Advance America: Fast, High-Interest Short-Term Loans
Advance America Payday Loan isn't available on Finder right now.
- Min. Amount
- $100
- Max. Amount
- $25,000
- Turnaround time
- As soon as the same day
Our verdict
This lender offers fast funding on high-interest short-term loans and lines of credit, but beware of scammers.
Advance America offers payday loans, installment loans and lines of credit, with amounts up to $5,000. It also offers title loans through its lending partner, LoanCenter, from $2,000 to $25,000. You can apply online or at one of 800+ physical locations, and funding is possible as soon as the same day. But loan types and amounts vary widely depending on where you live and your state’s regulations. And, while it accepts borrowers with bad credit, you’ll likely pay interest rates in the triple digits. The company is also plagued with scammers using the Advance America name, so be sure you only apply on its website or at one of its stores.
Best for: Borrowers with bad credit who need an emergency loan.
Pros
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Offers multiple loan options
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Accepts poor credit
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Can apply online or in-store
Cons
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Loan types and amounts vary by state
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Most loans charge triple-digit rates
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Fraudsters use the company name to scam borrowers
Is Advance America legit?
Yes, Advance America is a legitimate lender that offers installment loans, payday loans, lines of credit and title loans to borrowers with bad credit. It’s been in business for more than 25 years, operates over 800 store locations across the country and has issued more than 157 million loans to date.
Advance America uses safety measures that comply with federal law, including computer safeguards and secure buildings and files to secure your personal and banking information.
Despite precautions, Advance America is named in multiple class action lawsuits that allege the company failed to adequately safeguard customer information, which led to a data breach in February 2023. The lawsuits also say that the company failed to notify potential victims of the breach until August 2023.
How Advance America compares to other lenders
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How we picked theseWhat is the Finder Score?
The Finder Score crunches 3+ types of short-term loans across 65+ lenders. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees and features, as well as the type of loan eg investor, variable, fixed rate - this gives you a simple score out of 10.
To provide a Score, we compare like-for-like loans. So if you're comparing the best short-term loans for all credit types, you can see how each short-term loan stacks up against other short-term loans with the same borrower type, rate type and repayment type.
What makes Advance America Shine?
It’s nice that Advance America is transparent about its rates, terms and loan options. You only need to search by your state to find out what loans it offers and how much you can borrow. It also provides the terms and rates you might expect, so you can get an idea of how much it’ll cost you and how long you have to repay it. The rates are high, but you know what you’re getting into before you apply.
It also gives borrowers the option to apply online or in person. Applying in person can be handy for those who may not have internet access or prefer help choosing a loan based on their specific needs and financial situation.
Where Advance America falls short
One of the hazards of loans for people with bad credit is the high rates. The exact rates vary by state but range between 120% and 500% or more. Rates for title loans are advertised as low as 36% for amounts over $5,000, but that’s because you’re using your car as collateral.
There are also significant variations by state in types of loans available and how much you can borrow. For example, only a handful of states offer lines of credit and many states only offer payday loans of less than $1,000. So, depending on where you live, you may not have many options through Advance America.
Advance America loan details
| Minimum credit score/credit range | No minimum |
| APR | 36% to 500% |
| Loan amounts | Up to $5,000 for most loans and lines of credit $2,000 to $25,000 for title loans |
| Terms | 2 weeks to 24 months |
| Approval turnaround | As soon as the same day |
| Availability | Available in: Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
| Fees | Late fees NSF penalties |
| Other fees | Unknown |
Advance America contact info
| Phone number | 844-562-6480 |
| Customer service hours | Weekdays: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| comments@advanceamerica.net | |
| X, formerly Twitter | @UAdvanceAmerica |
| Advance America |
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How to qualify for Advance America
Here’s what you’ll need to qualify for a loan at Advance America.
- Government-issued ID
- Social Security number
- Active checking account
- Most recent proof of income
Some qualifications may vary depending on the loan type and whether you’re applying online or in person. For example, some states may require a personal check for payday loans, and title loans require the vehicle title and proof of residence, such as a utility bill.
How to apply
If you apply in person, a loan specialist walks you through the application process and goes over the loan options available in your area. You could receive funds in as fast as 15 minutes.
Follow these steps to apply online for a payday loan, installment loan or line of credit:
- Visit the Advance America website and select Apply now.
- Fill out the loan application, including contact info, income and banking details.
- Receive a decision within minutes — some loans may require a hard credit check.
- Follow the instructions to choose your loan amount and provide your e-signature.
Applications processed before 10:30 a.m. ET on weekdays are typically funded the same day. Otherwise, you should get your loan proceeds on the next business day.
Advance America reviews and complaints
| BBB accredited | Yes |
|---|---|
| BBB rating | A+ |
| BBB customer reviews | 1.44 out of 5 stars, based on 49 customer reviews |
| Trustpilot Score | 4.9 out of 5 stars, based on 112,699 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 06 May 2025 |
Advance America has mainly poor reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), most believing the company is a scam. In reality, it seems that scammers are using the Advance America name to get consumers’ banking information and steal their money. The company states that you can only get a loan from a store location or through its secure website. It will never call, text or email you with a loan offer.
The company gets very high marks from Trustpilot with a 4.9 rating out of 5 stars. Customers praise the excellent customer service and fast approval and funding process. But there are a few complaints of billing and payment issues or difficulty making online updates to their accounts.
What do people on Reddit say?
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to get a loan from Advance America?
It really depends on the loan type. The company doesn’t conduct hard credit checks for payday loans, making them easier to get as long as you have an income source and a bank account. Installment loans and lines of credit may be more difficult to get since they require a hard credit check.
How many payday loans can I have at once?
In most states, you can only have one payday loan at a time from Advance America. You typically need to repay your loan in full before you’re eligible to apply for a new one. Some states may also require a cooling-off period between loans.
Can I get a title loan if I’m still making payments on my car loan?
No. You need to own the title to your car to get a title loan through Advance America.
“Advance America Data Breach Class Actions Allege Company Failed to Protect Consumer Info,” ClassAction.org, August 24, 2023, https://www.classaction.org/news/advance-america-data-breach-class-actions-allege-loan-company-failed-to-protect-consumer-info[/article_Source]
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