Best cash advance apps with no credit check | Fortune Recommends

Kristy Snyder has more than a decade of experience writing about personal finance, including bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and personal loans. Since earning her bachelor of arts degree in English from Allegheny College, Kristy's work has been featured in Forbes Advisor, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report.

Abigail Rueger is a deputy editor on the banking team at Fortune Recommends. She is passionate about personal finance and offering consumers actionable steps for making positive life changes. Prior to joining Fortune, Abigail spent four years as an editor for Choosing Therapy, a startup dedicated to providing the best mental health information on the web.

If you need some cash before your next payday, one solution might be to consider a cash advance app. These apps let you borrow small sums of money that you pay back after a set time, often coordinated with your next payday.

“[Cash advance apps] are a useful tool for covering unexpected, time-sensitive financial needs between paychecks,” says Yan Huang, Associate Professor of Business Technologies at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.

But what happens if your credit score is lackluster? Can you still take advantage of these cash advances? According to Huang, most apps like these don’t require a credit check. Even so, we’ve curated a list of the best cash advance apps with no credit check (using a strict methodology) so you can find the best borrowing option.

Our editors are committed to bringing you unbiased ratings and information. Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and companies, so all are measured equally. Read more about our editorial guidelines and the banking methodology for the ratings below.

Not having to go through a credit check is just one thing to consider when choosing a cash advance app. To help you in your decision, we’ve compared five of the top cash advance apps so you can see which one is right for you.

Minimum deposit requirements, fees, and other numbers in our list are up to date as of October 30, 2024, and are subject to change.

EarnIn’s main goal as a fintech company is to help people access their earned money more easily. One way it does that is through its Cash Out feature. With Cash Out, you can access up to $750 per pay period without any interest or mandatory fees. You’ll then repay your advance when your paycheck hits your account.

at EarnIn

at EarnIn

EarnIn Cash Out has a standard transfer speed of two business days, which is shorter than a lot of picks on this list. You can also boost your max advance limit up to $1,000 if you choose to have your direct deposits sent to your EarnIn account.

Because EarnIn confirms your earnings with your employer, you can access them as soon as your account is verified. That means you could potentially get an advance within minutes of creating your account.

Another unique feature is Max Boost. This lets you request a temporary pay period max increase from another EarnIn community member who will act as your grantor.

While the max advance limit per pay period is $750, there is a daily limit of $150. So, if you needed the full $750, it would take you five days to get it.

Also, it’ll likely take you a while to get the $750 max limit. Most customers start with a limit of $85 and have to show good financial habits to get it increased.

Finally, the express Cash Out fees are quite high—up to $5.99 if you have a Cash Out of more than $100.

Learn more: Read our EarnIn review

Varo Bank offers several deposit accounts along with its cash advance program. To take advantage of Varo Cash Advance, you’ll need to have a Varo bank account as well as at least $800 qualifying direct deposits. If you do, you can access up to $500 immediately whenever you need it.

at MoneyLion

at MoneyLion

Varo gives you a full 30 days to repay your money. If you’re late, you also won’t pay any interest charges. This gives you peace of mind knowing you won’t be slammed with fees if something comes up and you’re a few days past the repayment date.

There’s also no limit on how many cash advances you can take out per pay period. As long as you pay off your last advance, you can take out the next one right away.

Varo charges an 8% flat fee to loan you money.

“Varo offers very clear and simple conditions,” says Steven Kibbel, Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and senior editor at InternationalMoneyTransfer.com. “However, as you increase the advance amount, the cost of borrowing rises rapidly.”

As an example, there’s a $1.60 fee to borrow $20. However, if you borrow $500, that fee jumps up to $40.

Additionally, everyone starts with anywhere from a $20 to $250 borrowing limit. You’ll need to prove your creditworthiness over time to work up to the $500 max.

Learn more: Read our Varo Bank review

Chime is a financial technology (fintech) company that partners with Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC)-insured banks like Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank to provide its services. Like most of the other cash advance apps we discuss, it has a $500 credit limit. You can draw from this daily as long as you send your paycheck direct deposit into your Chime Checking account.

at Chime

at Chime

Chime has one of the fastest free cash advances—you’ll get your money in less than 24 hours without needing to pay an expedition fee. It also has a relatively low $2 fee if you need your money instantly.

Money is sent directly to your Chime Checking account, making it easy to transfer to other accounts or withdraw as cash from an ATM. This makes MyPay™ the fastest (and cheapest) way to get access to cash when you need physical money.

“[Chime] does not allow for the freedom to change the payback schedule, which can be problematic for people whose income sources fluctuate,” says Kibbel. Repayment is always taken directly from your next payday direct deposit.

Chime also requires you to receive two direct deposits of $200 or more every 36 days. If you only get paid monthly and receive one direct deposit every 30 days, this could disqualify you from the program.

Finally, Chime MyPay is also only available in 33 states and Washington, D.C..

Learn more: Read our Chime review

Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. MyPayTM line of credit provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A. MyPay services provided by Chime Capital, LLC (NMLS ID 2316451).

^To be eligible for MyPay, you must receive qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account as set forth in the MyPay Agreement. A qualifying direct deposit is a deposit from an employer, payroll provider, gig economy payer, government benefits payer, or other permitted source of income by Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) or Original Credit Transaction (“OCT”). Your MyPay Credit Limit and Maximum Available Advance may change at any time. MyPay is a line of credit and available limits are based on estimated income and risk-based criteria. Eligible members may be offered a $20 – $500 Credit Limit per pay period. Your Credit Limit and Maximum Available Advance will be displayed to you within the Chime app. MyPay is currently only available to eligible Chime members in certain states. Other restrictions may apply. See Bancorp MyPay Agreement or Stride MyPay Agreement for details.

*Free transfers within 24 hours or $2 fee applies to get funds instantly.

As a fintech company, Current offers banking services through Choice Financial Group and Cross River Bank. In particular, its Paycheck Advance feature allows you to get up to $500 of your paycheck ahead of time. To qualify for the service, you must receive at least $500 in direct deposits to a Current account.

Great for: an advance on your paycheck.

at Current

at Current

Current Paycheck Advance doesn’t have any late fees or interest fees, so it truly is a fee-free way to get part of your paycheck early. You’ll pay back your loan when your next paycheck hits your account, or you can schedule an earlier repayment if that’s more convenient.

Also, because Current is a paycheck advance and not a loan, if you don’t have enough to repay the advance, you’re not on the hook for it. Current won’t report the missed payments to credit bureaus or come after you in collections—but you’ll be barred from future advances.

It can take up to three days to get your money unless you pay an instant transfer fee, which might be too late to wait if you’re in a bind. You might also only start with a cash advance limit of $50, which might not be enough to cover your financial obligations.

Also, Current does ask for a tip every time you use the service. While you can just say no, it’s another inconvenience.

Learn more: Read our Current review

Dave is a fintech company that offers its banking services through Evolve Bank & Trust. With Dave ExtraCash, you can overdraft your account up to $500 depending on your eligibility. This is different from other services that float you money as a paycheck advance.

at Dave

at Dave

Dave goes the extra mile by using a proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) underwriting model to determine your eligibility for ExtraCash advances. Instead of relying on your credit score, CashAI looks at over 180 data points to get a more realistic picture of your financial health.

Another thing that sets it apart from other services is the ability to choose your settlement date. Dave also doesn’t charge any interest or late penalties, giving you more flexibility with repayment.

Dave also offers an Advance Recharge service. This lets you take out an additional advance 24 hours after your first advance, allowing for a higher advance limit than you could in a single transaction.

Because Dave uses AI to calculate your ExtraCash eligibility, your advance limit could change as often as every 24 hours.

Plus, while you can wait to get your cash in three days, you’ll pay a hefty fee to get it faster. It costs 3% of the advance amount (with a $3 minimum) to get it instantly transferred to your Dave Checking account. To transfer it to an external account instantly, you’ll pay 5% with a $5 minimum.

“For people who frequently require immediate access to funds, the express fees might be somewhat expensive,” says Kibbel.

Learn more: Read our Dave review

Cash advance apps are an easy way to get cash fast when you’re in a pinch. And according to Huang, they’re generally less expensive, more flexible, and more convenient than alternatives like payday loans. Still, they’re not perfect.

“These apps are not a replacement for sound financial planning, even though they can offer immediate, temporary cash flow relief,” says Kibbel. “Think about creating an emergency fund, negotiating bill payments with creditors, or obtaining financial counseling as an alternative to cash advance apps.”

If you need more help choosing a cash advance app, consider the following factors:

We took a look at more than 20 cash advance apps to determine the best ones that don’t require a credit check:

Yes, cash advance apps can deny you access to a cash advance if you don’t receive enough direct deposits or are frequently late on repayment.

Yes—all of the cash advance apps we mention in this list do not require you to have a credit score.

As long as you repay your advance on time, a cash advance won’t hurt your credit. However, if you’re late on repayment, cash advance companies might report the late or missed payment to credit bureaus, which could lower your score.

Kristy Snyder has more than a decade of experience writing about personal finance, including bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and personal loans. Since earning her bachelor of arts degree in English from Allegheny College, Kristy's work has been featured in Forbes Advisor, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report.

Abigail Rueger is a deputy editor on the banking team at Fortune Recommends. She is passionate about personal finance and offering consumers actionable steps for making positive life changes. Prior to joining Fortune, Abigail spent four years as an editor for Choosing Therapy, a startup dedicated to providing the best mental health information on the web.

EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE: The advice, opinions, or rankings contained in this article are solely those of the Fortune Recommends™ editorial team. This content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of our affiliate partners or other third parties.