Self Cash Review: No Monthly Fees But Smaller Max Advance
Self Cash isn't available on Finder right now.
- Min. Amount
- $25
- Max. Amount
- $300
- Turnaround time
- Within 1 to 3 business days or instant for a fee
Our verdict
No monthly fee to qualify, but its advances are smaller than those of many other apps.
Self Cash is a new cash advance feature within Self Financial’s credit-building app. All you have to do to apply is connect your bank account and debit card. Like similar apps, there’s no credit check, interest or late fees, and there’s no monthly subscription needed to qualify. But maximum advance amounts are on the low side at $300 (or only $100 for new users), expedited transfer fees can reach as high as $15 and it's not available in all states yet.
Best for: People looking for small cash advances with no monthly subscription requirement.
Pros
-
No monthly fee required
-
No interest, late fees or credit check
-
Also offers a credit-building tool
Cons
-
Relatively low maximum advance
-
Instant transfer fees up to 15
-
Not available in all states
Is Self Cash legit?
Yes. Self Cash is a legit new feature offered through Self Financial’s larger credit-building app. Founded in 2015, Self is a fintech, not a bank. But its credit builder accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) are made and held by its FDIC-insured partners, Lead Bank, Sunrise Banks, NA or First Century Bank, NA.
What makes Self Cash shine?
There is no monthly fee to access Self cash advances, as opposed to some apps that may require as much as $10 a month or more to qualify. Plus, it offers free ACH transfers that typically land in your account within one to three business days. So, if you don’t need the money right away, Self Cash is basically free.
And Self isn’t a one trick pony like a few cash advance apps. It also offers credit-building tools such as secured credit cards, credit builder loans and the option to have rent and bill payments reported to major credit bureaus.
Where Self Cash falls short
Compared to some cash advance apps, Self’s $300 limit is on the low end. Many other apps offer $500 or more.
It also has relatively high instant transfer fees that can reach as high as $15, depending on how much you borrow. By contrast, Chime MyPay only charges $2 for transfers of any size and it offers advances up to $500.
Self Cash details
| Product name | Self Cash |
| Loan amount | $25 to $300 |
| Loan term | Until next payday |
| Turnaround time | Within 1 to 3 business days or instant for a fee |
| Costs | $3 to $15 instant transfer fees No monthly fee |
| Requirements | Linked bank account and debit card, steady source of income |
Self Cash contact info
| Phone number | 877-883-0999 |
| Customer service hours | Weekdays: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Weekends: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT via chat |
| support@self.inc | |
| X, formerly Twitter | @SelfCreditApp |
| Self Financial |
How to qualify for Self Cash
Here’s what you need to qualify for Self Cash.
- Linked bank account and debit card
- A job or a steady source of income
- At least 18 and a US resident
- Live in a state where Self Cash is offered
Other features
In addition to the new Self Cash, the company is primarily known for its credit-building tools.
- Credit builder accounts. Make monthly loan payments on credit builder “loans” from $600 to $3,600 for 24 months. When the term ends or you cancel your account, you’ll get your money back, minus interest and fees.
- Secured Visa credit card. Make a deposit to secure your card, which is also your credit limit. As you make payments, those are reported to the three credit bureaus. Interest and fees apply.
- Rent and bills reporting. Have your rent payments reported to all three credit bureaus for no charge. For $6.95 a month, you can have up to five other bill payments reported to TransUnion.
How Self Cash compares to other apps
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How we picked theseWhat is the Finder Score?
The Finder Score crunches 3+ types of short-term loans across 65+ lenders. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees and features, as well as the type of loan eg investor, variable, fixed rate - this gives you a simple score out of 10.
To provide a Score, we compare like-for-like loans. So if you're comparing the best short-term loans for all credit types, you can see how each short-term loan stacks up against other short-term loans with the same borrower type, rate type and repayment type.
Self Financial reviews and complaints
Because the cash advance feature is so new, reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot are only about Self credit building, with one exception.
| BBB accredited | No |
|---|---|
| BBB rating | F |
| BBB customer reviews | 3.73 out of 5 stars, based on 830 customer reviews |
| BBB customer complaints | 1,404 customer complaints |
| Trustpilot Score | 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 1,332 customer reviews |
| App Store Score | 4.9 out of 5 stars, based on 284,300 customer reviews |
| Google Play Score | 4.6 out of 5 stars, based on 88,300 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 27 August 2025 |
Self has mixed reviews on BBB, Trustpilot and the app stores. Many customers appreciate the credit-building tools and say they’ve seen their scores go up as a result. But others say there are too many fees, customer service can be difficult to reach and the credit-building process has taken longer than expected. And a few people say they’ve had trouble getting back the money they paid in after closing their account.
The company also has two alerts on BBB. One involves Self using misleading advertising through testimonials that don’t reflect typical results. The other is an alert to a pattern of complaints about contracts and credit reporting issues. In addition, quite a few people say that Self accounts have been fraudulently opened in their name.
One customer wrote on Trustpilot that they kept getting error messages when trying to apply for Self Cash, and customer service was unable to help them.
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Frequently asked questions
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Lacey Finder
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