In today’s turbulent economy, many people from all walks of life end up short on funds at one time or another.
In the past, there was no other remedy than payday loans and the problem there was the sky-high interest rates that lenders called “fees”.
And, many borrowers would find themselves paying only the interest every month for what seemed like forever without ever paying it off.
Many defaulted and suffered for it for months or even years thereafter. But, now there are better options, like Grid Money and several other similar apps that we’ll discuss in this article.
Before going to list and describe several alternatives to Grid Money app, let’s first see briefly what Grid is all about.
About Grid
Grid helps people get the funds that they need for dealing with the many ups and downs in life.
After the company helped thousands of tax clients with their taxes over the years, they realized the frustration that their clients had to endure because their tax refunds were locked up for an entire year by the IRS.
They felt that you could be utilizing your money for paying bills, saving up for retirement, or simply treating yourself to something that you really deserve.
So, that’s when they decided to do something about that by launching Grid. To date, they’ve already succeeded in boosting their clients’ paychecks to the tune of millions of dollars.
At Grid, they firmly believe in the importance of introducing financial products and services to help people who need them the most. Why? So that they can help everybody reach their own personal financial goals via simple transparent pricing with no hidden fees.
Now that you know a little something about Grid, here are 15 other apps like Grid Money for cash advances, including what they offer and how much cash advance money you can get from them, and more.
And, so that we wouldn’t be showing favoritism or endorsing any one of them over the others via any particular order on the following list, we listed them in alphabetical order:
1) Branch: No Wait Pay
This company’s motto is “Your money faster”. And, if you’ve already earned money, Branch gives you instant access to it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s tips, wages, even mileage reimbursements, or something else.
The way Branch works is that it’s a free digital wallet for your employer to use for the purpose of paying you.
They can “push” funds to you a lot faster and you can even request a pay advance from your upcoming paycheck and receive your funds as fast as after each job or shift.
In fact, when you order your Branch Card, you can begin to use your money immediately. In addition, you can use a virtual debit card that you get with your Branch app. All you have to do is connect it to Google Pay or Apple Pay.
You can sign up in about 90 seconds and, as soon as the funds are in your Branch Wallet, you have the ability to do anything from saving to sending, or just spending.
Branch believes that it’s your money because you earned it, so they help you to get paid faster and even get advances of up to 50 percent of what you’ve earned ahead of time when you need it, thereby creating your own payday.
And, best of all, there are no fees with Branch Wallet and you can say “Adios” to ATM fees, and overdraft charges, as well as all of those other hidden bank fees.
2) Bright
Bright is an excellent app that crushes credit card debt, starting with a line of credit with low-interest. And, you can get instant approval with no credit check and then utilize the funds for paying off your high-interest cards.
You can even qualify for as much as $8k and then continue earning more each month while locking in a low APR forever.
With Bright, you can pay off your credit cards three times faster while also getting a safe and simple credit boost, which could be up to 60 points.
3) Brigit
How would you like to join four million+ Brigit members to get up to $250, build your credit, and save smarter? Not only that but it only takes two minutes to qualify with no credit check and no interest.
What do you need? It’s quite simple. You need a checking account that has a positive balance and 60 or more days of activity, as well as at least three recurring direct deposits that originate from the same employer or another source. You also have a choice of delivery options:
- Funds in one to three days- For example, when you request your advance before 10:00 am EST on a business day, you should receive it by 11:59 pm that same day. What about after 10:00 am EST? Well, then you’ll receive it the next business day by 11:59 pm. This includes advance requests on weekends and holidays. Please note that business days are Monday thru Friday, excluding holidays. Also, the delivery time generally depends on the processing time at your bank.
- Instant cash at no extra charge- With this option, you could have your advance in 20 minutes (or less). Just add the debit card linked to your checking account when you request your advance and the funds will post to that card.
4) Cash App
Cash App is an easy way for doing everything from sending to spending, saving, and even investing money. How does it work? Just by downloading the app and signing up for Cash App, you can begin to use Cash App right away. The signup process is fast and easy and only takes minutes.
And, another welcome feature is the fact that, if you need to, you can completely turn off your card, blocking any fraudulent purchases.
It even allows to get your paycheck from your job up to two days earlier.
Many users have also found the Cash App instant transfer of funds feature to be very helpful.
It’s also better than PayPal in many ways in its ease-of-use, making it really simple for buying items from places like yard sales without having to risk carrying cash.
In addition, Cash App believes that an app doesn’t need a bunch of bells and whistles, so just keeping it simple is how they make Cash App easy to use for everyone.
5) Chime
Perhaps you’ve heard of Chime but did you know that it has been downloaded more than ten million times only form the Android store? The app also happens to be so popular that, to date, it’s received 390,000+ 5-star reviews.
Your Chime account will also include a debit card that you can use everywhere Visa is accepted. They also believe that a bank account shouldn’t be something that costs you money, so they never charge you any monthly fees.
And, Chime has 60,000+ ATMs that are also fee-free. They’re located at many popular locations, including 7-Elevens, CVS pharmacies, Walgreens stores, and more.
When you open a Chime account, eligible members can gain access to fee-free overdraft protection of as much as $200 (called SpotMe). In addition, Chime has an Early Payday feature, allowing you to get paid two days early via direct deposit.
6) Dave
You might think that the cute Dave mascot is the best thing about this app, however, its ease-of-use and overall simplicity are definitely running a close second in the popularity arena.
The Dave app can help you to get paid two days early, while it also builds up your credit history. Best of all, you could receive a quick cash advance of up to $500 with no fees.
All of this is undoubtedly why Dave currently has more than ten million members! Dave can help you to cover a bill or two with a quick and easy cash advance that you can pay back on payday with absolutely no credit checks or interest.
And, what about your credit history? Through its partnership with LevelCredit, your rent and other payments can be reported to the three major credit bureaus, and it’s free of charge if you’re a Dave member (with just $1 / month membership fee)
7) Earnin
This popular app can give you an easy method for accessing the money you earn before payday. Yes, getting as much as $750 per paycheck or $100 each day for covering an unexpected expense is as simple as it gets.
In some cases, cash advances can be not only confusing but also misleading even expensive. But, EarnIn lets you tap those funds that you’re already earning and do it for free to boot.
With this app, there’s never any interest, credit checks, or unpleasant surprises. It can be a lifesaver in a time of need plus the amount you can borrow will increase gradually.
8) Empower
Joining Empower means easily getting access to cash advances of as much as $250. And, that’s with no interest plus the opportunity to get some pretty nice cashback rewards.
The Empower membership fee of $8 per month might look a little high but you’ll soon find (as other members have) that it’s definitely worth it.
Why? Well, because Empower cash advances are quite quick and easy. In addition, Empower has a handy live chat feature for contacting support and asking any questions that you have.
And, the Empower debit card is not only available in perfect peach or shiny black but you get unlimited access at 37,000+ nationwide ATMs.
The best thing about that is that you can utilize them as often as you want and never get charged for using your Empower card to withdraw cash.
9) Even
You may not have heard of Even before but it’s an employer-sponsored benefits platform that provides some excellent tools to help hourly workers to improve how they manage their earnings and control their own finances overall.
Employers who use the app love it for the 74 percent boost it gives to job recruitment while it also greatly improves their employee retention and increases the popularity of their brand. And, of course, employees love it, too, for building up their financial resilience and controlling their finances.
Employees can request up to 50% of their paycheck to be received early, before the actual pay day.
In addition, it helps them to avoid those over-priced predatory payday loans, as well as reduce any financial risks like overdrafts and late fees.
In fact, to date, Even’s Instapay feature has saved members $300M+ in fees and interest because it helps them to avoid the many financial pitfalls of loans and overdrafts.
10) Klover
It’s super-easy to access some much-needed cash (up to $200) for when you’re between paydays in just seconds using the Klover app.
On top of that, they actually approve more borrowers than the majority of other lenders today by using a proprietary Klover algorithm.
It’s their primary goal to provide the necessary access to up-to-date financial services to as many consumers as possible via the leveraging of data on-hand. Klover provides cash advances with absolutely no hidden fees, credit checks, or interest.
In addition, members can earn points toward increases in their cash advance amount plus you could even win money by entering Klover’s daily sweepstakes.
Signing up only takes a few seconds for providing your personal data, and linking the Klover app to your bank account for verifying your paycheck.
11) MoneyLion
MoneyLion is a financial technology company, not a bank and they’re calling their funding “RoarMoney℠”, which is powered by MetaBank®, N.A., (Member FDIC).
What’s required for a cash advance of up to $500? Well, it’s pretty simple. All you need is a well-established bank account and direct deposit.
MoneyLion and RoarMoney offer everything from easy ways to borrow, investing, or save while you earn more money all in a single app, giving you a mobile all-in-one banking experience.
You can get a cash advance (with absolutely no interest) of $500 (or up to $1,000 increased instacash).
You can also get paid a couple of days early and even enjoy some great debit card rewards on all of your daily spending.
Best of all, your funds can be in your account in real time (practically). The cash advance amount will be based on recurring direct deposits even if they’re not yet received.
12) Payactiv
Payactiv is similar to Earnin, in as much as you can receive some of what you’ve already earned and not have to wait until payday to pay bills or purchase something that you need right now.
Best of all, it’s without pricey loans, just your own hard-earned money in your very own hands. And, managing it is quite simple using your free Payactiv account. It’s great for employers and employees alike.
Getting started is simple. Just apply for the Payactiv card to get your paycheck two days early and use their easy savings tools, and financial counseling, as well as some pretty amazing prescription discounts.
13) Petal
Petal’s primary goal is bringing opportunity and financial innovation to everybody. To that end, they’re using modern technology for assisting consumers with avoiding debt, building credit, and spending responsibly.
Instead of simply looking at just your credit scores, they utilize millions of added data points for the purpose of helping more people with the task of qualifying for credit, even if they never had any before.
Petal 1 was specially designed for people seeking to improve their credit scores. There’s no annual fee and you’re able to get approved for a $300 to $5,000 credit limit.
Petal 2 is their more advanced card that you can use for enjoying the cash-back card perks but without the fees.
That’s right, no annual fees, foreign transaction fees, late payment fees, or any other fees. And, you could also be approved for a $300 to $10,000 limit.
14) Spentra
Spentra is brought to you by Spentra, LLC, and is the complete payment access solution that was designed for improving your financial stability.
With the Spentra app, you can get early access to your wages earned at anytime and from anywhere via Money Earned®, their patented proprietary product designed for allowing instant access to as much as 50 percent of your net wages earned. It’s definitely a payroll card program that’s been well-thought-out.
And, the Spentra app delivers a user-friendly interface that’s not only clean but extremely intuitive.
In addition, their Money Earned feature can be a real lifesaver in the event that an emergency arises. Spentra is truly a better option for getting and managing your pay.
15) Varo Bank
How would you like to join the country’s first all-digital bank that’s rated by Nerdwallet with 4.5 out of 5 stars?
With Varo, you can forget all about minimum balances and monthly fees while getting paid two days early. And, sending and/or receiving money free and fast with Zelle® is exceptionally easy, too.
Varo Bank also offers easy options to build your credit and your savings. Many Varo Bank customers have called it a Godsend for helping them with their fiscal fitness.
Its many features also include the user-friendly app, the biometric touch card, cash advances, and more innovative features to boot.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know more about the 15 apps like Grid Money for cash advances and other financial services, if you find yourself in need of an app to get you the money you need in a hurry, you’ll be ready. Just choose the one that works best for you because everyone’s financial needs are unique.
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