ONE@WORK, formerly Even, is a unique cash advance app. It partners with multiple companies — including Walmart — so employees can access up to 50% of their paycheck early. With over 900,000 active members and multiple banking features, it’s a popular choice among cash advance apps.
The only catch is that you must work for an employer that partners with ONE@Work to access advances. If your employer doesn’t support ONE@Work, consider these other cash advance apps or installment lenders instead.
Like ONE@Work, Chime allows you to access your paycheck up to two days early, but Chime's SpotMe feature can also keep you from overdrawing your account, all without ONE@Work's monthly membership fee. SpotMe has a no-fee overdraft feature that provides up to $200 to cover overdrafts to your Chime Checking account. To qualify, you need to make a monthly direct deposit of $200 or more into your Chime checking account and activate your Chime debit card.
SpotMe only covers overdrafts caused by ATM or debit card transactions and starts with just $20 of protection. You can raise this limit with regular deposits and a solid account history, by qualifying for promotional bonuses offered by Chime or by using SpotMe Boost, a program that allows existing members to boost each other's SpotMe protection.
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. Direct deposit: Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date. SpotMe: Chime SpotMe is an optional, no fee service that requires a single deposit of $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to the Chime Checking Account each at least once every 34 days. All qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their account up to $20 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals initially, but may be later eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on member’s Chime Account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your limit. Your limit may change at any time, at Chime’s discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third party fees associated with ATM transactions. SpotMe won’t cover non-debit card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. See Terms and Conditions.
Pros
No fees or tipping obligation
Low monthly direct deposit requirement of $200
Cons
Overdraft limits start at $20 and max out at $200
Must use with Chime Checking account and debit card
Overdraft only covers debit card purchases and ATM withdrawals
Cleo is a budgeting and cash advance app that comes in a free and paid version. Both versions offer a wide range of budgeting tools that let you track your spending, view upcoming bills and get low balance alerts. And with the paid version, you can request cash advances in the app, get overdraft protection and accrue cashback to your Cleo wallet.
While ONE@Work also has budgeting and auto saving features, Cleo arguably takes it to a whole new level with its AI assistant, which can answer questions in everyday language, such as “How much did I spend on Uber this month?” and break your finances down into easy-to-read graphs. So, if you like to keep more granular tabs on your spending, Cleo could be a good choice.
Available in all states
Pros
Cash advances up to $250
No interest charged on cash advances
Support available with free version
Cons
Cash advance amounts limits start low
Paid plan costs $5.99 a month
Mixed customer reviews
Loan amount
Up to $250
Loan Term
Varies
Turnaround time
3 to 4 days standard transfer. Same day with $3.99 express fee.
Loan amount
$20 - $250
Turnaround time
3 to 4 days standard transfer. Same day with $3.99 express fee.
Albert doesn't require its users to have a paid membership to access cash advances. You can get cash advances up to $250, and you even be eligible for multiple advances per pay period if you maintain a good repayment history. There are no interest charges, late fees or tipping requirements. If you need instant delivery, you can pay a small fee of $6.
The paid membership Genius for $14.99 per month is completely optional, but it does offer additional benefits such as free instant delivery for cash advances and access to investing features. However, Albert automatically enrolls new users in the paid membership for a 30-day free trial. If you don't cancel the membership once the trial ends, it automatically charges you $96 — the yearly payment for the Genius membership. Most of Albert's reviews are negative, with nearly all about being automatically charged the yearly membership fee.
Available in all states
Pros
No paid membership required
No late fees or interest charges
May be eligible for multiple advances per pay period
Brigit is a financial wellness app that offers a range of features to help you build credit and stay on top of your finances. It's one of the few apps that allows you to extend your due date up to three times, if you can't make your repayment.
Unlike ONE@Work, Brigit cash advances are available to anyone over 18 who receives direct deposit payments. Its overdraft protection feature can help you avoid overdrawing your account, and you can request cash advances as needed, with the option to receive funds within 20 minutes for a small fee.
But Brigit charges a membership fee that's slightly higher than ONE@Work at $8.99 per month. It's received only a few dozen reviews for the app, and the majority are negative. Most users aren't happy with the $8.99 membership fee, cite issues canceling membership, and overall, report poor customer support and service. You can only contact Brigit via email or chat.
OppLoans is an online lender that offers personal installment loans from $500 to $4,000 with no credit check. It's not a cash advance app like others on this list, but it can be as fast as one, allowing you to get your funds the same day if you apply by noon, central time (CT).
While its interest rates can be as high as 160%, higher than many other personal loan lenders, it may be cheaper than a payday installment loan — which typically have APRs exceeding 300%.
Not available in: Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia
Cash App might be the best app for all mobile banking needs. It's well-known and is the highest-ranking banking app in the App Store. Most users know it for its peer-to-peer payment system for quickly sending money to friends and family for free, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
It features a free Visa Cash Card connected to your Cash App balance, which you can use for everyday purchases, early paycheck arrival, and crypto and stock investing options. Its latest feature, Cash App Borrow, allows eligible users to borrow small loans between $20 to $200 — but unlike cash advances, there is a 5% monthly fee. Unfortunately, Borrow is still in a pilot program, so it's not widely available just yet.
On the downside, most of Cash App's reviews are poor, despite its popularity. Most users cite poor customer service and issues resolving refunds, and it's had close to 10,496 BBB complaints in the last three years.
Earnin (formally Achieve Hours) is well-suited for hourly workers and lets you borrow up to $100 per day or $750 per pay period. How much you can borrow depends on how many hours you've worked. Earnin requires users to submit timesheets or allow the app to track your location to verify your hours and employment.
Unlike ONE@Work, Earnin doesn't require you to work for a specific company and doesn't require a monthly membership fee. There are no interest charges on its advances, and tipping is optional. And if you sign up for Earnin's paid membership Lighting Speed, you may be eligible for larger advances and faster delivery times.
While most financial apps get poor customer ratings, Earnin gets great customer reviews overall. It has in-app 24/7 live chat support, and most reviews praise Earnin's customer support representatives.
MoneyLion is a financial technology app that offers a number of free features, including access to an advance of up to $500 per pay period, based on your recurring deposits. While you're required to have a MoneyLion checking account to qualify for an advance, it won't cost you anything to sign up.
Cash advance amounts can be increased to $700 if you set up your direct deposit to a MoneyLion RoarMoney Account. And if you're signed up for the Credit Builder membership, you may be able to unlock advances as high as $1,000 — but you'll have to pay a membership fee of $19.99 per month.
But customer reviews tend to run negative. Also, there are multiple membership tiers and costs, and the benefits of each tier are difficult to sort through. It's not immediately clear what the differences are between each paid membership.
Available in: Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Pros
No paid membership required
Offers cash advances and credit building loans
No interest or fees with cash advances
Free checking account with no overdraft fees
Cons
Pricey $19.99 Credit Builder membership for highest advances
Benefits of each membership not clear
Poor customer reviews
Loan amount
Up to $500 or $1,000 with RoarMoney account
Loan Term
Due by your next pay date
Turnaround time
Up to 5 days or instant for a fee of $0.49 to $8.99
Loan amount
$50 - $500
Turnaround time
Up to 5 days or instant for a fee of $0.49 to $8.99
Alternative for short-term loans: Possible Finance
Possible Finance isn't a cash advance app like ONE@Work, but it can get you quick funding for one-time emergencies. Possible offers short-term installment loans up to $500, which you repay over terms of up to 8 weeks. These loans charge a fee instead of interest, which is likely to be between $15 to $25 per every $100 borrowed. Exact costs and loan amounts vary by state.
Applying for a loan requires no credit check, and Possible does report timely payments to two of the three major credit bureaus — so there is a chance for credit building if you maintain a consistent repayment history. Funding times are also quick, and you may get your funds as soon as one business day, whereas many cash advance apps charge extra for quick delivery.
Available in: Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington
Pros
No credit check
Reports payments to credit bureaus
Fast turnaround time
Cons
Fees are high
Low loan amount for installment loan
Limited state availability
Loan amount
$50 - $500
Interest rate type
Fixed
Loan Term
2 to 8 weeks
Turnaround time
As fast as 1 business day
Loan amount
$50 - $500
Turnaround time
As fast as 1 business day
How does ONE@Work compare?
ONE@Work offers cash advances on the hours you’ve worked through its Instapay feature. Advances are repaid as either a deduction from your paycheck or bank account. You can access advances immediately in person at Walmart or with a ONE account transfer. Transfers to external bank accounts take one business day.
But not everyone can use ONE@Work. Unless you work with a partnered employer, like Walmart, you won’t be able to get cash advances. And its cash advances max out at 50% of your current earnings. If your employer doesn’t offer it or you need to borrow more than 50% of your paycheck, consider these other cash advance apps or a personal loan with borrowing amounts starting at $600.
Bethany Hickey is a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto.
Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt.
Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others.
Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine.
If you’re considering using Lenme for a pay advance but its negative reviews are holding you back, we’ve lined up 10 alternatives that could offer more reliability and transparency.
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