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Cash advance apps offer quick access to funds in advance of your paycheck and typically with no credit check. Instead, they rely on your bank account activity. Most cash advance apps integrate with Plaid, a financial technology platform, to securely access users’ bank account information, streamlining the verification process and expediting fund disbursement. We’ll walk you through which apps use Plaid and how they differ in advance amounts, cost and turnaround time.
Cash advance apps that use Plaid
Many cash advance apps use Plaid because of its reliable security and seamless integration process. Here’s a list of some cash advance apps that use Plaid.
| Cash advance app | Advance amount | Cost | Turnaround time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert | $25 to $250 | $14.99 per month | Instant | |
| Beem | $5 to $1000 | $2.47 to $12.97 per month | Within 3 days or instant for a fee | |
| B9 | $30 to $500 | $9.99 or $19.99 | Instant | |
| Branch | Up to 50% of paycheck, up to $1,000 | No cost for 3-day option, $2.99 to $4.99 for instant deposit | Within 3 business days, instant with delivery fee | |
| Brigit | $50 to $250 | $8.99 per month to use the app, free requested through email | 2 to 3 business days or instant with a Premium subscription or for a fee. | |
| Cash App borrow | $20 to $200 | 5% fee | Same day | |
| Chime | Up to $200 | No cost, must be a Chime member | Instant | |
| Cleo | Up to $250 | As low as $5.99 to use the app, free requested through email | 3 to 4 days standard transfer. Same day with $3.99 to $9.99 express fee. | |
| Credit Genie | Up to $100 | $4.99 per month | Within 3 days or same day or instant for a fee | |
| Current | $50 to $500 | Free | Within 3 business days, instant with delivery fee | |
| DailyPay | Up to 100% of earned wages, $1,000 daily limit | No fee, available for qualified consumers | Next business day or instant with a DailyPay card or for a fee | |
| Dave | Up to $500 | Undisclosed monthly membership fe | Up to 3 business days or instant for a fee | |
| EarnIn | Up to $750 per pay period, but only $100 per day | No fee when you link your bank account | 1 to 3 business days or instant for a fee | |
| Empower | $10 to $300 | $8 per month | Same day or instant delivery available ($1 to $8 for instant transfer to external bank account) | |
| FloatMe | $10 to $100 | $3.99 per month | 1 to 3 business days or within 8 hours for a fee | |
| Go2Bank | Up to $200 | $5 per month, no fees after eligible direct deposit, 26.99% interest charges | Instant from ATM or participating bank for $10 or 5%, whichever is greater | |
| Grid | Up to $200 | $10 a month | Within 8 hours for $2.99 or 1 to 3 days for free delivery | |
| Klover | Up to $200 | 3.99 a month | Within 3 days or within hours for a fee | |
| MoneyLion | Up to $500 or $1,000 with RoarMoney account | Free for basic membership, $1 to $1 to $5 for RoarMoney | Up to 5 days or instant for a fee of $0.49 to $8.99 | |
| ONE@Work | Up to 50% of earned wages | Available to members employed at a company that offers the app as a benefit | Same day if employer has configured this benefit. If not, small fee applies | |
| Payactiv | $200 minimum per pay period or 50% of earned wages, whichever is greater | Available to members employed at a company that offers the app as a benefit | Within 1 to 3 days or immediately to Payactiv card or for a fee | |
| Possible finance | Up to $500, except in California, where max loan amount $250 | No membership fee, but about $15 to $20 per $100 borrowed | As soon as same day | |
| SoLo Funds | $20 to $575 | No fees, but asks for (optional) tips and donations | As soon as same day, but instant transfers cost 1.75% | |
| Super.com | $20 to $200 | No fee, available for qualified consumers | Within 3 business days, instant with a small fee or Super Pay account | |
| Varo | Up to $500 | Free, available for qualified members | Instant turnaround, but fees up to $40 | |
| Vola | Up to $300 | Starting at $1.99 for advances from app or free requests via email | As soon as same day or instant with Vola card | |
| Wisely | Depends on wage and hours worked | No fee, available for qualified members | Instant to Wisely card |
What is Plaid and how does it work?
When you use a cash advance app, chances are it’s using Plaid to link up with your bank and verify your account details. Plaid streamlines the eligibility process, making it easier and faster for apps to access your bank info without you having to jump through hoops or worry about your data getting into the wrong hands.
When you connect your bank account to a cash advance app, Plaid uses encryption and secure cloud technologies to keep your data safe while fetching the necessary information, like your account balance and transaction history. Once it has all the details, Plaid sends them back to the cash advance app, allowing it to verify your identity and determine how much cash you can borrow.
Are there cash advance apps that don’t use Plaid?
While a majority of cash advance apps use Plaid, there are some that don’t use Plaid. Apps like Cash App or MoneyLion offer the option to use Plaid, though it is not required.
Is Plaid legit?
Plaid is widely recognized as a legitimate and reputable financial technology company known for its robust security standards. The company employs industry-leading encryption protocols and stringent security measures to safeguard user data. Plaid is certified in internationally recognized security standards, like ISO 27001 and ISO 27701, and is SSAE18 SOC 2 compliant.
However, Plaid faced legal scrutiny in 2022 over allegations that it violated users’ privacy rights by pulling and selling their data to third parties. While Plaid denied the allegations and vowed to defend its practices, the lawsuit highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in data handling practices.
Which banks won’t connect with Plaid?
Plaid integrates with more than 12,000 financial institutions worldwide, so it’s hard to locate banks that don’t work with Plaid. If you’re wondering whether your bank uses Plaid, you can search Plaid’s directory of partners.
Frequently asked questions
What if your bank doesn’t use Plaid?
If your bank isn’t listed on Plaid, you can manually input your bank account and routing numbers. Plaid verifies your account using micro-deposits, aligning your details with the information held by your financial institution.
Why is my account incompatible with Plaid?
This error usually occurs when an app requires a particular account type for its services. For example, the app you’re using might require that only deposit accounts like checking or savings accounts can be linked via Plaid
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