Cash Advance
- No late fees
- No credit check
- Offers a free trial
- Doesn’t charge interest
- Bank account overdraft risk
- Monthly subscription fee
- Not available in Connecticut
- Free cash advances are slow
| Funding | $10 – $300 |
| Speed of advance | 15 minutes – 5 days |
| Fees | $8 for subscription; $1 – $8 for instant transfer |
If you need to borrow money quickly, the Empower mobile app can indeed empower you to stay afloat until your next payday. The app offers interest-free, short-term cash advances with no credit check. You may qualify as long as you can show a good history of managing your bank account.
That doesn’t mean it’s free, though, or that there aren’t other things to consider to ensure you’re not slapped with fees in other areas. In our Empower review, we’ll equip you with the information needed to decide whether this app is right for you.
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How the Empower cash advance app works
| Term | Details |
| Advance amounts | $10 – $300 |
| Interest rate | None |
| Fees | $8 subscription fee$1 – $8 instant delivery fee |
| Repayment time | At next payday |
| Funding time with a fee | 15 minutes |
| Funding time without a fee | 2 – 5 days |
Empower offers short-term loans you agree to repay automatically on your next paycheck date. You’ll need to link your bank account to the app so that Empower can review your history, looking for details about how much you get paid, how often, and how much you spend.
From there, it’ll create a cash advance offer, letting you know how much advance you qualify for and your options for receiving it. If you agree, you’ll be issued the funds, and then you’ll repay them automatically the next time you get paid.
Who’s eligible for an Empower cash advance?
Empower doesn’t have too many requirements for getting a cash advance. Here are the bare minimum criteria you’ll need to meet to apply:
- 18 or older
- Mobile phone
- U.S.-based bank account
As you can see, even non-U.S. citizens are eligible if you have a bank account and cell phone within the U.S.
Another key benefit of Empower is that it doesn’t do a credit check. Instead, it uses your income and spending history to judge whether you qualify for a cash advance, and if so, how much.
It’s not quite a credit score per se, but it also doesn’t offer free-for-all $300 cash advances like it first seems. You will still need to meet some criteria to qualify for a higher cash advance amount.
How does Empower compare to other cash advance apps?
| App | Max. funding | Ratings* |
| Empower | $300 | 4.8/5 |
| Brigit | $250 | 4.8/5 |
| Earnin | $100 per day$750 per paycheck | 4.7/5 |
| MoneyLion | $500 | 4.7/5 |
| Dave | $500 | 4.8/5 |
Empower falls on the low end of the spectrum when it comes to how much you can borrow. In fact, while some people can borrow $300, most people are only offered $145, according to the company.
Subscription fees are one of the major ways that cash advance apps earn money. Empower falls about in the middle regarding subscription fees ($8)—more than EarnIn, which doesn’t charge a fee at all, but less than the $9 to $15 that Brigit charges.
Pros and cons of Empower’s cash advance app
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No late feesIf you don’t pay back your cash advance as agreed, Empower will simply prevent you from future borrowing opportunities until you repay the debt.
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No credit checkIf you have a bad or non-existent credit score, it won’t hold you back from getting a cash advance. Instead, Empower checks your banking history to see if you can repay it.
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Offers a free trialYour first 14 days are free. Make sure you’ll be paid before then so you can cancel Empower’s service if you won’t be using it, otherwise it’ll become very expensive.
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Doesn’t charge interestYou won’t pay high interest charges with Empower—but you will pay other fees, outlined below.
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Other perks and money toolsEmpower can also track your spending and credit score, and you may qualify for a line of credit to help you build credit.
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No desktop supportYou’ll need a mobile phone that can accept SMS text messages. If you don’t, you’re out of luck.
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Bank account overdraft riskEmpower will pull the money out on your next payday, regardless of your available funds. In one study, overdrafts increased by 56% for people using cash advance apps like Empower.
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$8 monthly subscription feeEmpower may not charge interest, but if you pay an $8 monthly fee and take out one average-sized $145 advance during the month, you’re paying an effective interest rate of 144%.
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Not available in ConnecticutIt’s available in all other U.S. states, though.
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Free cash advances are slowIt’ll take two to five days to see your cash advance show up in your bank account, which defeats the purpose of a quick-turnaround loan. Unless you pay a fee, of course.
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Limited customer support hoursA common customer complaint is that getting help over the phone is difficult, especially since phone lines are only open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST.
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Payments don’t help build creditEmpower doesn’t report your payment history to the credit bureaus, meaning you—quite literally—will not get any credit, no matter how many times you repay it on time.
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Fuzzy banking history requirementsEmpower doesn’t specify exactly what type of banking history you’ll need to qualify other than vague wording like “a consistent source of income.” Other apps are more clear.
How to get an Empower cash advance
It’s fairly easy to apply for an Empower cash advance. Here’s how to do it:
- Download the Empower app: It’s available in the Google Play or Apple iTunes store.
- Link your bank account: Empower uses Plaid to securely connect to your bank account, which it’ll scout through to get an idea of your banking habits.
- View and accept your cash advance offer: If Empower likes what it sees, you’ll see a cash advance offer pop-up within the app. It’ll outline the full terms of the cash advance, including how much you can get, how soon you can get it, and how it’ll be repaid.
- Repay the advance: Empower will set up an automatic withdrawal on your next paycheck date to repay the cash advance in full.
Is Empower reputable?
| Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
| Trustpilot | 1.9/5 | 26 |
| Better Business Bureau | 1.09/5 | 23 |
| 3.6/5 | 56 | |
| Apple app store | 4.8/5 | 187,300 |
| Google Play | 4.7/5 | 171,000 |
Empower has many positive ratings on app stores, and you can download it directly from them. It’s possible this is because most users are eventually prompted to rate the app so it’s getting a more accurate picture compared to other review sites you have to go out of your way to find.
On these review websites, ratings are a lot more mixed. Many users note that getting a hold of customer service over the phone can be frustrating, especially in cases of fraud or snags in the money transfer process. In addition, most complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau note payment problems.
FAQ
Will Empower’s advance cause an overdraft fee?
Empower does not charge overdraft fees for its cash advances. In fact, Empower refunds the following:
- Overdraft fees caused by its cash advance repayment attempts
- The first overdraft fee caused by an Empower subscription fee
- The first overdraft fee caused by an AutoSave debit.
This helps ensure that users don’t incur additional costs from overdrafts associated with Empower transactions
Does Empower give you money instantly?
Yes, Empower offers instant cash advances. If you use the Empower Card, you can get instant funds. For other accounts, you can opt for instant delivery for a small fee, which can allow you to get your money within an hour.
Without the instant delivery option, funds may take a few business days to clear into your external account.
Can you have more than one Empower cash advance at a time?
No, Empower allows only one cash advance at a time. You must repay the current advance before you can request another one. This approach helps manage and track repayments, ensuring that users can build a positive credit history with each successful repayment.
What happens if you don’t pay Empower back?
If you don’t repay Empower, it doesn’t charge late fees or interest on the overdue amount. However, failure to repay can damage your account standing and future eligibility for cash advances. Empower may also report your repayment history to credit bureaus, so missing payments could affect your credit score.
