCash account, which provides an advance of up to $500 if you're approved. There's no credit check involved in the application. For a small fee, you can transfer the advance to a Dave Spending account instantly. You can also transfer funds to a different debit card within an hour. 

When you get the advance, you decide on a date to repay it, and Dave doesn't charge interest or late fees. 

Empower

Empower offers Cash Advance, which can provide from $10 to $250 instantly,¹¹¹² with no interest or late fees, to help you get by. Empower will check your account history, account activity, and direct deposit information to see whether you qualify for Cash Advance.

If you qualify and need Cash Advance, simply request it in the mobile app (available for both iOS and Android devices). Empower can deposit money into your account for your immediate use. The exact Cash Advance offer is decided by Empower, so you don’t get to select the number. Repayment occurs automatically when you receive your next paycheck.¹³ 

Empower is designed for people who want easy access to their money and want to continue improving their financial situation. It’s helpful to get automatic insight into your finances from Empower. Getting alerts about banking fees or subscription price increases can save you a lot of money over time.

Empower deposits are insured up to $250,000.¹⁴

Current

Current offers an account you can use through a mobile app that’s available for both Apple and Android devices.¹⁵¹⁶ This makes it easy to budget and manage your money and access your account balance while you’re on the go. We like Current's 24/7 customer service availability and ability to send your paychecks early.

To get access to your paychecks up to two days early, you need to open a Current account and set up direct deposit.¹⁷ This will connect your Current account to your employer’s payroll services and qualify you for early direct deposit. When Current receives your paycheck information from your employer, you may gain immediate access to your funds.

Current accounts also come with many other helpful benefits. You may qualify for up to $200 in fee-free overdraft protection, and you have access to 40,000 fee-free ATMs.¹⁸ You’ll also pay no minimum balance fees. You can also earn rewards points with your Current debit card at participating merchants. These points can be redeemed for cash in your Current account.¹⁹

The Current account comes with up to $250,000 of FDIC insurance. 

Read our Current review for all the details about this account.

Brigit

Brigit is a mobile app (available on both iOS and Android devices) designed to help improve your financial situation through cash advances, by avoiding overdraft fees, and by providing other helpful services.²² To qualify for Brigit Instant Cash, you need to sign up for a Brigit Plus account (there is a $9.99 monthly fee) or Brigit Premium account ($14.99 per month) and meet all bank and deposit requirements.

If you qualify for the early pay, you’ll be approved for a loan. Your repayment date is set when you first request an advance and should coincide with the date of your next payday. There are no fees for this service, and no interest will be charged.

Brigit also offers spending habit insights, overdraft predictions, credit score tracking, up to $1 million in identity theft protection, and job listings for opportunities to earn more income.

EarnIn

EarnIn²³ is a free mobile app (available on both iOS and Android devices) that lets users get cash early before their paycheck arrives. You could get up to $100 per day from EarnIn on the money you’ve already earned from working.²⁴ EarnIn requires you to link a checking account with direct deposit and add certain employment information before you can receive a paycheck advance.

With this information, EarnIn can know how much money you’ve already earned based on the hours you’ve logged on your timesheet. You can then request a cash-out (up to $100 per day²⁴) if you need money between pay periods. EarnIn will automatically debit your linked bank account for the amount you cashed out when you receive your next paycheck.

EarnIn also offers other features like Tip Jar, Balance Shield, and Lightning Speed:

• Tip Jar lets you put money into your Earnin account for specific savings goals you can track.
• Balance Shield helps you monitor your bank account for overdrafts.
• Lightning Speed (fees may apply) enables Cash Out funds to be deposited to your Bank Account much more quickly, sometimes within minutes, though some may take up to 30 minutes. Any applicable fees will be disclosed to you before you initiate the transfer.

MoneyLion

MoneyLion offers a variety of financial products and features, including mobile banking and cash advances.²⁷ Its cash advance feature is called Instacash, which you can set up in three simple steps. First, download the app (available on both iOS and Android devices) and set up an account. Then link a checking account that meets the eligibility requirements. And finally, request Instacash from the app. 

If you transfer to a RoarMoney account, you should receive your funds in 1-2 business days. If you transfer funds to an external account, the funds should arrive in 2-5 business days.

You don’t have to pay any interest on Instacash, and paying back the borrowed amount is straightforward. MoneyLion will automatically deduct the Instacash amount from your linked bank account according to your paycheck cycle. Keep in mind that increasing your direct deposit amount into your linked checking account will typically increase the limit on how much Instacash you can borrow.

MoneyLion also offers personal finance tracking to help monitor your money, as well as opportunities for investing and earning cashback rewards. MoneyLion mobile banking accounts (called RoarMoney accounts) include up to $250,000 of FDIC insurance.

Another option to consider

Paycheck apps for employers

Employers can also use apps to help their employees get the money they need between paychecks. If you’re an employer, you may want to look into these apps for your employees. If you’re an employee, ask your human resources department if any of these apps are available.

Here are some apps to help employers provide additional financial benefits to their employees:

• FlexWage: Employees get instant access to earned wages and can use wages to pay anywhere Visa or Mastercard are accepted.
• DailyPay: Employees get instant access to earned wages, including tips and gratuities, and can use savings features to put away money.
• PayActiv: Employees get instant access to up to 50% of earned wages and can pay for Uber or Amazon expenses, or online bills, directly through the PayActiv app.
• Branch: Employees get instant access to earned wages, whether you’re a W-2 or 1099 employee.

FAQs

Bottom line

Paycheck advance apps can help provide you with needed financial assistance when the unexpected happens in the middle of a pay cycle when you don’t have cash. There are some things even the best banks can't do for you. So it makes sense to use these online banking apps when you need them, as everyone needs extra cash sometimes. But don’t become too reliant on borrowing your own money.

Remember that focusing on the short term won’t necessarily help you achieve your financial goals in the long run. If you borrow money from future paychecks, those paychecks immediately arrive with less money. This can become a vicious cycle where you have less and less money to work with over time.

Instead of falling into this cycle, use these cash advance apps when you need them. Then focus on how to make extra cash on the side or learn how to manage your money more efficiently. This can help you escape from living paycheck to paycheck and constantly stressing over your finances.