Best Cash Advance Apps That Don’t Require Direct Deposit in 2025

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Cash advance apps are great if you need quick cash or a small personal loan. However, some of these apps require you to use direct deposit for repayment. 

This can be a problem if you don’t receive direct deposit payments, especially if you are a freelancer, gig worker or don’t have a traditional bank account. For those people, finding a cash advance app without the direct deposit requirement is a must. 

To help, GOBankingRates compared the best cash advance apps that don’t require direct deposit, looking at factors such as cost, speed, advance amounts and limitations.

Cash Advance Apps With No Direct Deposit Required

If you are strapped between pay periods and your checking account is barreling toward empty, getting some extra cash without jumping through hoops is a good option for short-term solutions. Though the amount of money you may need or can get will vary, apps are available that can help you through a lean stretch. Here are four cash advance apps that don’t require you to set up direct deposit.

1. Dave

• Advance amount: $25 to $500
• Cost: 5% of advance with a $5 minimum and up to $5 monthly membership fee
• Bank account required: Yes
• Delivery speed: Instant to a Dave Checking account, within one hour to an external debit card, or within three business days to an external bank account.
• Best for: Those who want a higher advance with a no-fee option within the same day
• Limitations: Few users qualify for $500 cash advances

When you use Dave for cash advances, you don’t need to have direct deposit. You do, however, need to open an ExtraCash account and a Dave Checking account to qualify. Dave can offer a boost of up to $500. However, don’t expect to qualify for that much; Dave reports that few users do. Thankfully, you don’t have to fill out a long application or wait too long to get the cash you need.

Once you receive a cash advance, you can transfer it instantly to your Dave Checking account with no fee or to an external debit card for 1.5% of the transfer amount. You can also transfer the money to an external bank account for free, which takes one to three days. Once you take an advance, you’ll pay it back on your settlement date, which is around your next payday or the nearest Friday to ensure you’ll have the funds available.

2. Cleo

• Advance range: $20-$250
• Cost: $5.99 or $14.99 subscription fee is the simplest way to get a cash advance
• Bank account required: Yes
• Delivery speed: Up to four business days or within 24 hours with an express fee
• Best for: Those who want help with budgeting, accessing credit scores and avoiding overdraft fees.
• Limitations: No instant funding; fastest funding occurs within 24 hours.

With a monthly subscription that offers personalized savings goals, roundups and access to credit scoring, users can also get up to $250 in cash advance funds without interest charges, credit checks or direct deposits by subscribing to Cleo Plus for $5.99 per month. For credit-building, a Cleo Builder subscription is $14.99 per month. For those who don’t want to subscribe, it’s possible to get a cash advance by contacting Cleo customer service.

Don’t expect to qualify for $250 initially. Cleo advises that first-timers only qualify for $20 to $100, so it might be best to use the app a few times before you need a larger amount.

Additionally, don’t get in a hurry to receive your funds. Once you request the cash advance and choose your payback date — any time between three and 14 days — you’ll have to wait several days for the funds to be available. If you need the funds within 24 hours, you can pay a $3.99 to $9.99 express fee.

3. Vola

• Advance range: Up to $500
• Cost: $0 for Basic membership
• Bank account required: Yes
• Delivery speed: Five business hours to transfer to your bank and instantly to a Vola card
• Best for: Those who want up to $500, same-day, with no transfer fees.
• Limitations: Only two advances are permitted per 30-day period.

With its free Basic membership, Vola offers users cash advances up to $500, with no interest or hidden fees. However, you’ll have to wait up to five hours or even longer for your cash unless you have a Vola card, which will allow you to receive the cash advance instantly. 

To use Vola, you don’t need direct deposit, but you do have to connect a bank account that’s more than three months old, an average balance of over $150 and frequent activity. The bank account also has to show evidence of income deposits.

4. Empower

• Advance range: $10 to $400
• Cost: $8 subscription fee
• Bank account required: Yes
• Delivery speed: Two to five days or instant with fee
• Best for: Those who want to try out a cash advance app before committing to a subscription
• Limitations: First-time users are limited to a maximum cash advance of $300.

Though you do have to pay a fee, Empower is a good option to get up to $400 quickly without having to worry about direct deposit, interest, late fees or credit checks.

For instant transfers, Empower charges $1 to $8 for amounts up to $299, and 3% of the transaction fee for amounts $300 and up.

Empower is a financial technology company, not a bank. It can offer you banking services without some of the traditional requirements. You can also get a 14-day free trial to see if you like the platform before committing to pay for it monthly. 

Empower can get you a cash advance ranging from $10 to $400, but you must meet the eligibility requirements. On average, first-time users get an offer amount of $96, while all others get an average offer of $167. There is an option for instant delivery, but fees may apply. If the advance causes an overdraft fee, Empower will refund you.

As far as cash advance apps go, Empower is great for freelancers, gig workers or someone with inconsistent pay as it doesn’t require direct deposit. It also won’t hurt your credit score as Empower doesn’t do a hard credit check and can fund your advance within one day. The app also offers budgeting and credit-building features to help you with your general financial health. 

How To Get a Cash Advance Without Direct Deposit

In the past, if you needed money before payday, you might have resorted to a payday loan with sky-high interest rates or other alternatives, to cash advance apps. Today, however, thanks to fintech, there are better choices.

One way fintech companies have made things easier and faster when it comes to managing finances is the creation of cash advance apps — specifically those that don’t require you to have direct deposit as a form of payback. This means even if your paycheck doesn’t arrive directly in your bank account each month, you can still use it.

Cash advance apps, like Dave or Vola, offer ways to get money before your next paycheck without the need for high fees or a direct deposit. Some even provide tools to help you manage your money better. With the help of fintech companies, getting a cash advance has become simpler and more user-friendly. It’s an updated solution for an age-old problem.

Final Take

When you’re looking for a cash advance app that doesn’t require direct deposit, Dave, Cleo and Vola are all solid choices, but can differ when it comes to cash advance amounts, eligibility requirements and whether or not you have to pay a subscription fee. Before you commit, go over the details and pick the one that’s the best fit for your financial needs. 

Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting of this article.

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