Dave App Review: Checking, Savings and More
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- Fee
- From $0 per month
- APY
- 4.00%
- Minimum deposit to open
- $0
Our verdict
High-yield checking, budgeting and ExtraCash™.
Dave is a banking app that provides deposit accounts, budgeting, high APYs and more. The Dave Checking Account offers early direct deposit, up to 4.00% APY, rewards and savings round-ups. There's a Goals account for savings, the ExtraCash™account for when you might need extra cash and a side hustle job board. However, Dave is a digital-only banking option, and you'll need the paid membership to access ExtraCash™, which is up to $5 per month.
Best for: Those who prefer online banking with earning opportunities.
Pros
-
$0 monthly fee for basics
-
High 4.00% APY
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Savings round-ups and budgeting features
-
Side hustle board and cash advance options
Cons
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No physical branches
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No joint accounts
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Doesn't accept wire transfers
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Paid membership required for some features
Who is Dave best for?
Dave is an app with banking services. More specifically, it’s a fintech company with banking services provided by Evolve Bank & Trust, Member FDIC.
Dave has a Dave Checking account for spending, the optional ExtraCash™ service for extra funds, a Goals account for saving and more. The checking and savings accounts don’t require any monthly fees or opening deposits. But if you want access to ExtraCash service and budgeting external accounts, you’ll need to sign up for the paid membership, which is listed as “up to $5” per month. And to earn the highest APY available with Checking, you need the paid subscription as well.
If you want to bank with a traditional bank that can offer things like joint accounts, certificates of deposit and financing, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Also, Dave uses Plaid to connect to external accounts, so if your external account isn’t compatible, it may not be a good fit if you want to budget your current accounts.
What we like about Dave
Dave was founded in 2016 and was originally focused on its ExtraCash service, previously known as a cash advance service. It now offers more products, including its checking and savings accounts.
Checking Account earns up to 4.00% APY
One of the best perks is the 4.00% APY you earn on your Dave Checking Account if you have the paid memembership, which requires a monthly fee up to $5 per month. The national average rate for interest checking is 0.07%(1), so Dave wipes the floor with that rate.
The Dave Checking Account has no opening deposit minimums, and offers early direct deposit up to two days early. However, you must request to get your Dave Debit Mastercard, as it won’t be sent out automatically upon opening. Dave uses the MoneyPass ATM network, giving you fee-free access to over 40,000 ATMs nationwide.
It’s worth noting that you can get the Dave Checking account and not pay the monthly membership fee, but without the subscription, your checking APY drops to 0.01%.
Goals account
The savings account is called Goals, which lets you set up individual savings goals with timelines to help you stay on track. You’ll earn 4.00% APY on each goal you create, which is much higher than the 0.40% national average for savings accounts. Opening a Goals account doesn’t require the paid membership plan and has no monthly fees or opening deposit requirements.
To start, you’ll create a Goal from your Dave app by inputting how much you want to save, what you’re saving for and the date you want it achieved. You’ll then be prompted to set up recurring transfers or deposits and use the savings roundup feature if you have the Dave Checking account, which sends rounded-up amounts from purchases. And like most savings accounts, you can withdraw from a Goals account up to six times per month.
ExtraCash™ account
Dave’s original flagship product, the ExtraCash™ account is designed for times when you might need “extra cash.” You’ll need to join Dave’s paid membership plan to apply for an ExtraCash service.
In short, ExtraCash™ is designed for times when you need a little help. You can deposit up to $500, and the account offers an overdraft service that allows you to get money, if eligible.
ExtraCash could offer up to $500. If you qualify, the funds are sent to your Dave Checking account. There are no interest charges, late fees or credit check. You’ll have a “settlement” date, which the day you agree to pay the ExtraCash amount back. This service used to have optional tipping, but new pricing model has a 5% fee with a $5 minimum and $15 cap per transaction. If you want to send the money to an external debit card, you can get it within three business days for no fees, or pay an optional 1.5% express fee to have it delivered within one hour.
Side Hustle board to find quick cash
A unique feature we haven’t seen anywhere else: Dave has a Side Hustle board where you could find jobs to earn a little extra money on the side. It features anything from seasonal and temp positions, work-from-home opportunities and more. There’s also Survey, which is a service that pays you for completing questionnaires, up to $5 per survey.
Where it falls short
Dave falls short in the same way other banking apps do: it lacks physical branches. But if you’re switching to Dave because you’d rather not go to a branch, then this won’t be too big of a deal for you, and Dave does have a customer phone line.
As an online fintech, Dave lacks many of the typical products you’d find with a full-fledged bank. You can’t get personal loans, credit cards or CDs. Also, Dave doesn’t support joint accounts, and it doesn’t support incoming or outgoing wire transfers. And while it supports cash deposits at MoneyPass locations, you’ll pay $4.95.
Dave’s fees and access
| Type of fee | Fee details |
|---|---|
| Monthly service |
|
| Opening deposit | $0 |
| ATMs |
|
| Debit card fees |
|
| Wire transfers | Doesn’t support wire transfers |
| Other fees |
|
Compare Dave to other account options
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How we picked theseWhat is the Finder Score?
The Finder Score crunches over 300 checking accounts from hundreds of financial institutions. It takes into account the product's monthly fees, overdraft fees, opening deposit, customer support options, ATM network and features — this gives you a simple score out of 10.
To provide a Score, Finder’s banking experts analyze hundreds of checking accounts against what we consider is the best option: no monthly fees, no overdraft fees, a large ATM network of 50,000 or more, additional features outside of typical banking services, and the optional perk of earning interest. Accounts that are nearly free to maintain and use are scored the highest, while accounts with costly fees and few features are scored the lowest.
Customer reviews and ratings
| BBB accredited | Yes |
|---|---|
| BBB rating | A+ |
| BBB customer reviews | 1.13 out of 5 stars, based on 394 customer reviews |
| App Store Score | 4.8 out of 5 stars, based on 718 customer reviews |
| Google Play Score | 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 545,000 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 25 March 2025 |
Dave doesn’t have a Trustpilot profile at the time of writing, but it does have a Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile. Dave holds an A+ with the BBB, but there are also over 1,200 complaints filed in the last three years.
The majority of the negative reviews and complaints have to do with the ExtraCash™ account. Some members state they ended up accidentally tipping, while others report that funds were incorrectly sent out. Other reviews mention difficulties reaching customer support, accounts being closed without notice and getting double-charged payments for the ExtraCash™ account.
What do people on Reddit say?
Finder Scores: What they mean
If you want peace of mind, this rating will give it to you. These products offer the best value and outcomes considering various product features, terms, conditions and price.
Well-balanced products that provide what you need, offering a healthy mix of competitive features at a good price. However, they're not quite the best in class.
Bottom line: You can find better, but these products still offer reasonable value and have the basics sorted.
These products may not offer much value in the long run, and there are better options available.
Sources
Your reviews
Bethany Finder
Banking editor
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