Need Money Now? 19 Ways to Find Fast Cash

You need cash now, but payday is days or weeks away. What do you do?

Panic and stress are natural reactions. Once those subside, you’ll find there are ways to get your hands on quick cash, without falling prey to scams.

How to get cash fast

1. Sell spare electronics

You can sell your used phone or tablet on sites such as Swappa and Gazelle, but to get money now, using an ecoATM kiosk is your best bet since it takes around five minutes. Consider selling old MP3 players, cell phones or tablets.

2. Sell your gift cards

Exchange websites offer cash for gift cards. The site CardCash pays up to 92% of a card’s value. GiftCash is another option. Most sites like these take a few days to issue payment, especially if the card needs to be mailed in. CardCash’s website says some cards can be transferred online though, which can lead to faster cash.

3. Pawn something

As a way to borrow money, pawnshop loans are not great. But they’re quick, and if you can’t repay the loan, the pawnshop simply keeps the item you used as collateral. That’s a lot better than ruined credit and calls from debt collectors. You can often sell outright instead of borrowing against an item. Jewelry, musical instruments, firearms and up-to-date electronics are among the items that fare best.

4. Work today for fast cash today

Searching for this phrase online turns up lots of results.

You can try the Craigslist jobs or gigs sections, which often have postings for short-term work in food service, housekeeping and general labor.

We've also researched 25 legitimate side jobs that can provide a quick income boost, as varied as driving passengers or packages and freelancing from home.

» MORE: 25 ways to make money

5. Seek community loans and assistance

Local community organizations may offer loans or short-term assistance to help with rent, utilities or other emergency needs. Religious groups may make small loans at low rates. Community centers and nonprofit associations in your area may also offer small loans.

6. Ask for forbearance on bills

Some creditors, such as utilities and cable television companies, may not charge interest on late payments, so find out whether they’ll accept delayed payments. Use whatever money you save from not paying those bills to cover emergency needs. If you can't pay consumer debts, such as auto loans or mortgages, explore your options with the lender first before turning to high-rate loans.

7. Request a payroll advance

Ask your employer for a cash advance on your pay, which usually doesn’t cost you any fees and which you repay via payroll deduction. Some companies also offer low-cost loans to workers in crises. You also might consider EarnIn, a cash advance app that offers workers advances that they repay in a lump sum on payday at no interest. It does ask for a voluntary tip, though, and requires access to your bank account.

» COMPARE: Cash advance apps that loan you money

8. Dip into your retirement account

If you need to, you may be able to withdraw money from your individual retirement account or 401(k) early, but there are conditions and fees.

If your employer allows 401(k) loans — not all do — you typically can borrow as much as half your account balance, up to $50,000, and you have five years to repay it. However, if you don’t make timely payments, the loan may be considered taxable income^[0]

If you quit or lose your job, you may be required to repay the 401(k) loan shortly thereafter.

If your situation qualifies as a financial emergency, you may be able to take a 401(k) distribution of up to $1,000 per year penalty-free^[0]

Remember though, when you dip into your retirement savings, that means there will be less money in the account when you're no longer working and may need the money more.

» MORE: Rules on cashing out your 401(k)

9. Borrow against life insurance

If you have life insurance that has cash value, sometimes called permanent life insurance, you can borrow against your life insurance policy and have the rest of your life to repay it. If you don’t repay, the insurance company subtracts the money from the policy payout when you die. But you can’t borrow against a term life insurance policy, which is the more common type.

10. Use a credit card cash advance

If you have a credit card and the account is in good standing, a cash advance is a much less expensive option than a high-interest payday loan. You’ll pay a fee, typically around 5% of the amount you borrow, plus interest, which can be around 30%.

11. Look for a payday alternative loan

Some credit unions offer small, short-term cash advances known as payday alternative loans. Federally chartered credit unions legally can’t charge more than a 28% annual percentage rate on PALs. That's not cheap, but traditional payday loan have triple-digit APRs.

» MORE: NerdWallet's database of payday loan alternatives in each state.

12. Get a personal loan

Some lenders can fund a personal loan in a day; if you have good credit, you’ll probably have many choices. If your credit is a challenge, you’ll need to find a lender that not only delivers fast cash but also accepts bad credit. Personal loan rates for borrowers with bad credit from mainstream lenders can reach around 36% APR. You may find other lenders offering fast funding without a credit check, but you may pay triple-digit interest rates. Don’t fall for it.

» MORE: NerdWallet's picks for best lenders for fast cash

Getting a loan from family or friends is another way to get money quickly without good credit. Money transfers with peer-to-peer payment apps such as Venmo or Zelle can typically be made within a day or a couple of days. Borrowing from loved ones often means you can avoid high (or any) interest charges, but it’s wise to hash out the details first to avoid damaging relationships.

13. Rent out a room

Sites such as Airbnb aren’t just for people who have vacation homes to rent out. Many of Airbnb's listings are for extra rooms — or even shared rooms — in the owner’s house, meaning you could stay put while bringing in some quick cash, particularly if you live in a reasonably desirable area. Check local ordinances to make sure short-term rentals are allowed.

Creating a listing on the site is free, but there's a service fee when a reservation is made, in most cases. The company releases payment to the host roughly 24 hours after the guests check in.

14. Moonlight as a dog sitter

Technology is on your side here, too, with sites including Care.com, Rover and Wag, that match pet owners with dog sitters and walkers. At Rover, you can choose to host the dog, stay at the owner’s house (and — here’s an idea — rent out your place through Airbnb while you’re gone) or do drop-in care visits. Rates for pet sitting at an owner’s home can range from $20 to $100 a night, depending on the size of your city and the services involved. (This can be a good side hustle for college students.)

15. Become a rideshare or delivery driver

These are jobs you can do in the evenings or on weekends, using your own car and gas, that can help you get money now. Become an Uber driver or Lyft driver to get matched with people willing to pay for a ride. Delivery services such as Gopuff, DoorDash and Postmates will pay you to deliver takeout and other items. A Postmates delivery driver earns just under $18 an hour on average, according to ZipRecruiter. You can also deliver groceries as an Instacart full-service shopper.

» MORE: How much does DoorDash pay?

16. Cut your insurance premiums

Shopping around can help you save on homeowners insurance. You could potentially save 10% or more with a new carrier, and you can find discounts for things such as having a home security system, staying claim-free, or setting up automatic payments. Many insurers offer discounts for buying both car and homeowners or renters policies with them.

Comparing car insurance carriers can pay, too. Premiums for the same driver for the same coverage can vary by hundreds of dollars from company to company. Each insurer does its own math; that’s why it pays to shop around.

If you like your carrier, review the dozens of car insurance discounts it may have available. You could potentially get 15% off for things such as making good grades, or over 20% off for going at least five years without an accident.

» COMPARE: Shop car insurance rates

17. Consolidate your debt

If you’re struggling to keep up with multiple debt payments, you may be able to consolidate those balances — from credit cards, medical bills, store financing or other charges — and lower your payments with a debt consolidation loan. Some lenders can fund the loan within a day. Refinancing $5,000 worth of debt from a 10% interest rate to 5% could save you more than $500 in interest if you need to carry the balance for at least four years.

» COMPARE: The best debt consolidation loans

If you have good credit, you can shop for a balance transfer credit card and move your high-interest credit card debt onto a new card with a 0% introductory interest rate. Make sure you can pay off the balance before the rate balloons at the end of the introductory period.

18. Refinance your student loans

Private student loan refinancing options are available for people with a range of credit scores. It’s worth checking whether a refinance could save you money.

19. Change your cell phone plan

Switching cell phone providers is a good way to cut down on the cash leaving your pocket. Budget carriers such as Visible and Mint Mobile offer plans with talk, text and data for as little as $25 and $15 a month, respectively. The hitch with these services is you often have to buy a phone outright or bring your own. Check out the best cheap cell phone plans for more money-saving options.

Avoid risky loans to get cash fast

Don’t be fooled by the fast-cash options below. They all come with a catch that ends up costing you. Read on to know what you’re getting into if you have to go this route.

Payday loans: Payday loans are short-term loans that are made to people who have a source of income and a bank account and that are repaid in a lump sum. Interest is usually expressed as a “fee” — $10 to $30 per $100 borrowed is typical. But a typical $15 fee on a two-week loan amounts to nearly 400% interest on an annual basis.

Payday installment loans: Available at stores and online, these payday installment loans stretch repayment terms. You don’t need good credit; the products often are advertised as no-credit-check installment loans. But you typically must meet the requirements of a payday loan: a paycheck and a bank account. Interest charges hit hard over the long term: A $2,000, three-year loan at 400% APR will end up costing over $22,000 in interest.

Auto title loans: These short-term loans — in places where they’re legal — require you to hand over the title to your vehicle as collateral for the debt. If you don’t repay, the lender can seize your car.

Credit-building payday loans: Most payday lenders don’t report on-time payments to the big credit bureaus, so there's little positive impact on your credit score, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Some lenders, such as Rise and Fig, offer installment loans at a lower cost than other payday loans and with credit reporting, but their rates are still higher than mainstream lenders.

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