FloatMe is a cash advance app that “floats” you up to $100 between paydays. It also has overdraft protection alerts to help you avoid overdrawing on linked accounts. But its low $100 limit — paired with its $3.99 monthly fee and $3 to $7 instant delivery fees — means you could end up paying more than its worth for very little funding. And when you first sign up, you’re likely only eligible for $10 to $30.
Many other apps offer higher cash advances and short-term installment loans — and several don’t charge interest or late fees but may require monthly membership fees.
If you're a freelancer or gig worker with varying paychecks, Cleo has your back. With Cleo, you can get cash advances up to $250 to tide you over and prevent overdrafts. What makes it good for freelancers is that Cleo doesn't have a minimum income requirement. As long as you have consistent income, you could qualify for cash advances.
Cleo cash advance amounts start at { DETAILS.LOAN_AMOUNT_MIN }} to $70, but that could increase to $250 over time. Cleo also packs features to help you budget and track your spending and bills better. Cash advances are available on the Cleo app through its paid plan which costs $5.99 a month. If you need a same-day transfer, it's an additional $3.99 to $9.99.
Available in all states
Pros
No direct deposit required
No credit checks or interest charged
Free AI financial planner, bill tracker and low balance alerts
Most cash advance apps have higher loan amounts than FloatMe. But EarnIn offers up to $750 per pay period with no membership fee, so it beats FloatMe on both of those counts. But instant transfers come with a fee, which isn't disclosed until you make the advance request. Plus, you can only get advances based on money you've already earned so you'll have to verify your hours worked, which may feel intrusive.
EarnIn is not a bank. Access limits are based on your earnings and risk factors. Available in select states. Terms and restrictions apply. Visit EarnIn.com for full details. Expedited transfers available for a fee. Visit Earnin.com for full details.
Pros
No membership fee
Advances up to $750 between paydays
No interest or late charges
Cons
Can only request up to $150 a day
Tracks timesheet and location
Doesn't disclose instant transfer fees
Loan amount
Up to $150/day, with a max of $750 between paydays
Loan Term
1 to 4 weeks
Turnaround time
1 to 3 business days or within minutes for a fee starting at $2.99 per transfer
Loan amount
Up to $750
Turnaround time
1 to 3 business days or within minutes for a fee starting at $2.99 per transfer
Albert, offers overdraft protection that's available with your Albert Cash account up to $250. This is much larger than FloatMe's biggest advance and the funding is instant with no transfer fees. There's also no credit check or interest charges — and no late and inactivity fees. But to access the overdraft feature and most of its investing, savings and budgeting tools, you'll need to pay for the Genius subscription at $16.99 a month. New members are automatically enrolled in a 30-day free trial of Genius, so you can see how you like it before committing to the monthly charge.
Available in all states
Pros
Overdraft protection up to $250
Allows multiple advances per pay period
No interest, late fees or tipping
Cons
Auto-enrolled in paid membership
Must have Genius subscription to get overdrafts
Some negative reviews
Loan amount
$25 to $250
Loan Term
Within 6 days of overdraft, with possible 7-day extension
If funds are a little tight and you need a flexible repayment schedule for cash advances, Brigit might be worth considering. It offers cash advances up to $250 and the option to extend your due date up to three times — FloatMe has no due date extensions. Brigit also doesn't ask for tips or charge interest and instant delivery is available for a fee.
But Brigit isn't free. You'll need to sign up for a $8.99 to $14.99 monthly membership fee. But it doesn't just give you access to advances — it also features overdraft protection, similar to FloatMe, alerting you when you're at risk of overdrawing your account. Brigit also offers identity theft protection and budgeting tools. However, the $8.99 to $14.99 monthly fee may be too steep for the advances.
Available in all states
Pros
Option to extend due date
Overdraft protection
No required tip or interest charges
Cons
High $8.99 to $14.99 monthly fee
Requires paid membership to get advances
Loan amount
$50 to $250
Loan Term
Until your next payday, but can extend
Turnaround time
2 to 3 business days or instant with a Premium subscription or for a fee.
Loan amount
$50 - $250
Turnaround time
2 to 3 business days or instant with a Premium subscription or for a fee.
Cash App has nearly any mobile app feature you'll likely need — including a new Borrow feature allowing some users to take out small loans up to $200. Other features include its infamous peer-to-peer payment system allowing you to send money to friends and family, early paycheck access, investing features, a Visa card connected to your Cash App balance and more.
While there are no membership fees to use the features, the small loans come with a 5% monthly fee, which is equivalent to a 60% APR. Unlike most other apps on this list, there are late fees of 1.25% charged per week after the one-week grace period. And to boot, the Borrow feature isn't available to everyone just yet. The app states the feature isn't available to all residents, and you must have an activated Cash Card, frequent app usage and a good credit history.
MoneyLion has significantly higher advance amounts than FloatMe, offering up to $500 with a free membership, unlike FloatMe's required $3.99 monthly fee. And, with a MoneyLion RoarMoney account you can get advances up to $1,000. Plus, if you're trying to build credit, MoneyLion has a Credit Builder Plus membership (for $19.99) that offers credit builder loans with rates starting as low as 5.99%.
Similar to FloatMe and other cash apps, MoneyLion requires you to have direct deposit and regular repayments to be eligible for higher advance amounts. But unlike FloatMe, MoneyLion offers several features outside of cash advances, like an investment account and budgeting tools.
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
Large advances
No paid membership required
No interest charges
Paid memberships with extra perks available
Cons
RoarMoney account required for advances over $500
Pricey $19.99 monthly fee to access credit building tools
May take a while to be eligible for large advances
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
It's another app, but it's not like FloatMe or other cash advance apps. Possible Finance is a mobile app that offers short-term installment loans. And unlike most other cash advances apps, it doesn't require you to have direct deposit with the app, there are no membership fees and its loans aren't payday advances.
Possible Finance offers same-day turnaround time if you have a Visa debit card, gets decent reviews, requires no credit check and repayments align with your payday. Loan terms can run from two to eight weeks in installments. Additionally, Possible reports payments to two of the three credit bureaus, a perk not available with cash advances.
However, APRs can get high. In many states, expect to be charged $15 to $20 per $100 borrowed, and APRs up to 460%. And Possible loans are only available in some states — and exact rates and loan amounts vary — so be sure to check for availability.
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
Same-day turnaround available with Visa card
No credit check
No membership fees
Clear eligibility requirements
Cons
APRs can reach 460%
Rates and loan amounts may vary by state
Limited state availability
Loan amount
$50 - $500
APR
150% to 460%
Interest rate type
Fixed
Loan Term
2 to 8 weeks
Turnaround time
As fast as 1 business day
Loan amount
$50 - $500
APR
150% to 460%
Turnaround time
As fast as 1 business day
How does FloatMe compare?
FloatMe is great for when you want to avoid overdraft fees. While there are many apps without a membership fee, its monthly fee is less than some others, at only $3.99 a month. And you only need recurring deposits of $150 per pay period.
That said, its low $100 maximum may not be enough to cover some emergencies. And in most cases, new users may only qualify for a $10 or $20 advance at first. It offers instant delivery for up to $7 — lower than some — but for advances of less than $100, that might be a little pricey. Plus, it doesn’t consider earnings from self employment or gig work as eligible income — like Cleo does — which eliminates many potential users.
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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