How to Get Your Paycheck Early: Advance Apps & Early Deposit Options Detailed

If you need early access to your paycheck, apps that provide early paycheck deposits or cash advances are a solution to consider.

Below, we’ve compiled the list of companies that offer one or both of these services.

We also list the necessary qualifications, limits, repayment information, and fees for each one so you can decide which option is best for you.

What We Recommend

Chime ranks highest on our list because it provides different options for debit and credit card holders, offering more ways to obtain funds when you need them.

You can also use either of these options without any fees as long as you use an in-network ATM for cash withdrawals.

Some early paycheck and cash advance companies, such as Branch, require you to have an employer that offers their services. However, Chime is available to any U.S. resident who’s at least 18 years old.

Comparison Table

Use the following table for a quick comparison of your paycheck advance options.

Note that you can select any company name to be taken to more detailed information about it in the list below.

You can also sort the table using the arrows at the top of each column.

The List

Below, we list the companies that offer early paycheck deposits and/or cash advances, beginning with the overall best options.

We gathered this information by viewing policy documentation on each company’s official website and directly contacting their customer service departments.

Chime

• Offers early paycheck deposit? Yes, up to two days early with direct deposit into a Chime account^[1]
• Offers cash advances?
  • Not with a Chime debit card; you can, however, overdraw your account with theSpotMe feature.^[2]
  • Yes, with a Credit Builder Card, by ATM cash withdrawal^[3][4]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? No^[4]
• Advance amount:
  • The SpotMe feature allows you to overdraw $20 starting out; limit eligibility can increase to $200 over time.^[2]
  • Up to $500 per day or the amount you have available to spend, whichever is less, with the Credit Builder Card^[5]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must have a Chime card^[2][5]
  • Must be at least 18 years old^[6]
  • Must be a U.S. resident^[6]
  • To qualify for a Credit Builder Card, you must have a Chime checking account that receives qualifying direct deposits of at least $200.^[7]
• Repayment: 
  • For overdraft with your debit card, Chime automatically deducts the negative balance when funds become available.^[8]
  • For Credit Builder Card repayment, if you have Safer Credit Building turned on then monthly payments will be automatic. If not, you’ll have to pay manually each month before or on the due date.^[9] Late payments can negatively affect your credit score.^[9]
• Fees:
  • No fees for using SpotMe with your Chime debit card^[2]
  • $2.50 fee every time you use an out-of-network ATM, plus any additional fees charged by the ATM; in-network-ATMs are free to use for Chime card holders.^[10] There is no interest or other fees with ATM cash advance withdrawals.^[4][3]
• Get the app

Branch

• Offers early paycheck deposit? Yes, up to 2 days early^[11]
• Offers cash advances? Yes, referred to as “Instant Pay”^[12]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? Yes; however, you can link your bank account externally by adding a Branch-provided account and routing number through your bank’s web portal.^[13]
• Advance amount: Up to 50% of your paycheck amount;^[14] exact amount is calculated based on your place of employment by considering information such as your salary, work schedule, and work attendance.^[15]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Place of employment must have an official association with Branch^[15][16]
  • Must verify your email address^[15]
  • Must have direct deposit set up in your bank account^[15]
  • Must have at least two paychecks deposited from your employer associated with Branch^[15]
• Repayment: The amount advanced to you will be deducted from your next paycheck.^[15]
• Fees: None^[17]
• Get the app

Payactiv

• Offers early paycheck deposit? Yes, up to two days early when you set up direct deposit to a Payactiv Visa Card^[18]
• Offers cash advances? Yes, through earned wage access (EWA)^[19]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? Yes, if your bank is on the list of Plaid-accepted financial institutions; if not, you can manually add your bank account.^[20]
• Advance amount: Up to 50% of earned wages^[19]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must be 16 or older
  • Must have a valid U.S. social security number
  • Your employer must offer this service^[21]
• Repayment: No repayment is necessary; the cash advance is only for wages you’ve already earned.^[22]
• Fees:
  • No fee if you use direct deposit to a Payactiv Visa Card
  • If not, the EWA program will cost $1 for a day of use good until midnight Pacific Time. This fee will not exceed $3 per week or $5 per bi-weekly pay cycle.
  • The fee for next-day transfers to a Payactiv Visa Card that isn’t enrolled in direct deposit is $0.99. There’s also a $1.99 processing fee for each transaction when using Walmart cash pickup and for immediate transfer to Visa, Master Card, or Discover debit cards.^[22][19]
• Get the app

Earnin

• Offers early paycheck deposit? Yes, up to two days early^[23]
• Offers cash advances? Yes, with the Cash Out program^[24]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? No^[25]
• Advance amount: $100 to $500 per pay period, depending on your account’s age and qualifications^[26]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must have a regular pay schedule
  • Must have a source of income that is not unemployment, disability, or SSI
  • Must have a fixed work location, an electronic timekeeping system, or a paper/PDF timesheet
  • Must have a checking account; Earnin doesn’t work with savings accounts or prepaid cards.^[27]
• Repayment: Money order or automatic debit based on your pay schedule^[28]
• Fees: No interest or membership fees;^[29] up to about $4 for “Lightning Speed” transfers^[30]
• Get the app

MoneyLion

• Offers early paycheck deposit? Yes, up to 2 days early with a RoarMoney account^[31]
• Offers cash advances? Yes, known as Instacash^[32]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? Yes^[33]
• Advance amount: $25 to $300, depending on your qualifications and account details^[32]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must have an active checking account that’s been open for at least two months and regularly receives deposits
  • Must have a consistently-maintained positive balance in your checking account
  • If you’re a Credit Builder Plus member, you shouldn’t have any missed membership or loan payments.
  • MoneyLion must be able to verify your identity.^[32]
• Repayment: The full amount you borrowed will automatically deduct from your account on the due date.^[32]
• Fees: No monthly fee or interest for advances. There’s a $1 monthly administrative fee for a RoarMoney account^[34] and fees up to about $8 (based on the transaction amount) for instant delivery of your advance.^[32]
• Get the app

Albert

• Offers early paycheck deposit? Yes, up to two days early with an Albert Cash account^[35]
• Offers cash advances? Yes^[36]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? Yes, if your bank is on the list of Plaid-accepted financial institutions; if not, you can manually add your bank account. However, you won’t be able to link to any Albert features without using Plaid.^[37]
• Advance amount: Up to $250 per advance; exact amount varies based on your income and eligibility^[36]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must receive your paychecks by direct deposit to a bank account that’s been open for at least two months and doesn’t have a negative balance
  • Must have received consistent income in the past two months from the same employer
  • Must have received your most recent paycheck on time and had funds still available 24 hours after receiving it^[36]
• Repayment: An auto-repayment will deduct from your linked bank account on your next paycheck date; you can also repay all or some of your advance early.^[38]
• Fees: No interest or late fees, but there is a rush fee of around $5 if you want to receive your advance instantly rather than within two to three business days.^[39][40]
• Get the app

Current

• Offers early paycheck deposit? Yes, up to two days early with a Current account^[41]
• Offers cash advances? No; however, Current offers a fee-free overdraft program called Overdrive.^[42]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? No^[43]
• Advance amount: Overdrive allows for overdrafts from $25 to $200.^[44]
• Advance qualifications: 
  • Must have a Current account that’s active and in good standing
  • Must be at least 18 years old
  • Your account must receive at least $500 in qualifying deposits for each 30-day term.^[45]
• Repayment: Overdraft charges are repaid as soon as adequate funds are added to your account.^[46]
• Fees: None^[47]
• Get the app

Dave

• Offers early paycheck deposit? Yes, up to two days early with a Dave Spending account^[48]
• Offers cash advances? Yes^[49]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? Yes^[50]
• Advance amount: Varies daily depending on your income history, spending patterns, recurring deposits, and outstanding balances^[51]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must verify your identity^[52]
  • Must have a minimum account history of at least 60 days^[51]
• Repayment: Automatically paid back on a set date; if funds are insufficient, partial payback will be taken until the outstanding balance is fulfilled. You can also manually pay back the advance early.^[53]
• Fees: There are no late charges or penalties,^[54] but there is a $1 per month membership fee.^[55] There are also fees involved when using any ATM outside of the MoneyPass network.^[52]
• Get the app

Empower

• Offers early paycheck deposit? Yes, up to two business days early if your employer schedules the deposit ahead of time; government payments, such as unemployment and tax refunds, are not eligible.^[56][57]
• Offers cash advances? Yes^[56]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? Yes^[58]
• Advance amount: You begin with a limit between $25 and $200, and can work your way up to $1,000.^[56]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must link the account where you receive payroll deposits to your Empower app
  • Empower will look at your account activity to determine eligibility; factors include paycheck deposit amounts and frequency, as well as spending habits, among other considerations.^[59]
• Repayment: Taken automatically from your next forecasted paycheck; if the forecast date Empower shows is incorrect or you need to change the date, you can request help by email.^[60]
• Fees: Free for the first 14 days, then $8 monthly fees; 1% of total purchase amount foreign exchange fee on international transactions;^[61] 0% APR when paid on your next paycheck date, 35.99% APR if paid after^[62]
• Offers cash advances? Yes, called Kora Cash^[63]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? No, though it’s preferred; to enroll in the KoraInsights feature, you’ll be directed to Plaid’s website and required to accept Plaid’s terms and End User Privacy Policy.^[64][65]
• Advance amount: Up to $2,000^[63]
• Advance qualifications: 
  • Must be 18 years old or older
  • Must be enrolled in a U.S. college or university or you must have recently graduated
  • Must be a U.S. citizen, a green card holder, or an A5, C8, F1/OPT, G, H1B, J1, L1, O1 Visa holder
  • Must provide U.S. driver’s license or an image of your Green Card, I-20, or other legal documents
  • Must verify your bank with third-party vendor or produce an electronic bank statement from your financial institution
  • Available only in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin^[66]
• Repayment: When choosing an advance amount, adjust sliders to the length of time in which you would like to pay it back; you’ll have to choose monthly or bi-monthly payments.^[67] You can also make manual payments at any time or repay the advance early.^[68]
• Fees: Interest rates vary based on the amount advanced, the length of time established for repayment, and your state.^[63]
• Get the app

Even

• Offers early paycheck deposit? No^[69]
• Offers cash advances? Yes, referred to as Instapay^[70]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? No; however, using the budgeting feature in the app’s “Spend” tab usually requires you to connect your bank account through Plaid.^[69]
• Advance amount: Up to 50% of your current pay period earnings^[70]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must be an Even Plus member^[70]
  • Must have an employer who offers Even^[69]
  • Other qualifications are determined by your employer^[69]
• Repayment: Usually, your employer deducts the repayment from your next paycheck. If you don’t live in a state where that’s possible, repayment will be taken from your bank account on your next payday.^[70]
• Fees: Monthly Even Plus membership fees are paid by your employer; if expedited Instapay is available to you, there’s an additional fee for use; this can vary, but is around $1.50.^[69]
• Get the app

DailyPay

• Offers early paycheck deposit? No^[71]
• Offers cash advances? Yes, wages you’ve earned can be transferred to your bank account early. You will receive the remainder on your regular payday.^[72][73]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? No^[74][71]
• Advance amount: Up to the amount of income you’ve earned working for a DailyPay Partner company and have not yet received^[72]
• Advance qualifications: 
  • Must be employed by a DailyPay Partner company
  • Must have a bank account
  • Must have direct deposit set up for paychecks
  • Must have a prepaid debit card or payroll card^[75]
• Repayment: Since you’re receiving your own income early from your employer, there’s no repayment made to DailyPay.^[72]
• Fees: $1.99 for every next-day transfer; $2.99 for every instant transfer^[71]
• Get the app

Gerald Wallet

• Offers early paycheck deposit? No^[76]
• Offers cash advances? Yes^[77]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? Yes^[76]
• Advance amount: Up to half of your next regular paycheck as long as you’ve earned that amount^[78]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must create a Gerald account in the app
  • May be required to verify identity
  • Must provide your external bank account to be linked to Gerald^[78]
• Repayment: The amount advanced is taken out of your next paycheck.^[79]
• Fees: $9.99 monthly fee (waived when you pay three or more household bills from your account)^[78][79]
• Get the app

Vola

• Offers early paycheck deposit? No^[80]
• Offers cash advances? Yes^[81]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? Yes^[82]
• Advance amount: Up to $300^[81] based on your predicted income^[80]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must be 18 or older and able to create a binding contract with Vola^[80]
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or legal U.S. resident^[80]
  • Must have a bank account or credit union share draft account with a U.S. financial institution^[80]
  • May be required to present a copy of a government-issued photo ID^[80]
  • Must link a bank account that’s at least three months old^[81]
  • Linked bank account must have activity on most weekdays and receive income/deposits^[81]
  • Average balance of the linked bank account must be more than $150^[81]
• Repayment: You can set up an electronic payment to automatically pay off the advance on the due date or you can use a different payment method to settle the balance on or before the due date.^[80]
• Fees: Tiered monthly fee from $2.99 to $28.99^[80]
• Get the app

Klover

• Offers early paycheck deposit? No^[83]
• Offers cash advances? Yes^[84]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? Yes^[85]
• Advance amount: Between $10 and $100, depending on eligibility^[83]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must connect your bank account
  • Must have at least three consistent direct deposits with no gaps over the past 60 days; these direct deposits must be made by the same employer. (Pay deposited from a loan or paycheck advance company does not qualify, nor do ATM deposits, cash deposits, transfers, Venmo, CashApp, or anything similar to these.)
  • Must be paid weekly or biweekly, 7 or 14 days apart; no other pay schedules qualify, including semi-monthly.
  • Checking account must have been open for at least 90 days and must be in good standing
  • Must have valid email and phone number that can be verified^[86][87]
• Repayment: Based on the date of your next payday; repayment can’t be made before one to three business days after your next payday.^[88][83]
• Fees: $2.49 monthly membership fee^[89]
• Get the app

Brigit

• Offers early paycheck deposit? No^[90]
• Offers cash advances? Yes, with Brigit’s Plus plan^[91]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? Yes^[90]
• Advance amount: Up to $250, based on your recurring deposits and previous charges^[90][92]
• Advance qualifications:
  • Must have a checking account with sufficient activity for at least 60 days
  • Must have a balance exceeding $0
  • On days you have received your paycheck, you must have a minimum balance at the end of the day and on the day after.
  • Bank account records must show at least three recurrent deposits from the same employer or deposit source. (ATM deposits, paper checks, transfers of funds, or irregular paycheck deposits don’t qualify.)^[93]
• Repayment: Funds are taken out automatically on your next payday.^[90]
• Fees: $9.99 monthly membership fee;^[91] Brigit offers a credit extension free of charge in the app if you can’t repay an advance on time.^[94]
• Get the app

FlexWage

• Offers early paycheck deposit? No^[95]
• Offers cash advances? Yes, called OnDemand Pay, as long your employer offers this benefit^[96]
• Requires Plaid to link accounts? No^[97]
• Advance amount: The amount of already earned wages;^[96] your employer may have specific company guidelines regarding the amount.^[95]
• Advance qualifications: Varies; check with your employer for more information.^[95]
• Repayment: The amount of the advance will be deducted from your next paycheck.^[98]
• Fees: Varies; check with your employer for more information.^[95]
• Get the app

For more early deposit options, see our list of banks and credit unions with early direct deposit.