Brigit App Review: Cash Advance With a Paid Subscription

Our take on Brigit

Brigit is an app that’s best for employed people who need a little extra help managing their finances. When you’re low on funds, you can request a cash advance of up to $250 to cover you until your next payday. It also has an overdraft feature that alerts you when your bank balance is low and provides automatic overdraft protection.

Brigit automates its repayment process and notifies you 24 hours before your due date, with the payment automatically deducted from your bank account. There are no extra fees or interest charges for this service. And if you run into trouble, Brigit allows you to extend your due date to avoid overdrafting your account.

But while many customers have praised the Brigit app for helping them during lean times, others have complained about glitches with the app and getting charged the monthly fee while being denied advances. Others have complained of difficulty canceling the service when they didn’t need it anymore.

If you’re looking to borrow more than $250, you’ll need to consider other short-term loan options or cash advance apps that allow you to request larger amounts.

Brigit Instant Cash overview

Brigit is an app that allows you to request a cash advance through its Instant Cash program when you’re in danger of overdrafting your bank account. It offers three service levels:

• Free. Without a subscription, you can use Brigit’s budgeting tools to track your transactions, monitor your account and get alerts when you have a low balance or upcoming expenses.
• Brigit Plus. With this tier, you pay $8.99 a month and get more robust budgeting tools, credit monitoring and are able to make your Instant Cash advance requests through the app for a fee. As part of the monitoring tool, you can elect to have Brigit automatically deposit an advance to cover a potential overdraft.
• Brigit Premium. This tier adds a Credit Builder program for $14.99 and includes free express delivery.

Instant Cash doesn’t have any fees, including late fees if you can’t pay the amount back in time. But it may require up to three business days to fund the advance. If you need the money sooner, you can elect to pay an express fee, which costs between $0.99 and $3.99, to get your advance within twenty minutes. However, express fees are waived if you have the $14.99/mo Premium plan.

Requirements

Beside regularly using your checking account, to qualify for an advance, you must have:

• A bank account balance greater than $0.
• A cash cushion in your bank account after you get paid.
• A checking account open for more than 60 days with a Brigit-supported bank.
• Three recurring deposits from the same employer or source.

There’s no credit check required to be eligible for Instant Cash.

Brigit reviews and complaints

BBB accredited	No
BBB rating	B
BBB customer reviews	3.77 out of 5 stars, based on 286 customer reviews
BBB customer complaints	305 customer complaints
Trustpilot Score	4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 311 customer reviews
App Store Score	4.8 out of 5 stars, based on 298,660 customer reviews
Google Play Score	4.7 out of 5 stars, based on 193,205 customer reviews
Customer reviews verified as of	27 June 2024

Reviews about Brigit are mixed across Google Play, the App Store and Trustpilot. Some users are happy with the app, reporting quick funds disbursal, responsive customer service and credit-building opportunities.

On the flip side, many users complain of app glitches, extra charges and difficulty canceling their subscriptions. Others think the $8.99 to $14.99 monthly membership fee monthly fee is too high in exchange for the low advance amounts offered to them — resulting in the equivalent of high APRs.

Brigit isn’t registered with the Better Business Bureau and has garnered a fair number of complaints over the past three years. Customers complain about unexplained charges, cash advance denials despite paying the monthly fee and memberships not being canceled as requested.

Brigit cash advance vs. payday loan

A Brigit cash advance might be due on your next payday, but that’s where its similarities to a payday loan ends. Here’s how the two stack up:

	Brigit cash advance	Payday loan
Borrowing amount	Up to $250	Typically up to $1,000, and most states allow only one at a time
Turnaround time	1 to 2 business days	Typically next business day
Application process	Sign up through the mobile app, requires connection to an individual checking account	Simple online application, typically requires Social Security number and bank account numbers
Costs	Monthly membership fees range from $8.99 to $14.99	High fees that can equal fees of $15 to $25 per $100 borrowed
Availability	Anywhere in the US

Is Brigit safe to use?

In general, yes — though no app can guarantee your information stays 100% safe. Brigit does its part by using a secure 256-bit encryption system to protect your personal and banking data. And unlike many payday lenders, you don’t need to provide your Social Security number to sign up.

Beyond its security system, its privacy policy outlines what kinds of information it collects, how it’s used and whether it’s shared. If you decide you no longer want to use Brigit, its privacy policy also explains what information is deleted and what’s retained.

Compare Brigit to other cash advance apps

Compare even more cash advance apps to find the right one for your lifestyle and budgeting needs. View maximum loan amounts, turnaround times and applicable costs and fees.

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