EarnIn App 2025 Review: Paycheck Advance Loans

EarnIn is an app that lets you draw from your earned wages before payday. Instead of charging interest, the app asks users to provide an optional tip for the service.

» MORE: Compare cash advance apps

EarnIn advances, called “Cash Out,” can be relatively large but are only available to employees who receive their paycheck by direct deposit. The cost to get an advance is relatively inexpensive, with low fast-funding fees and an optional tip capped at $13.

EarnIn says it offers "access to earned wages," rather than a paycheck advance or loan. NerdWallet describes EarnIn's product as a paycheck advance because the app is an intermediary that provides cash and takes it back on the following payday.

Table of contents

EarnIn advance amounts, fees and repayment terms

Should you use EarnIn’s Cash Out feature?

How to qualify for an EarnIn advance

How to get an EarnIn cash advance

A closer look at EarnIn's star rating

Compare EarnIn to other cash advance apps

EarnIn advance amounts, fees and repayment terms

• What to know about optional tips

  Regulators like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau don’t classify tips as interest, but some consumer advocates argue they should because asking a user to decide how much to tip doesn’t give them a fair chance to compare the cost with other borrowing options. NerdWallet recommends not volunteering a tip for a cash advance.

Should you use EarnIn’s Cash Out feature?

When used occasionally, EarnIn can be useful if you:

• Have a small emergency expense.

• Can use your next paycheck to cover the money owed to EarnIn on top of other regular expenses.

• Use an electronic timesheet at work, have a work email or a fixed location.

• Are paid by direct deposit.

EarnIn might not be a good solution if you:

• Regularly spend more than you earn.

• Work independently or have multiple employers.

How to qualify for an EarnIn advance

To qualify for an EarnIn advance, consumers must have predictable, provable income from an employer.

EarnIn may require a timesheet, GPS location access or regular emails to confirm employment income. EarnIn also reviews bank account transactions to verify employment, confirm users’ payday and calculate hourly earnings.

To qualify for an advance with EarnIn, you need:

• At least two paychecks deposited into your bank account.

• To be an employee who receives income from an employer’s payroll.

• To be 18 years old.

• To live in the United States.

How to get an EarnIn cash advance: Step-by-step instructions

Here are the steps to get an EarnIn cash advance.

1. Create a profile on the app and give it access to your checking account.

2. EarnIn tracks your hours worked. It does this in varying ways, depending on your job.

3. You can access money only once you've earned it. You may get access to more or less money after that. Advances max out at $100 per day, up to $750 per pay period.

4. When you request money, EarnIn verifies your hours worked. The company says this takes 10 minutes, on average, if you submit through the app.

5. Once you choose an amount, EarnIn asks if you want to pay a fee to receive funds faster. Then, the app requests a tip. Tips can be between $0 and $13, which EarnIn deducts from your paycheck on payday along with the borrowed amount.

6. You will be shown the total amount owed — the advance plus fees — and the repayment date before you agree to take the advance. EarnIn displays your repayment date on the confirmation screen after you agree.

7. If you pay the fast-funding fee, you’ll receive the advance within minutes. If not, you’ll receive it in one to three business days.

8. On the date EarnIn has determined you’ll receive your next direct deposit, the app withdraws the advance, plus any additional fees, from your account.

Frequently asked questions about EarnIn

Can I change my EarnIn payment due date?

Yes. EarnIn says its customer service team can reschedule a debit to your following payday if you contact the company at least one business day before the scheduled withdrawal. You can defer a due date only once every 180 days.

Will EarnIn’s Cash Out cause an overdraft fee?

If you don’t have enough money in your account when EarnIn takes repayment, your bank may charge an overdraft fee.

EarnIn doesn’t take measures to avoid causing an account to go negative when it takes repayment. However, users can opt in to the app’s low-balance alert feature, which tells you when your account drops below a certain amount.

How do I contact EarnIn customer service?

Users can contact EarnIn by email or chat. EarnIn doesn’t have a customer service phone number, but users frequently reach out on X and Facebook.

Is EarnIn legit?

EarnIn is the trade name used by Activehours, Inc. It’s a real company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, that has offered cash advances since 2014. The app has 4.6 stars across more than 200,000 reviews in the Google Play Store, and 4.7 stars across more than 250,000 ratings in the Apple App Store.

Many recent customer complaints about EarnIn on the Better Business Bureau and CFPB websites highlight incorrect payment withdrawal dates that sometimes cause overdraft fees and difficulties reaching customer service representatives.

In November 2024, the office of Washington D.C.'s attorney general announced a lawsuit against ActiveHours for allegedly obscuring the cost of the loan by marketing that the advances have "no mandatory fees" and "no interest." The lawsuit also claims that the cost of EarnIn's advances violate the District's 24% rate cap.

A closer look at EarnIn's star rating

Affordability: 3.0/4 stars

An affordable cash advance has low or no fees, caps tips and protects users from overdraft fees caused by the app’s withdrawals.

Structure: 3.5/4 stars

A well-structured app has a large enough maximum borrowing amount to meet users’ needs, can provide funds quickly without charging a fee and allows users repayment flexibility.

Transparency: 4.0/4 stars

A transparent cash advance app notifies users before withdrawals, discloses fees clearly to borrowers on their website or in the app and shows the total amount the user needs to repay before providing funds.

Underwriting and consumer protections: 3.0/4 stars

This category assesses how well an app helps borrowers avoid borrowing an advance that will overextend their finances. A consumer-first cash advance app reviews more than a couple months of borrowers’ expenses, requires regular bank account deposits and lets borrowers choose how much to borrow.

Customer experience: 3.5/4 stars

A well-rated cash advance app with multiple ways to contact customer service representatives and a thorough FAQ on its website will do well in this category.

Discretionary additions or deductions

Cash advance apps can earn a higher star rating by offering features that help borrowers build savings or credit. Apps’ star ratings are lowered if they are accused of engaging in deceptive or predatory practices by reputable sources.

Compare EarnIn to other cash advance apps

EarnIn is the only cash advance app that requires proof of employment. Most other apps only review users’ bank accounts to ensure they can repay an advance. In that regard, an EarnIn advance may be harder to get.

EarnIn also provides large advances, and fees are low compared to some competitors. If you qualify and ensure your scheduled repayment date lines up with your payday, EarnIn may be an affordable cash advance option.

EarnIn vs. other cash advance apps