Check City offers payday, installment, title and personal loans to bad credit borrowers — and is one of the few short-term lenders that offers both in-store and online loans. But its rates can run as high as 460% APR, depending on the state. And repayment terms are short, sometimes as few as eight or 36 days.
The good news is that cash advance apps and personal loans are generally a much cheaper alternative. Cash apps never charge finance fees or interest on what you borrow. And personal loans typically have APRs that top out at 35.99%, making them more affordable than the loans Check City offers.
Our selection of personal loan lenders and cash advance apps can help you access funds, budget better and stay out of a cycle of debt.
Not only can Cleo save you money over Check City, with advances that have no origination fee or interest charge, the lender also allows you to request a new advance only one day after paying off your previous advance. This is way faster than other cash advance apps that make you wait three to five days between advances. And if your finances change, you can reschedule your Cleo payment to a later date.
On the downside, you can only request a cash advance through the app if you're subscribed, which costs $5.99 per month. But you can request an advance through Cleo customer service for free. The app charges $3.99 to fund the advance same-day.
Available in all states
Pros
New advance available 24 hours after payoff
One-time due date extension
Budgeting and saving tools through app
Build credit with Credit Builder subscription
Cons
$5.99 to $14.99 monthly subscription fee
Non-subscribers must contact customer service to apply for cash advances
Albert is a banking app with a suite of services, including cash advances up to $250 and a financial advice service called Genius. You can ask it questions about credit cards, student loans and budgeting — and it can even build a custom investment portfolio for you with just a few details.
But the Genius service costs $14.99 to $16 a month, and it automatically enrolls you in a 30-day trial when you sign up. And some users report having difficulty canceling Genius, making Albert best for users who want the Genius service as part of their mobile banking experience.
Available in all states
Pros
Offers budgeting, loans and investment help
Paid membership not required for advances
No late fees or inactivity fees
Cons
Must sign up for a free trial of Genius
Instant transfer fees not listed
No phone support
Loan amount
$25 to $250
Loan Term
Within 6 days of overdraft, with possible 7-day extension
Brigit is a cash advance app offering advances up to $250 per pay period for $8.99 to $14.99 monthly membership fee a month. Unlike Check City, Brigit never charges finance fees or interest on what you borrow. And instead of costly renewals, Brigit lets you defer your repayment as long as you've had two consecutive on-time payments beforehand.
While pricier than some apps, Brigit's monthly fee includes free overdraft protection, a credit builder program and up to $1 million in identity theft protection. It also has built-in tools that let you view upcoming bills, monitor your spending habits and look for side gigs — all of which can help you save.
Available in all states
Pros
No credit check required
Store up to three payment deferments
Free overdraft protection
Built-in tools can help you budget better
Cons
$8.99 to $14.99 monthly membership fee monthly subscription fee
Advances are limited to $250 per pay period
Some users say it's hard to cancel the service
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.
Avant is an online lender that offers personal loans from $2,000 to $35,000. There's no minimum credit score to apply with Avant and it looks at a range of factors when making a decision, such as your income and credit repayment history – not just your credit score.
Avant's APRs start at 9.95% and top out at 35.99% – much lower than Check City's rates. Avant charges an administrative fee of up to 9.99% on its loans, which gets deducted from your loan amount. But if you qualify, a personal loan from Avant can be a much cheaper option than a payday loan.
Not available in: Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Virginia, West Virginia
Personal loans from $2,000–$35,000. If approved, the actual loan amount, term, and APR that a customer qualifies for may vary based on credit determination and other factors. Avant branded credit products are issued by WebBank, member FDIC.
Like Check City, OppLoans is a direct lender that offers loans of $500 to $4,000. OppLoans reports your payments to all three major credit bureaus to help improve your credit score and has online resources and classes to help you improve your financial situation.
OppLoans has an APR of 179%. While still high, this is lower than Check City's APRs, which can run up to 600% or more. And if your loan is approved by OppLoans, you could receive your funds as soon as the next business day.
Not available in: Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia
Cash App Borrow is a pilot feature inside of Cash App that's available to selected users. If you're chosen to participate in the program, you'll see a Borrow option inside the app where you can request cash advances up to $200. But you'll pay a 5% finance fee on the amount borrowed.
Cash App states Borrow eligibility is based on your credit score, where you live, if you have an activated Cash Card and if you use Cash App frequently. Some users report getting access to Borrow after uploading funds and sending out payments — even when they didn't have a regular job or direct deposits.
MoneyLion is a combination mobile banking and cash advance app that offers up to $500 cash advances per pay period. It doesn't charge any monthly or finance fees to use its service like Check City does, but instant transfers can get pricey — making it best for those who plan their cash advances in advance.
If you open a MoneyLion bank account called RoarMoney, you can potentially increase the amount of your advances up to $1,000 per pay period. MoneyLion also offers an investment account, a crypto trading feature and a credit builder program for Free (or $1 to $5 for RoarMoney account) a month. But customer reviews run mixed.
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
No credit check required
Borrow up to $1,000 if you qualify
No fees and no obligation to tip
Automatic round-up investing feature buys Bitcoin
Cons
Normal funding takes 24 to 48 hours
Instant delivery costs between $1.99 and $8.99
Many recent Google Play reviews are negative
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
Like Check City, Possible Finance is a no-credit-check loan provider for bad credit borrowers. It offers short-term installment loans up to $500 and terms spanning eight weeks. Unlike other short-term lenders, it reports your payments to two of the three major credit bureaus, which could help boost your score. But like Check City, APRs can reach up to 460%.
While taking out a Possible Finance loan and paying it off can help boost your score, taking out too many loans within a short time frame could actually hurt it. Due to its high cost, Possible Finance is best for emergency borrowing only when you need funds the same day.
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
No credit check required
More flexible loan repayment terms
Reports activity to the three major credit bureaus
Cons
APRs can reach over 460%
A history of negative customer reviews
More costly than using a cash advance app
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 Check City compare?
Check City charges high interest rates and may be more expensive than other options like personal loans and cash apps. Here are the main pros and cons of this lender.
Pros
Offers multiple types of loans
Upfront about licensing and costs
Same-day funding available
Cons
More expensive than a personal loan or cash app advance
Only has branches in three states
APR can reach 460% and up
Alternatives to payday and installment loans
Payday and installment loans, while convenient, 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.
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 Forbes Advisor, 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 187 Finder guides across topics including:
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