EarnIn Pay Advance App: 2024 Review

What’s new with EarnIn?

EarnIn won Inc. Magazine’s Best in Business Awards in the economic and financial category for creating a product that allows consumers to tap into a portion of their paycheck as they earn it. In order to win the award, the company has to be privately held, headquartered in the U.S. and not a subsidiary of any other company. 

EarnIn is best for large pay advances 

EarnIn’s platform allows consumers to access up to $750 of their paycheck before their next payday. That’s three times more than the $250 cap that applies to most payday lenders. For a small fee, you can choose an instant transfer to your linked bank account, or receive funds in one to three business days for no charge. 

The daily withdrawal limit of $100 is also a good tool to avoid the temptation to overspend that might come with receiving the entire amount at once. No credit score is required to qualify, but the lender does set an income minimum per pay period.

Fees and penalties

There are no mandatory fees when using EarnIn. Outlined are the potential costs.

Where EarnIn stands out

• High advance limit: At $750 per pay period, EarnIn offers one of the highest limits of any pay advance app. 
• No fees for standard advances: You don’t have to pay a fee if you can wait one to three days for your advance. Though you can pay an optional tip, which is deducted from your earnings when the advance is repaid.
• Daily limits curb overspending: While most payday loans advance you the entire amount at once, EarnIn caps daily withdrawals at $100. That may keep you focused on budgeting daily expenses more than if you received all of the funds at once like you do with payday loans. 

Where EarnIn falls short

• Must have consistent direct deposited income: EarnIn’s limits are based on regular income tracked through your bank account. You may not be eligible for pay advance services if you don't receive consistent income or make less than $320 every pay period. 
• Some types of income are not eligible: Social security, disability pay, unemployment wages and veteran’s benefits are not acceptable forms of income for the pay advance program, even if you receive a regular monthly check. 
• Not all banks are compatible: You must bank with an approved bank on EarnIn’s platform. All funds must be deposited and paid back directly from your bank account. 

EarnIn customer experience

Customer support

EarnIn offers 24/7 chat support through its app. Though its hours of operation are not posted, EarnIn can also be reached by phone at 888-551-1784, or by email.

Digital experience

EarnIn has a highly rated app with consistent feedback that speaks to the ease of using the app to receive funds. Negative reviews are consistently about connection issues to the users bank, as it appears that periodically the connected banks must be reconnected to EarnIn to use the app. 

What people are saying about EarnIn 

Most of EarnIns 275,000 plus reviews on the App Store are positive, with many reviewers sharing long testimonials about how the program has helped them manage their cash flow in between paychecks. Negative reviews on the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot typically express dissatisfaction with customer service and bank connectivity errors.

Do you qualify for the Earnin Pay Advance App?

According to EarnIn’s website, you’ll need to meet the following requirements to use its pay advance app:

• Have verifiable consistent income of at least $320 per pay period. 
• Connect your EarnIn account to an approved banking institution
• Download the app and fill out all of the applicable information

How Bankrate rates EarnIn

To select the top cash advance apps, the Bankrate team evaluates companies using a 16-point ranking system, known as the Bankrate Score. The Bankrate Score focuses on three key aspects: availability, affordability and customer experience. These are the factors considered as part of each category:

• Availability: Minimum and maximum loan amounts, overdraft protection features, repayment term lengths and funding timelines are taken into account as part of this section.
• Affordability: For this category we looked at subscription pricing and free version availability. We also looked at additional tools and resources offered to users as part of the subscriptions, as well as any fees assessed by the companies.
• Customer experience: Bankrate evaluates factors such as the company’s reputation through regulatory websites, like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), as well as contact support options. Our team also favors apps that are highly rated and that give users the option to extend repayment in case of hardship.