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Albert Instant cash advance review

Cash advances with no membership fees or late fees — but the app has a lot of negative reviews.

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By

Bethany Hickey

Edited by

Holly Jennings

Reviewed by

Anna Serio

Updated

Fact checked

Our verdict

Albert is a banking app that offers cash advances through its Albert Instant product. You can borrow up to $250 with no interest, and repayment is due by your next paycheck. Accessing the cash advances doesn't require signing up for the paid membership, and instant delivery is available for a small fee. You may also be eligible for multiple cash advances per pay period. And a big plus, there are no late fees or inactivity fees. However, many past users are irked with the lack of customer support, and customer reviews are mixed.

Best for: Borrowers with a consistent pay schedule who need frequent cash advances.

Pros
  • Paid membership not required to get cash advances
  • Instant delivery available for small fee
  • No late fees or inactivity fees
Cons
  • Mixed customer reviews
  • No customer service phone number
  • Some fees not listed on site
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Albert

Learn more and apply on Albert's secure site

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Where Albert shines

Albert is a banking app with multiple features. It has two plans: core and Genius. The core plan is free, which does include the Albert Instant cash advance feature, so you don’t need to have the paid plan to get cash advances. Most of Albert’s features are included in the free plan, so that’s a major plus.

The paid subscription to Genius currently costs $8 per month, but you can choose to pay up to $16. You can also choose to pay for the subscription monthly or annually ($96 per year).

No-fee cash advances

Albert Instant offers no-fee cash advances up to $250 — no monthly membership required, no late fees, no interest charges and no inactivity fees. Repayment of the advance is due when you get your next paycheck, and even if you can’t repay on time, there are no additional fees.

You’re allowed three cash advances per pay period, as long as you have a history of repaying all your previous cash advances. While there are no late fees, paying late means you may not be eligible for future advances — or, at the very least, no longer eligible for multiple advances during a single pay period.

Instant delivery available

As a member of the free plan, you can pay a small fee of $6 for instant delivery of the advance or wait two to three days for a free delivery.

If you’re in the paid membership Genius, you get same-day delivery for free.

Where Albert falls short

One of the top customer complaints against Albert is that it doesn’t list a customer service number so there’s no way to speak to a real person to resolve issues. Instead, you’ll have to text or email.

Another common thread in customer complaints is the Albert app has a lot of pop-ups, specifically ones trying to get users to sign up for the paid membership. According to past users, these pop-up are constant and hard to close. Compare other apps like Albert.

Many negative customer reviews about the Genius free trial

Albert users are automatically enrolled in the paid Genius program when they sign up for the app. You technically have 30 days to cancel the subscription, but many people forget or don’t know how. This is one of the main complaints against Albert. Some say they didn’t know they were enrolled in a free trial upon creating an account with the app, while others don’t like the inconvenience.

Requirements for Albert Instant

To get the cash advances, you’ll have to meet these base requirements:

  • Income is deposited into your connected bank account
  • Bank account is at least two months old
  • Positive bank account balance
  • Employed with the same employer for at least two months
  • Most recent paycheck was received on time and has funds still available 24 hours after your payday

Albert states there are other factors, and it can change your maximum amount based on your account status, but those additional factors are not listed.

Other features

You get access to a few more features with the paid membership, but the core membership still has a myriad of tools to use. Features with the core free membership include:

  • Debit card
  • Albert Instant cash advance
  • Early paycheck access
  • 55,000+ free ATMs
  • Cash back
  • Automatic budgeting and saving
  • Bill negotiation
  • Subscription monitoring

With the Genius paid membership, the two additional perks are investing and individual financial advice. The investing feature allows you to create a custom portfolio with guidance, and you can choose to be aggressive, moderate or conservative investing strategy. However, the paid membership is not required to get cash advances if that’s all you need.

Albert reviews and complaints

BBB accredited No
BBB rating B
BBB customer reviews 1.1 out of 5 stars, based on 122 customer reviews
BBB customer complaints 990 customer complaints
Trustpilot Score 1.3 out of 5 stars, based on 54 customer reviews
App Store Score 4.6 out of 5 stars, based on 137,100 customer reviews
Google Play Score 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 54,700 customer reviews
Customer reviews verified as of 06 April 2023

Customer reviews and ratings are pretty mixed among reviewing platforms, with reviews on BBB and Trustpilot being overwhelmingly negative. Many reviews cite issues contacting customer service and problems resolving fraudulent charges.

Multiple reviews also state they were automatically charged the yearly membership fee once the free 30-day Genius trial ended. This is pretty standard after free trials, but according to users, you’re automatically enrolled in the yearly plan, and it’s a pain to switch to a monthly plan or cancel the membership. And there’s no customer phone line, so support is limited in resolving issues.

App store reviews are so-so, with many customers stating it’s an “alright” banking app with limited features. Many customers talk about pop-ups that are difficult to close in the app itself, but the overall sentiment is that the app’s functionality is decent if you’re enrolled in the free plan. But even the more positive reviews wish the paid Genius membership came with more perks.

Is Albert legit?

Yes, the Albert app is legitimate. Albert itself is not a bank, and its banking services are provided by Sutton Bank. The Albert savings accounts are actually held at FDIC-insured banks, including Wells Fargo and Axos Bank.

The app also takes steps to verify your identity before fulfilling requests, under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This can include personally identifying information, answering security questions or signing forms. Albert also encrypts data using SSL and other technologies.

Compare Albert to other cash advance apps

Albert has few fees, but many other cash advance apps have different borrowing amounts and unique features. Select Compare for up to four providers to weigh the benefits side by side. If you’re interested in downloading the app, click Go to site.

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