Get an advance of up to $100 to avoid hefty overdraft fees.
Dave helps you avoid overdraft fees by offering interest-free cash advances that are automatically repaid on your next payday. But you can only get up to $100, so it won’t be much help if you need to cover a larger expense.
$100
Max. Amount
Same business day to 3 business days
Turnaround time
How does Dave overdraft protection work?
Dave allows you to get up to $100 as an advance when you’re at risk of overdrawing your bank account. It’s a free service — there’s no interest — but you will be on the hook for a $1 monthly membership fee. You can request an advance with Dave as often as you’d like — provided your last payment has cleared and your bank account isn’t overdrawn by more than $100.
To get started, you need to download the app to your phone. Dave only allows you to have one device per account, and your Dave account can only be connected to one bank account at a time.
Maximum withdrawal: $100
Cost: $1 monthly membership fee
Turnaround: Up to three days for standard delivery, and less than eight hours for express delivery
With Dave, you have two delivery options — standard or express. The standard option takes up to three business days to deliver your advance to your checking account, but is free to use as a member. The express option can be delivered to your debit card within eight hours, but will cost a small fee of $4.99.
Is Dave a pay advance app?
No. Unlike pay advance apps that use your hourly work history to determine the amount, Dave works a little differently. If your account balance is short to cover an expense, you can get an advance of up to $100 on the Dave app. The $1 membership fee makes this a more affordable option than the typical $35 overdraft fee charged by traditional banks.
Does Dave have any income requirements?
While Dave doesn’t check your credit score, it does ask you to meet some income requirements:
Proof of consistent income. You’ll need to show at least two direct deposit paychecks to your bank account from your employer.
Extra money in your bank account. Dave wants to see proof that you have some money left over in your bank account after you pay your bills.
How repayments work with Dave
You’ll pay Dave back the day you get paid, although smaller advances may be due on the Friday after you receive the money. To make things easier, Dave automatically deducts your payment from your bank account. But if you have the money sooner, you can always make a manual payment.
The only time you’ll pay back more than you were advanced is if you select the express delivery option or choose to tip. As long as you keep up with your membership fee, you won’t have to worry about paying any interest or late fees like with payday loans.
Additional programs available to Dave users
Dave is more than an overdraft app. When you link your bank account, Dave can monitor your transaction history and predict when a bill could leave you in the negative. This helps protect you from overdraft fees before they occur.
And if you need a little extra to get by, Dave is there with a small, fee-free advance to help you until your next paycheck.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
An advance through Dave may be free, but there is charge for the app. There’s a $1 membership fee — taken from your first paycheck of each month — that you need to pay in order to keep using Dave.
You can view when your account will be charged in the Dave Membership section of your profile on the app. If you don’t have enough, Dave will continue to try and collect the membership fee each Friday until you’re able to pay.
And since you won’t be charged any fees or interest on the advance, Dave relies on a tipping system to sustain itself. You’re able to select a percentage that will be added to the cost of your advance, with a portion going toward Trees for the Future.
Dave doesn’t charge a late fee. However, if you don’t have enough to repay your advance, you may be banned from using the app. There are no extensions, and you won’t be able to change your payback date after you accept the advance.
What are the pros and cons of Dave?
Pros
Two delivery speeds. If you want to keep costs down, you can choose Dave’s standard delivery speed. But if you need funds quickly, Dave can process your request in under eight hours for a small $4.99 fee.
Highly rated. Dave receives a multitude of positive ratings from users in the App Store and on Google Play.
No fees or interest. You don’t have to pay a fee or interest for the amount Dave advances you — even tipping is optional.
Cons
Limited advance amount. Dave only offers advances of $100 or less, which may insufficient to cover larger expenses.
Monthly membership fee. It may be cheaper than a short-term loan or paying an overdraft fee, but Dave’s $1 monthly membership fee still means you have to pay something — even if you don’t use the service.
Repayment due quickly. You’ll only have until your next paycheck to repay your loan. And for smaller amounts, you may not even have that long.
Is Dave safe to use?
In general, yes — but no app can guarantee your information stays 100% secure. Dave does its part by using a 2048-bit encryption system to keep any personal details you enter in the app safe from hackers.
Your banking information is always stored offline, and a security team monitors Dave’s data center 24/7. All of this is in addition to the firewalls and other security precautions it has in place.
Must read: Dave suffered a security breach in July 2020
In July 2020, Dave had data on 7.5 million users stolen — including full names, birth dates, phone numbers, emails and home addresses. Encrypted passwords and Social Security numbers were also taken, but Dave has not reported any instances of hackers accessing user accounts.
While this does mean current users should change their passwords for Dave and ensure their accounts are safe, it doesn’t indicate a lack of security on Dave’s part. In fact, Dave quickly notified news outlets and is working to inform its users. And because of its multipart encryption system, both passwords and Social Security numbers are safe.
Dave reviews and complaints
BBB accredited
Yes
BBB rating
B+
BBB customer reviews
1.57 out of 5 stars, based on 95 customer reviews
AppStore score
4.8 out of 5 stars, based on 4,385,014 customer reviews
Google Play score
4.6 out of 5 stars, based on 310,660 customer reviews
Customer reviews verified as of
16 October 2020
Dave earns mostly positive online reviews Most center around how easy it is to sign up with Dave and connect your bank account. While some praised the quick turnaround and said their funds showed up in their account within minutes.
But others complain about the the extra fee you had to pay for the express delivery option. Overall, users seem to appreciate this service as a cheap alternative to payday loans.
Dave vs. payday loans
Unlike a payday loan, Dave is only available in small amounts — less than $100 — and costs almost nothing to get an advance. Here’s how the two options compare:
Dave
Payday loans
Amount
Up to $100
Typically up to $1,000, and most states allow only one at a time
Turnaround time
Less than 8 hours with express delivery, up to 3 days with standard delivery
Typically next business day
Application process
Simple mobile app, requires Social Security number and connection to your bank account and debit card
Simple online application, typically requires Social Security number and bank account numbers
Costs
No interest or fees, no obligation to tip, $1 monthly membership fee
High interest rates that can equal fees of $15 to $25 per $100 borrowed
Find the Dave app in the App Store or on Google Play and download it.
Open the app and click Get Started.
Dave will walk you through how it works before you enter your mobile number and create an account.
Confirm your mobile number by entering your four-digit code in the app.
Connect your debit card and bank account.
Once your account is created and your identity has been confirmed, Dave will start tracking your transactions. It will send text alerts if your bank account is at risk of being overdrawn, and you’ll have the opportunity to get an advance of up to $100 when you need it.
More about the company
Dave was started in 2016 to act as a shield between users and hefty overdraft fees that banks charge. Although it’s only been around for a few years, it’s quickly made a name for itself, been backed by Mark Cuban and even has a social mission behind it.
A percentage of every tip you leave through Dave goes to Trees for the Future, a nonprofit that partners with farmers in sub-Saharan Africa to help build sustainable agricultural systems. So far, Dave users have helped plant over one million trees — a success that rarely happens when you go with a traditional short-term lender.
Should I use the Dave app?
Dave can help if you’re on a tight budget and find yourself needing a little extra money to cover you until your next paycheck. But if you need more than $100 — or don’t have a consistent source of income — Dave might not be for you. Instead, you can browse other cash advance apps or read about alternative short-term loan options if you think you’ll need a larger loan amount.
Frequently asked questions
To get in touch with Dave’s customer service team, follow these steps:
Go to the Dave website and click Help in the top nav.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Contact us.
Enter your email, phone number and a description of your problem. You can even upload screenshots to help explain the issue.
Click Send message.
A Dave customer service rep should get in touch with you within 24 hours.
Want Dave to factor in a new expense to your monthly budget? Follow these steps:
Open the Dave app and click Add new next to Expenses.
Click Add your own in the top right corner.
Enter the name of the expense, amount and how often you pay it.
Click Save.
Yes, but you’ll have to do more than just delete the app from your phone. To deactivate your profile, follow these steps:
Open the Dave app and click the iconin the bottom right corner.
Click Account.
Scroll down and click Dave membership.
Click Cancel Dave Membership.
Select the reason why you want to cancel and click Delete.
If you want to reactivate your account, there will be a two-month cool-off period before you can get another advance.
No. Dave doesn’t perform a credit check — ever. It doesn’t even do a soft credit pull when you request an advance. Advances aren’t reported to any credit bureaus either, so you can be worry-free about your credit fluctuating because of Dave.
Not at this time. In order to use Dave, you must have singular ownership of your bank account.
Kellye Guinan is a writer and editor with Finder and has years of experience in academic writing and research. Between her passion for books and her love of language, she works on creating stories and volunteering her time on worthy causes. She lives in the woods and likes to find new bug friends in between reading just a little too much nonfiction.
Expert review
Dave is a solid option for anyone who struggles with frequent overdraft fees. With one of the lowest membership rates out there, you can take advantage of a small $100 advance — available within three days — to avoid overdrafting your bank account. It receives high ratings from its customers, and there are no interest or fees. This makes it significantly less expensive than the overdraft fee charged by most banks and the cost of borrowing a payday loan.
But repayments are automatically deducted from your next paycheck — and using an advance can still leave you in a cycle of borrowing to keep ends meet. You’ll also continue to pay even if you don’t use the app. And in July 2020, Dave suffered a data breach that gave hackers access to personally identifiable information like names, addresses and contact details. While there are no reported thefts yet, it may be worth changing your passwords or using unique login info if you decide to join.
Thanks for your comment and I hope you are well. As it says on the information above:
Yes, you can cancel your Dave membership. You’ll have to do more than just delete the app from your phone. To deactivate your profile, follow these steps:
Open the Dave app and click the icon in the bottom right corner.
Click Account.
Scroll down and click Dave membership.
Click Cancel Dave Membership.
Select the reason why you want to cancel and click Delete.
If you want to reactivate your account, there will be a two-month cool-off period before you can get another advance.
Hope this helps and feel free to reach out to us again for further assistance.
I have been trying for 5 days to update my debit card number, it’s the same bank. I keep reading to click on account/profile and edit the card there.. THERE IS NO INFO THERE!!! When I click on the account button there is only a picture of me that’s it!! This is frustrating and the customer service sucks I’ve sent multiple emails
If you’re updating your card information, here are the steps to update your debit card:
– From your Dave Profile, click on your current debit card
– Click the debit card again
– Click I got a new debit card
If you want to change your bank account.
– Go to the profile section of the app
– Look at your Account Information
– Click on your bank under “Connected Account & Debit Card”
– There, you’ll see an option to “Change” bank
– Select your new bank and enter your new login information
To cancel and deactivate your profile, follow these steps:
1. Open the Dave app and click the icon in the bottom right corner.
Click Account.
2. Scroll down and click Dave membership.
3. Click Cancel Dave Membership.
4. Select the reason why you want to cancel and click Delete.
5. If you want to reactivate your account, there will be a two-month cool-off period before you can get another advance
I was able to get an advance and I paid it back on my payday. Then went back to apply for another advance, and they said I have less than 60 days of transaction history.
Dave needs to have 60 days of transactional history in the checking account that you’re requesting the advance to be deposited into, when requesting an advance.
If you’re seeing this message, it likely means that your bank has not sent Dave 60 days of transactional history or your bank account is less than 60 days old.
They will have to wait until your bank sends them information.
If you’re updating the last name entered for the card information, here are the steps to change your bank:
– Go to the profile section of the app
– Look at your Account Information
– Click on your bank under “Connected Account & Debit Card”
– There, you’ll see an option to “Change” bank
– Select your new bank and enter your new login information
At Finder, we value and respect our editorial independence. We keep our reviews completely factual so you can use them to make better decisions. While we may receive revenue and referral fees from advertising and affiliate links, advertisers do not approve our reviews.
Dave is a solid option for anyone who struggles with frequent overdraft fees. With one of the lowest membership rates out there, you can take advantage of a small $100 advance — available within three days — to avoid overdrafting your bank account. It receives high ratings from its customers, and there are no interest or fees. This makes it significantly less expensive than the overdraft fee charged by most banks and the cost of borrowing a payday loan.
But repayments are automatically deducted from your next paycheck — and using an advance can still leave you in a cycle of borrowing to keep ends meet. You’ll also continue to pay even if you don’t use the app. And in July 2020, Dave suffered a data breach that gave hackers access to personally identifiable information like names, addresses and contact details. While there are no reported thefts yet, it may be worth changing your passwords or using unique login info if you decide to join.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Advertiser Disclosure
finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which finder.com receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.