There’s no judgment here, only information. Sometimes we find ourselves in a bind and we need a little cash immediately. We are about to run out of groceries, we need gas, we have a utility bill that needs to be paid ASAP and we are waiting for our next check. What are we going to do about it?
These options here are what helped me when I was in a bind. I don’t recommend being dependent on them, but they can surely help when you need funds ASAP and you know you can pay it back with your next check.
There are several apps that will let you borrow a bit of cash ( from approx. $10-$200 sometimes more) and immediately send it to your bank account. There is no credit check, but you do have to provide some personal information. With these I downloaded it, gave my information, and I had the money within 5 minutes.
The catch is….
1. You have to connect your bank account via Plaid.
2. There might be a monthly fee for the service (between $5-$10)
3. Your bank balance can’t be negative and you need to have some activity in it. Some apps require you have direct deposit from an employer. I do not have that, so I am not listing those options. I’m only listing what I’ve used as someone with no direct deposit from an employer.
4. If you want the money instantly, they might charge a little fee. If you can wait a few days then you can avoid that. It depends on the app.
I am going to share with you the apps that I tried and that I didn’t try. Some of the links are referral links which either offer both of us an incentive if you use it, or there’s a small incentive for me which does not change the price that you pay. Thank you for supporting my desire to help others who find themselves in need of cash quickly.
Empower
I’m starting with Empower because the interface is simple, clean, and it gave me the most money on my first request.
Customers can get between $10-$300 based on their criteria. You link your bank account via Plaid, they show you the offer, and you can accept or decline. The app will tell you the full repayment amount including any tips or fees and the payment date.
The first offer I got was for $75 with a repayment amount of $79 due in 2 weeks. I received the payment instantly.
There’s no interest, no late fees, and no credit checks.
There is a monthly fee of $8. However, they offer a 14-day trial for first time customers. The fee is auto-reoccurring after the 14 days unless you cancel the subscription before the end of the trial.
They also have a line of credit called Thrive that I don’t have experience with. This product does require a credit check. If you need quick cash fast, then the cash advance can be obtained within 10 minutes as long as you are able to link your bank account to Plaid.
If you sign up using this link we’ll both get $5.
Brigit
Brigit also has a very clean interface.
The sign up process is similar to Empower. You download the app, sign up, and connect your bank account via Plaid. Your account has to be older than 60 days and it must have a positive balance.
If you want the money transferred immediately, you have to add your debit card that is connected to the account you added.
I was offered a $50 advance to be paid back in 2 weeks. I opted for the express transfer which has a fee of $2.99 so $52.99 would be withdrawn from my account on the payment due date.
Brigit has a free plan, but you can’t get cash advances with it. With the free plan you can get budgeting and account monitoring as well as suggestions to help you increase your income and decrease your expenses.
If you want access to cash advances, you’ll need a membership which is $8.99 a month. I was not charged this fee right away. It was due a week after my sign up date.
If you sign up using my link and we’ll both get $15.
Dave
Dave requires you to sign up with a bank account with them via Evolve Bank and Trust. I wasn’t interested in this because I just wanted the instant cash, but it’s a part of their sign up process.
They send you a debit card and issue you a virtual debit card right away. If you setup direct deposit with them, then they offer to pay it out two days early. But I wasn’t interested in all of these features. I just wanted the cash advance.
Dave offered me $50 in two increments. So I had to withdraw $25 with a $5 fee and then another $25 with a $5 fee. I did not like this. They also charge $5 a month for their service. Finally, they ask you for “tips” when taking an advance but it’s not required to leave one. I did not. Be sure to move past that screen carefully.
I really prefer Empower and Brigit, but sometimes we need to stack those advances. Here is my referral link for Dave.
Klover
Klover offers advances but you have to complete their offers in order to qualify. I signed up for Klover but I didn’t take an advance because I’m not going to sit there and play games and sign up for stuff in order to do so.
However, this maybe an option for some people if they need it. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
Here’s my referral link for Klover.
If you get your check direct deposited you can also try the apps Earnin ($3.99 per transfer), Albert ($14.99 monthly fee), and Grant ($9.99 monthly fee). I did not use these apps.
As you can see I was able to get $170 deposited into my account within an hour which helped me out of my circumstance.
The intent of this website is to help others who find themselves in a financial bind that requires a relatively small amount of money immediately.
This page was last updated on April 20th, 2025.