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Cash Advance Apps Without Subscription Fees

These apps have no monthly fees but typically charge for fast transfers.

Cash advance apps are a nice convenience, but having to pay for a subscription can take a bite of your monthly budget. And it may financially defeat the purpose of having access to advances in the first place. Luckily, a number of providers don’t require a monthly membership fee to qualify for advances.

5 Cash advance apps that don’t have subscription fees

These cash advance apps are essentially free — there’s only a charge if you need a fast transfer.

EarnIn

EarnIn

9.5 Excellent

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EarnIn offers advances based on the wages you've earned but haven't been paid for, and it never charges a monthly fee. Advance limits are $150 per day up to a maximum of $750 per pay period, but exact amounts depend on how much you make. Standard transfers typically take one to two days, but if you need your funds right away, fast transfers cost between $2.99 and $5.99.

Like most cash advance apps, EarnIn doesn't charge interest or late fees, and there's no credit check required. But you need to earn at least $320 per pay period, and the fast transfer service is not available in all states. You'll also need to provide a work email address or allow GPS tracking to verify your hours worked, which may not be a viable option for some workers.

Loan amountUp to $750
Turnaround time1 to 3 business days or within minutes for a fee starting at $2.99 per transfer
  • Not available in: Connecticut

Current

Current

8.7 Great

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Current provides up to $750 in cash advances with no interest, late fees or mandatory subscription fees. In most cases, your advance is repaid out of your next pay deposit, but Current gives you up to 35 days to repay it before cutting off access to loans. It also offers fee-free overdraft protection of up to $100 for qualified users, and you can trade crypto on it.

To qualify for advances, you'll need at least $500 in eligible payroll deposits to your Current account or a linked external bank account. You can get free transfers within three days, but if you want it faster, you'll have to pay a fee, which is undisclosed until you request an advance.

Loan amount$50 - $750
Turnaround timeGet instant access to your paycheck in advance for a fee, or get it fee-free within 3 business days
  • Available in all states

Chime MyPay

Chime MyPay

9.4 Excellent

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Chime is a popular mobile banking app with numerous services, including MyPay, which offers advances up to $500 with no mandatory fees. And you can receive your transfer within 24 hours for free, which is much faster than most apps. Or you get your funds within minutes for a flat $2 fee — about the smallest fee we can find.

But you need a Chime checking account and Chime debit card to qualify for advances, and you must receive your pay by direct deposit to your Chime account. If you prefer to get your pay deposited to an external account, you won't have access to MyPay, and it's not available in all states yet.

Loan amount$20 - $500
Turnaround timeWithin 24 hours or $2 for instant transfers
  • Not available in: Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Money App

Money App

Money App offers advances up to $250, which is on the small side for this list, but at least it doesn't charge a monthly fee, interest or late charges. You'll need an external checking account with a debit card to qualify, and you have to get paid by direct deposit.

Free transfers only take about one to three days, but if you need the money right away, you'll pay between $4.99 and $15.99 for an expedited transfer. Money App requires a mandatory cooling-off period after repaying your advance before you can get another, but it doesn't say for how long, and it's not available in all states.

Loan amount$25 - $250
Turnaround time1 to 3 business days or instant for a fee

SoLo Funds

SoLo Funds payday loan alternative

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SoLo Funds is a peer-to-peer cash advance app where users can lend or borrow money. It offers advances up to $625, and it doesn't charge interest or a monthly membership fee. But it accepts optional tips to lenders and/or donations to SoLo Funds — and, if you don't add a tip to your loan request, you have to wonder if your request will be fulfilled. Free funding may take up to three days, but if you want it expedited, it'll cost you 1.75% of the loan amount.

Plus, unlike most cash advance apps, SoLo Funds charges a late fee of 10% if you don't pay it back within 35 days. You'll also be on the hook for a transaction fee of 2 x (.9% of the principal + $0.70).

Loan amount$20 - $625
Turnaround timeAs soon as same day or instant for a fee
  • Not available in: California

Honorable mentions

These two cash advance apps don’t charge for monthly subscriptions, but they charge mandatory fees for advances.

Cash App Borrow

Cash App

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Cash App Borrow doesn't charge a monthly subscription fee to qualify for advances, and there is no fee for fast transfers because funds arrive the same day you apply. However, there is a 5% fee per advance and a 1.25% weekly interest charge if you don't repay it by your due date. The upside of Cash App is that you can use all its other services for free and only pay a fee if you need to borrow money.

Loan amount$20 - $200
Turnaround timeSame day
  • Available in all states

Varo

Varo Cash Advance

9.4 Excellent

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Varo offers cash advances up to $500 (or up to $250 for new users), and you don't need to pay a monthly fee to be eligible for advances. It also offers instant funding, but there's a flat fee for each advance. Depending on how much you borrow, your fee is between $1.60 and $40. If you need to borrow more than $500, Varo offers a credit line of up to $2,000 with a similar fee structure but a longer loan term.

Loan amount$20 - $500
Turnaround timeInstant but charges a fee

Employee benefit cash advance apps

There are a few cash advance apps that don’t charge monthly fees, but they’re only available if your employer offers them as a benefit.

ProviderAdvance amountTurnaround timeInstant transfer feesSubscription fee
Branch
Up to 50% of paycheck up to $1,000
Within 3 days or instant for a fee
$2.99 to $4.99
Free
DailyPay
Up to 100% of earned wages, $1,000 daily limit
By the next business day or instant to DailyPay card or for a fee
Up to $3.49
Free
One@Work
Up to 50% of your net earnings
Instant for free if your employer has this benefit configured in the app. If not, fee applies for instant transfers
Undisclosed
Free
Payactiv
Up to 50% of earned wages per day
Within 1 to 3 days or with qualifying direct deposits for free or a fee for other options
$2.49 to $3.49
Free
Wisely
Undisclosed, based on earned wages
Instant to Wisely card
Not stated
Free

How much do cash advance apps cost?

Check out this list of cash advance providers, including loan amounts, turnaround times and how much it’ll cost you to get an advance.

Cash advance appAdvance amountStandard turnaround timeSubscription feeInstant transfer feeOptional tips
Albert
$25 to $250
Instant
$11.99
Free
No
B9
$30 to $500
Instant
$11.99 or $19.99
Free
No
Beem
$5 to $1,000
Undisclosed time for free, instant for a fee
$2.47 to $12.97
$1 to $4
No
Branch
Up to 50% of paycheck, up to $1,000
Within 3 business days, instant with delivery fee
Free
$2.99 to $4.99
No
Brigit
$50 to $250
1 to 3 business days or instant with a Premium subscription or for a fee.
$8.99 to $14.99 monthly membership fee
$3.99
No
Cash App Borrow
$20 to $200
Same day
N/A
Chime MyPay
Up to $500
Within 24 hours or $2 for instant transfers
Free
$2
Yes
Cleo
Up to $250
3 to 4 days or instant for a fee.
$5.99
$3.99
No
Credit Genie
Up to $100
1 to 3 business days or i day or instant for a fee
$4.99
Undisclosed
Yes
Current
$50 to $750
Get instant access to your paycheck in advance for a fee, or get it fee-free within 3 business days
Free
Undisclosed
Yes
DailyPay
Up to 100% of earned wages, $1,000 daily limit
Next business day or instant with a DailyPay card or for a fee
Free
Undisclosed
No
Dave
Up to $500
Up to 3 business days to an external debt card, instantly to a Dave checking or instant to an external bank account for an optional fee.
Undisclosed
Up to $25
Yes
EarnIn
Up to $150/day, with a max of $750 between paydays
1 to 3 business days or within minutes for a fee starting at $2.99 per transfer
No membership fee
Starting at $2.99 per transfer
Yes
Empower Cash Advance
$10 to $300
2 to 5 days to linked bank account or Empower Card for free, instant to bank account for a fee
$8
$1 to $8
Yes
Empower Thrive (line of credit)
$200 to $1,000
Instant for a fee
$8
Up to 3%
Undisclosed
FloatMe
$10 to $50
1 to 3 business days or within 8 hours for a fee
$3.99
$3 to $7
No
Go2Bank
Up to $200
Instant from bank or participating financial institution for fees
$5 but may be waived
$10 or 5%, plus possible fees from ATM or bank and 26.99% interest
No
Grid
Up to $200
Within 8 hours for $2.99 or 1 to 3 days for free delivery
$10
$2.99
No
Klover
Up to $200
Within 3 days or within hours for a fee
$4.99
Up to $20.78
Yes
Money App
$25 to $250
1 to 3 business or instant for a fee
Free
$4.99 to $15.99
No
OneBlinc
$50 to $250
2 to 3 business days or instant for a fee
$8.99
4.99
No
ONE@Work
Up to 50% of earned wages
Same day if employer has configured this benefit. If not, small fee applies
No membership fee.
Undisclosed
No
Payactiv
Up to 50% of earned wages per day
Within 1 to 3 or days or instant onto Payactiv card or for a fee
Free
Undisclosed
No
Possible Finance
Up to $500
As fast as 1 business day
No monthly fee but charges $15 to $20 per $100 borrowed
N/A but charges $15 to $20 per $100 borrowed
No
SoLo Funds
$20 to $625
As soon as same day or instant for a fee
Free
1.75% of loan amount
Yes
Super.com
$20 to $200
Express transfers for a fee
$15
Undisclosed
Yes
Varo
Up to $500
Instant but charges a fee
Free
Up to $40
No
Vola
Up to $500
Within 5 hours or instant to Vola card
$1.99
Wisely
Undisclosed, based on earned wages
Instant to Wisely card
Free
Unclear
No

Alternatives to cash advance apps

If a cash advance isn’t the right move for you, consider these alternatives.

  • Personal loan. If you’re looking for a larger loan amount, you may want to consider a personal loan instead, but you may need a good credit score to qualify.
  • Payday alternative loan (PAL). A better alternative to payday loans, PALs are offered by some federal credit unions at competitive rates, but you’ll typically need to be a member for at least one month to qualify.
  • Your own bank or credit union. Similar to PALs, your regular bank or credit union may offer small loans to customers in good standing.
  • Buy now, pay later (BNPL) loans. While not a solution for an immediate cash need, BNPL loans can allow you to make a larger purchase — usually interest-free — that you can pay back in four installments.

Bottom line

If you only need a cash advance app once in a while, paying a monthly subscription fee can feel like an unnecessary expense. Consider saving yourself some money and signing up for a cash advance app that doesn’t charge a monthly fee. Or, see if your employer offers a cash advance app as a benefit, which may also come with other perks.

Frequently asked questions

How do I avoid cash advance fees?

You may not be able to avoid all fees when you need a cash advance, but a good start is to avoid apps that charge a monthly fee. You can also look for ones that charge smaller fees for fast transfers, such as EarnIn.

How much does Vola let you borrow?

Until recently, Vola only let users borrow up to $300, but it’s recently bumped that up to $500. And, with monthly memberships starting at $1.99 and zero charges for transfers of any speed, Vola is a fairly low-cost option.

What app lets me borrow money instantly?

Most cash advance apps have an instant transfer option, but you still have to link your bank account and get verified before being approved for advances, which might take a day or two. However, if you already use a banking app, such as Chime or Cash App, you could potentially receive an advance in minutes after applying.

Megan B. Shepherd's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Megan B. Shepherd as part of our fact-checking process.
Lacey Stark's headshot
Written by

Writer

Lacey Stark is a freelance personal finance writer for Finder, specializing in banking, loans, investing, estate planning, and more. She has 20 years of experience writing and editing for magazines, newspapers, and online publications. A word nerd from childhood, Lacey officially got her start reporting on live sporting events and moved on to cover topics such as construction, technology, and travel before finding her niche in personal finance. Originally from New England, she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver and completed a postgraduate journalism program at Metropolitan State University also in Denver. She currently lives in Chicagoland with her dog Chunk and likes to read and play golf. See full bio

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