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7 loans like Check ‘n Go

Compare more lenders that offer payday and installment loans – with potentially lower APRs.

Check ‘n Go is an established lender that offers payday and installment loans. You can apply online or in person and if approved, could have your funds the same day.

But like other payday loan lenders, it isn’t up front about its APRs — which can exceed 600%. Our list of sites like Check ‘n Go offers fresh alternatives to help you save money.

7 sites like Check ‘n Go

  • Alternative for freelancers: Cleo
  • Alternative for personal loans: Avant
  • Alternative for 0% interest cash advances: Brigit
  • Alternative for building credit: OppLoans
  • Alternative for a line of credit: CashNetUSA
  • Alternative for large advances: MoneyLion
  • Alternative for instant paycheck advances: B9

Alernative for freelancers

Cleo

8.2 Great

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Cleo can save you money over Cash 'N Go, with cash advances from $20 to $250 with no required credit check or interest charged on the loan. But more importantly, Cleo appeals 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.

Loan amount$20 - $250
Turnaround time3 to 4 days or instant for a fee.
Costs$5.99 monthly membership fee to access cash advances
  • Available in all states

Alternative for personal loans

Avant personal loans

6.9 Standard

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Avant is an online lender that offers personal loans from $2,000 to $35,000. There's no minimum credit score to apply and Avant looks at factors like your income and debt repayment history when making a decision — which means even bad credit borrowers may be eligible for a loan.

Avant's APRs start at 9.95% and top out at 35.99% — much lower than Check 'n Go's. However, Avant charges an administrative fee of up to 9.99%, which gets deducted from your total loan amount. But if you qualify, a personal loan from Avant can be much cheaper than a payday loan.

Min. credit score550
APR9.95% to 35.99%
Loan amount$2,000 to $35,000
  • Not available in: Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Virginia, West Virginia

Alternative for 0% interest cash advances

Brigit

8.4 Great

Go to site Read review

Brigit is a financial app that offers up to $250 for no-interest payday cash advances. To get this service, you must sign up for Brigit's paid plan costing $8.99 to $14.99 monthly membership fee a month. But if you have an eligible linked debit card, same-day advances are free.

While advance amounts are limited, you never pay interest on the amounts you borrow like you do with Check 'n Go. And it can help you avoid fees: Brigit has a service to monitor your bank account and send an advance automatically if you're at risk of an overdraft.

Loan amount$50 - $250
Turnaround time1 to 3 business days or instant with a Premium subscription or for a fee.
CostsBrigit Plus: $8.99/month; Brigit Premium: $14.99/month
  • Available in all states

Alternative for building credit

OppLoans Installment Loans

9.4 Excellent

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OppLoans is a highly rated direct online lender that offers short-term loans ranging from $500 to a maximum of $4,000. Borrowers with any type of credit history are welcome to apply and the minimum income required is $1,500 in most states.

OppLoans APRs run at 195%. While still high, this is lower than Check 'n Go's APRs. And if your loan is approved, you could receive your funds as soon as the next business day. You also have five days to cancel the loan if you change your mind.

Loan amount$500 - $4,000
Turnaround timeAs soon as the same business day
Online applicationYes
  • Not available in: Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia

Alternative for a line of credit

CashNetUSA Loan

7.2 Great

Read review

CashNetUSA is one of the few lenders that offers lines of credit in addition to payday and installment loans. While fees and terms vary by state, its APRs are typically between 229% to 315%, with a high of 579% in Texas. It also charges a 15% transaction fee on each draw in some states.

CashNewUSA isn't available nationwide, but you can visit its website to see state availability, loan amounts, fees and APRs at a glance. Most loan amounts are between $100 and $3,000. And while the company is up front about its costs, there are a number of complaints against it with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Loan amount$100 - $3,000
Turnaround timeFunding possible as soon as the same day
Online applicationYes
  • Only available in: Alabama, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin

Alternative for large cash advances

MoneyLion Instacash advances

9 Excellent

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MoneyLion is a financial services app that offers paycheck advances of up to $500. On top of that, regular users can qualify for even more funds — as much as $700 — if they sign up for MoneyLion's Credit Builder service. Advances as large as $1,000 are also available to users who switch their direct deposits to a MoneyLion's RoarMoney account.

But like with other cash advance apps, it can take three to eight weeks to be eligible for a the full $500 advance. New users can only get an advance of up to $50 if your account shows regular direct deposits.

While the standard advance is free, MoneyLion charges a fee of up to $0.50 to $9.00 for instant funding, depending on the advance amount and whether you're using a MoneyLion account. Otherwise, you'll receive the funds within one to five business days.

Loan amount$50 - $500
Turnaround timeUp to 5 days or instant for a fee of $0.49 to $8.99
CostsFree
  • 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

Alternative for instant advances

B9 pay advance app

Read review

B9 is a cash advance app that offers cash advances of up to $500 with no extra fee for instant funding. This can be a particularly good option for nonresidents, since you can qualify with an ITIN. B9 also offers customer service in English and Spanish. However, you'll have to sign up for a membership plan to access this advance, which runs on the high side for a cash advance app. The basic plan costs $9.99 and only offers advances as high as $100.

For a $500 advance, you'll need to sign up for the premium plan, which runs at $19.99 per month. On top of this you must set up a direct deposit of at least $500 into a B9 checking account to use any of B9's services.

But with the premium membership you'll be eligible to receive an advance of up to 100% of your paycheck — higher than what most cash advance apps offer.

Loan amount$30 - $500
Turnaround timeInstant
  • Available in all states

How Check ‘n Go compares

Check ‘n Go charges high APRs which reach 600% or more, making this lender best for infrequent emergency situations only. Here are the main pros and cons of this lender.

Pros

  • Easy application process
  • Same-day funding available
  • Bad credit is OK

Cons

  • More expensive than a personal loan or cash app
  • Mixed customer reviews
  • Not transparent about rates and fees

Alternatives to payday and installment loans

While convenient, payday and installment loans may not be the best option if you’re looking to save money on interest and get out of debt.
Be aware:

  • A typical $375 payday loan attracts $520 in fees due to repeat borrowing.
  • The APR on a payday loan can hit over 1,000% in states with no protections against predatory short-term lenders.
  • While payday loans are designed for emergency expenses, about 70% of borrowers use them to pay for everyday expenses.
  • Most payday loan borrowers stay in debt for at least 11 months.

Cash advance apps don’t charge interest and personal loans may be a more affordable option to high interest payday loans. Compare the top cash advance apps and personal loan providers for bad credit to see if these alternatives can save you money.

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Melanie Huddart as part of our fact-checking process.
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Written by

Editor

Anna Serio was a lead editor at Finder, specializing in consumer and business financing. A trusted lending expert and former certified commercial loan officer, Anna's written and edited more than 1,000 articles on Finder to help Americans strengthen their financial literacy. Her expertise and analysis on personal, student, business and car loans has been featured in publications like Business Insider, CNBC and Nasdaq, and has appeared on NBC and KADN. Anna holds an MA in Middle Eastern studies from the American University of Beirut and a BA in Creative Writing from Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, CUNY. See full bio

Anna's expertise
Anna has written 157 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Personal, business, student and car loans
  • Building credit
  • Paying off debt
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Co-written by

Writer

Kat Aoki was a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in consumer and business lending. She’s written thousands of articles to help consumers make better decisions on their home loans, bank accounts, credit cards, cryptocurrency and more. Kat is well versed in working with leading brands in the real estate, mortgage and personal finance industries, and her expertise has been featured on Lifewire and financial comparison sites like iSelect and realestate.com.au. She holds a BS in business administration from California State University, Sacramento and enjoys hiking and yoga in her spare time. See full bio

Kat's expertise
Kat has written 157 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Mortgages
  • Home equity loans
  • Mortgage refinancing
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