EarnIn App Review 2024 (2024)

EarnIn is best for people who:

• Need cash to cover an emergency expense between paychecks
• Have a fixed work location or use electronic timesheets
• Have a checking account and get paid via direct deposit

EarnIn‘s cash advance app may not be a good fit for people who:

• Regularly need to borrow cash between paychecks
• Need a long-term solution for managing their finances
• Are already struggling to make ends meet

EarnIn is a financial services company with an earned wage app that lets users access income before payday. Users connect their bank accounts, provide employment information and then submit timesheets to document hours worked. EarnIn also offers Automagic Earnings to users who allow the app to track their time at work via GPS.

There aren’t any monthly subscription fees or mandatory tips, but users can pay a fee for Lightning Speed. This allows app users to receive funds instantly or in minutes, rather than waiting the usual one to three days.

Eligibility

To be eligible to use EarnIn, a consumer must:

• Be employed
• Have a fixed work location, an electronic timekeeping system or PDF-style timesheets
• Have a regular pay schedule (weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly or monthly)
• Have more than 50% of their direct deposit sent to a checking account
• Use a cellular/wireless telephone and/or email address that they own
• Be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in their state of residence

Withdrawals

EarnIn lets users withdraw $100 per day or up to $750 per pay period as an advance on their next paycheck. The pay period max increases as users repay their advances on time and in full. App users can check their current daily and pay period max by tapping on “MAX INFO” in the app. EarnIn also offers a Boost feature that allows users to request a $50 max increase by asking a member of the EarnIn community to vouch for them.

Funds are generally available within one to three days. However, users can pay $3.99 for Lightning Speed, which promises funds instantly or within minutes and $2.99 with direct deposit for basic.

Interest and Fees

The EarnIn app is free to download and use, and EarnIn does not charge any interest on the money that you withdraw. There is, however, an optional feature that lets users leave a tip of between $0 to $13 for more services. Users also can pay up to $3.99 for shorter funding times with Lightning Speed.

These optional tips and fees seem low but can add up. A borrower who requests a $100 cash advance five days before payday, and pays a $1 tip plus a $3.99 Lightning Speed fee. Under this scenario, the advance costs $4.99.

Overdraft Protection

EarnIn is not an overdraft protection service, but it can help users avoid fees imposed by their personal bank by advancing funds against hours already worked. This means EarnIn users can access emergency cash through the app without having to overdraft on their bank account.

There are some situations, though, where an EarnIn repayment withdrawal may result in a bank overdraft fee. If this occurs, users can submit a screenshot of the overdraft fee and EarnIn will cover the amount under certain circ*mstances.

EarnIn is designed to give you access to your earned wages before your employer’s scheduled payday. Follow these steps to set up an EarnIn account:

1. Download the EarnIn app and create an account. The EarnIn app is available for Android and iOS. Once you download the app, create an account. This only takes a few minutes, but it can take two to three days for EarnIn to verify your information.
2. Connect your bank account and enter employment details. Adding employment information helps EarnIn determine when you’re at work and recognize your pay schedule.
3. Add earnings. To add your earnings to the app, send an electronic timesheet, sign up with your employer-provided work email address or use EarnIn’s Automagic Earnings feature. Automagic Earnings uses GPS technology to track your location and verify that you’re working when you say you are.
4. Request a withdrawal. To request a withdrawal, sign in to your account and select the “Cash Out” button. The amount you can cash out or borrow is determined by the hours you’ve worked and your pay frequency. Withdrawals are also limited by your daily max and pay period max.

Funds take between one and three days to receive but can arrive faster with Lightning Speed. Your EarnIn withdrawal will be repaid via automatic deductions from your bank account on your next payday.

EarnIn vs. Dave

Dave is another financial app that offers short-term loans. Unlike EarnIn, Dave charges a monthly subscription fee of $1, and borrowers can get a cash advance up to $250. As with EarnIn, tips are optional but users can choose to pay up to 20% of the advance amount.

Similar to EarnIn, funding speeds are also slow (up to three days), though users can pay $1.99 to $5.99 per transaction to get money within eight hours. Dave also offers Dave Spending accounts with no overdraft or low-balance fees.

EarnIn vs. Brigit

Brigit offers cash advances between $50 and $250 to users who pay a $9.99 monthly fee—around $120 per year. Eligible members can get instant funding speeds, but cash is typically available within one to three days. Brigit also provides free access to financial experts, helps app users find gig work and gives Plus members $1 million in identity theft insurance. Plus members also benefit from automatic advances to prevent account overdraft and get access to Brigit’s credit builder tools.

EarnIn vs. Chime®

Unlike EarnIn, Chime is primarily a mobile banking app with secured credit cards, savings accounts and checking accounts with overdraft protection. Chime isn’t technically a cash advance app, but its SpotMe^®¹ feature monitors accounts to detect overdrafts and then makes a cash deposit between $20 and $200 to cover the deficiency.

We reviewed EarnIn based on eight data points in the categories of loan details, loan costs, perks, customer experience and funding speed. We rated EarnIn based on the weighting assigned to each category:

• Loan cost: 40%
• Loan details: 25%
• Funding speed: 20%
• Customer experience: 10%
• Perks: 5%

Within each major category, we also considered several characteristics, including maximum loan amounts, repayment terms, and applicable fees. We also evaluated EarnIn’s customer support, borrower perks and reviews.

¹SpotMe® on Debit is an optional, no fee overdraft service attached to your Chime Checking Account. To qualify for the SpotMe on Debit service, you must receive $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account each month and have activated your physical Chime Visa® Debit Card or secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card. Qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their Chime Checking Account for up to $20 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals initially but may later be eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on Chime Account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. The SpotMe on Debit limit will be displayed within the Chime mobile app and is subject to change at any time, at Chime’s sole discretion. Although Chime does not charge any overdraft fees for SpotMe on Debit, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions. SpotMe on Debit will not cover any non-debit card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. SpotMe on Debit Terms and Conditions.