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Loans like Speedy Cash

Compare alternative lenders that offer payday and installment loans.

Speedy Cash is a direct lender well-known for its payday loans. It also offers title loans, short-term installment loans and lines of credit. You can get funds the same day you apply, and in most states, its payday loans range from $100 to $500, with actual amounts and costs varying by state.

However, payday loans aren’t known for being the most affordable borrowing method. And with Speedy Cash, you might pay as much as 460% APR or more on its payday loans. This can get expensive — over 80% of people who take out payday loans have to renew it at least once, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and it can trap you in a cycle of debt.

If you just need a small amount of cash to get through to your next payday or you’re looking for more affordable borrowing options, we’ve got you covered.

Our 8 top alternatives to Speedy Cash

Alternative for freelancers

Cleo

4.1 / 5 ★★★★★

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Cleo offers cash advances from $20 to $250 with no required credit check or interest charged on the loan. They appeal to freelance workers specifically by not asking for employer verification or timesheets. Advances are easier to navigate through the app with a $5.99 subscription, but you can apply through customer service for free, without one.

Cleo also allows you to take a new advance just 24-hours after paying off your previous advance. And you can reschedule your payment one time, if your finances don't allow you to pay back the money at the agreed upon time.

  • Available in all states
Pros
  • New advance available 24 hours after payoff
  • One-time due date extension
  • No credit check or employment verification
Cons
  • $5.99 monthly subscription fee
  • Non-subscribers must contact customer service to apply for cash advances
  • $3.99 express fee for same-day funding
Loan amountUp to $250
Loan TermNext deposit
Turnaround time3 to 4 days or instant for a fee.

Alternative for employees

EarnIn

4.7 / 5 ★★★★★

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EarnIn is a cash advance app that lets you borrow up to $750 of your earned wages before payday with its Cash Out feature. This borrowing limit is significantly higher than most cash advance apps, and unlike payday loans, there’s no interest or financing fees to use Cash Outs.

To qualify for EarnIn Cash Outs, you need to be employed, have regular direct deposits and earn a minimum of $320 each pay period. You can transfer $150 a day to a linked bank account or more than $150 per day to an EarnIn card. Regular transfers are available in one to three business days or in minutes for a fee.

  • Not available in: Connecticut
Pros
  • No credit check required
  • No mandatory fees, interest or tipping
  • Free credit score tracking included
  • Cash Out more than $150 per day with an EarnIn card
Cons
  • Verification of employment earnings required
  • Same-day (Lightning) transfers attract a fee
  • Can only qualify with employment income
  • Not ideal for gig workers
Loan amountUp to $750 per pay period, but only $150 per day
Loan Term1 to 4 weeks
Turnaround time1 to 3 business days or instant for a fee

Alternative for frequent cash advances

Albert

4.4 / 5 ★★★★★

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Albert is a banking app that offers cash advances up to $250. While that is a lower amount than Speedy Cash's payday loans, there are no interest charges, late fees, inactivity fees or monthly membership fees. And if you qualify, you may be able to borrow up to three cash advances per pay period if you maintain a good repayment history.

With the $8 monthly paid membership Genius, you can get instant delivery for free and access additional perks like investing and investing advice. Without the paid membership, you can pay a fee of $6 for instant delivery.
Just know that when you create an account with Albert, you're automatically enrolled in the Genius free trial, which you must cancel after 30 days if you don't want to be charged $96 for the annual membership fee. Most of Albert's negative reviews are related to the automatic paid membership enrollment and the inconvenience of it.

  • Available in all states
Pros
  • No membership required
  • No interest or late fees
  • Instant delivery available
Cons
  • Poor customer reviews related to membership
  • Low $250 cash advance
  • No customer service phone number
Loan amount$25 to $250
Loan TermWithin 6 days of overdraft, with possible 7-day extension
Turnaround timeInstant

Alternative for instant delivery

Brigit

4.2 / 5 ★★★★★

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Brigit offers cash advances with delivery speeds as fast as 20 minutes, up to $250 per pay period. It also has overdraft protection features, alerting you when it thinks you're about to overdraft, and you set it to automatically deposit funds into your account to overdraft fees.

But Brigit isn't free if you want cash advances — it charges a $8.99 to $14.99 monthly membership fee monthly membership. There's also an extra fee if you want same-day funding. However, there are no interest charges or late fees and you have the option to change your cash advance due date up to three times.

  • Available in all states
Pros
  • Same-day delivery available
  • Overdraft protection features
  • No interest or late fees
  • Change due date up to 3 times
Cons
  • $8.99 to $14.99 monthly membership fee monthly membership
  • Low $250 max advance
Loan amount$50 to $250
Loan TermUntil your next payday, but can extend
Turnaround time2 to 3 business days or instant with a Premium subscription or for a fee.

Alternative for short installment loans

OppLoans Installment Loans

4.7 / 5 ★★★★★

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Unlike Speedy Cash, OppLoans only offers online installment loans. But with rates capped at 179% APR and terms from 9 to 18 months, it can be a more affordable alternative to Speedy Cash. OppLoans also reports payments to credit bureaus to potentially improve your credit score with timely payments and offers higher loan amounts than Speedy Cash.

But monthly income requirements can be high in some states, and you must be paid with direct deposit to qualify. You'll also need to make at least $1,500 each month to qualify. OppLoans rates and availability vary widely by state, so you may have to do some comparison shopping to see if OppLoans actually is a more affordable option for you. Like many short-term lenders, it's faced lawsuits for charging higher interest rates than legally allowed in Washington, DC.

  • Not available in: Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia
Pros
  • Loans up to $4,000
  • Potentially less expensive than Speedy Cash
  • Reports to credit bureaus
  • Overall positive customer reviews
Cons
  • Problems with regulators in DC
  • Rates vary by state
  • Strict income requirements
Loan amount$500 - $4,000
APR160% - 179% APR
Interest rate typeFixed
Loan Term9 to 18 months
Turnaround timeAs soon as the same business day.

Alternative for all-in-one mobile banking

Cash App

Cash App is a very popular banking app, namely for its convenient peer-to-peer (P2P) payment services which allow you to quickly and easily send money to friends and family. But that's not all it's got — you can also invest in stocks and crypto, get paid early, earn discounts with the Cash Card, and possibly borrow with its latest feature.

Qualified users can take out small loans with the Cash App Borrow option, which offers small loans up to $200 with a 5% interest rate, repaid within four weeks. But since it's still a new feature, not all of its eligibility requirements are clear. You'll likely need to be an active user, make regular deposits, have good credit and be in an eligible state.

  • Available in all states
Pros
  • P2P system
  • Invest in stocks and crypto
  • No membership fees
  • Top-ranked app
  • Small loans for qualified users
Cons
  • Low $200 maximum advance
  • Interest charges and lates fees
  • Not all users eligible for Borrow
Loan amount$20 to $200
Loan TermVaries
Turnaround timeSame day

Alternative for large cash advances

MoneyLion Instacash advances

4.5 / 5 ★★★★★

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MoneyLion, a mobile banking app, offers cash advances through its InstaCash feature. Unlike many banking apps, there's no monthly membership fee to access the cash advances, which range from $50 to $500 with the free membership — same max amount as Speedy Cash's payday loans.

If you want larger advances, you can sign up for RoarMoney for $1 per month, possibly allowing you to borrow up to $1,000 per pay period. Delivery times can be as soon as 24 hours with the paid membership or as long as five days.

On the downside, MoneyLion doesn't have the cleanest reputation. In 2022, it was sued by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) for overcharging service members and has over 1,262 customer complaints on its Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile.

  • 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
  • No interest charges
  • No credit check
  • Multiple advances
Cons
  • Over 1,262 BBB complaints
  • CFPB lawsuit for overcharging service members
Loan amountUp to $500 or $1,000 with RoarMoney account
Loan TermDue by your next pay date
Turnaround timeUp to 5 days or instant for a fee of $0.49 to $8.99

Alternative for mobile installment loans

Possible Finance Mobile Installment Loans

Possible Finance offers short-term loans of up to $500 with terms up to 2 months that you can apply for on your phone. Similar to a banking app, you can borrow these small loans right from the app. No matter how much you borrow, the term is always four payments over eight weeks. And unlike Speedy Cash's payday loans,
Possible Finance does report payments to two credit bureaus, so there's an opportunity for you to build a credit history and improve your credit score. Funding can also be as soon as one business day.

However, rates vary by state, with costs likely ranging from $15 to $20 per every $100 borrowed — a slightly lower APR than Speedy Cash in some cases. But in a few states, APRs can be around 460%, so it may be wise to compare other options before going with Possible. And it's only available in 16 states.

  • 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
  • Convenient borrowing
  • $500 limit, like Speedy Cash
  • Reports to two credit bureaus
  • Delivery as soon as one business day
Cons
  • Limited state availability
  • High APRs
Loan amount$50 - $500
APR150% to 460%
Interest rate typeFixed
Loan Term2 to 8 weeks
Turnaround timeAs fast as 1 business day

How does Speedy Cash compare?

Speedy Cash has been around since 1997 and offers multiple loan types. It has other financial services available, like checking cashing, money orders and money transfers.
Speedy Cash has 161 physical locations, and if you apply in person, you could get your funds the same day. However, locations aren’t in every state, and its online installment loans are only available in 12 states. You can get a full rundown with our Speedy Cash review.

Pros

  • Funding in as little as one day
  • Online and in-store applications
  • Multiple types of loans
  • Other financial services

Cons

  • Limited state availability
  • Amounts and rates vary by state
  • APRs can be high
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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings and reviewed by Anna Serio, a member of Finder's Editorial Review Board.
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Editor, Banking

Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert 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. See full bio

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Bethany has written 442 Finder guides across topics including:
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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    CodyJanuary 1, 2019

    Hello I recently got approved for financing on a used vehicle. Little money down with weekly payments of an agreed amount. Is there financed options to have my vehicle payed off, and allow me to arrange monthly payments just pay much longer term?

      AvatarFinder
      JoshuaJanuary 2, 2019Finder

      Hi Cody,

      Thanks for getting in touch with finder. Congratulations for having a car, Cody!

      Regarding your question, yes, there are a few things you can do. One is to refinance your car loan and the other is to apply for a personal loan and use the money to pay your existing car loan debt. That way, you can simply pay your personal loan lender.

      Please make sure that you’ve read the relevant T&Cs or PDS of the loan products before making a decision. Moreover, check the eligibility requirements as well and consider whether the product is right for you.

      I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.

      Have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Joshua

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