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2024 Cash Advance Lender Rankings

Updated December 02, 2022

Cash Advance Lenders

Cash advance lenders offer quick, simple loans that are available to people with all credit types. In some cases up to $25K can be deposited into your account often by the next day. Typically, people borrow much less as these loans are expensive. These loans can help in a bind for short-term, emergency funding.

These loans are based on your pay or benefits checks so you are still eligible for a loan even if you have bad or no credit.

We review bad credit direct lenders based on their reputation, cost, and features. Reputation considers state licensing and Better Business Bureau scores. Cost is based on terms, fees, and rates. Features include things like credit reporting or fee transparency.

Filter rankings by state:
Ace Cash Express
$100 - $2,000
Loan amounts
175% - 1,029%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Ace Cash Express for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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State Licensed Lender
Lender status
Check Into Cash
$100 - $25,000
Loan amounts
195% - 521%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Check Into Cash for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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State Licensed Lender
Lender status
CashNetUSA
$100 - $2,000
Loan amounts
299% - 456%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit CashNetUSA for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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State Licensed Lender
Lender status
$100 - $500
Loan amounts
155% - 164%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit LendUp for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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State Licensed Lender
Lender status
Advance America
$50 - $25,000
Loan amounts
36% - 664%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Advance America for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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State Licensed Lender
Lender status
Check City
$100 - $500
Loan amounts
158% - 639%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Check City for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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State Licensed Lender
Lender status
Cash Central
$100 - $5,000
Loan amounts
180% - 740%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Cash Central for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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State Licensed Lender
Lender status
Quik Check
$100 - $500
Loan amounts
146% - 548%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Quik Check for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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State Licensed Lender
Lender status
Speedy Cash
$100 - $2,000
Loan amounts
178% - 680%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Speedy Cash for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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State Licensed Lender
Lender status
Check 'n Go
$250 - $5,000
Loan amounts
314% - 662%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Check 'n Go for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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State Licensed Lender
Lender status
Cash Advance Now
$300 - $1,500
Loan amounts
725%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Cash Advance Now for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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Tribe Based Lender
Lender status
Big Valley Financial
$300 - $500
Loan amounts
780%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Big Valley Financial for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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Tribe Based Lender
Lender status
Tremont Lending
$100 - $750
Loan amounts
495%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Tremont Lending for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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Tribe Based Lender
Lender status
NationalPayday
$200 - $1,500
Loan amounts
782%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit NationalPayday for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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Unlicensed Lender -- Costa Rica
Lender status
MyPaydayLoan
$100 to $500
Loan amounts
782%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit MyPaydayLoan for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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Unlicensed Lender -- Costa Rica
Lender status
Cash in a Wink
$100, - $1,000
Loan amounts
456% - 2,281%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit Cash in a Wink for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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Unlicensed Lender
Lender status
East Side Lenders
$300 - $1,000
Loan amounts
550% - 780%
APRs
All

Credit type ⓘ

Visit East Side Lenders for product eligibility.

Our eligible credit type estimate is a general guide based on FICO® Scores:

Credit Type FICO® Score
All All Scores
Fair 620+
Good 680+
Great 720+
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Unlicensed Lender
Lender status
  • Rates and fees vary by state. Not all lenders operate in all states. Check each lender's website for up-to-date information.

Who Are Cash Advance Lenders

Emergency direct lenders provide short-terms loans that are not dependent on your credit history. They are based on your paycheck or benefits check and having access to your checking account. The fees can be very high so loans from these lenders are typically best used for emergency expenses to get you out of a bind. The attractiveness of these lenders is that they can make loans to individuals with bad credit often instantly.

Cash advance lenders make actual loans. They differ from other companies that provide matching services. Direct lending companies actually underwrite and lend money. Sites that provide matching services pass your information on to direct lenders who then make loans. One can distinguish direct lenders from matching services by looking at the fine print of most websites. Matching services will say something like, "the operator of this website is NOT A LENDER." Direct lenders will not include this disclaimer.

Direct Lenders Versus Matching Service

The advantage of a matching service is that only one application is required to apply to multiple lenders. This can save time but the downside is you are unable to pick the lenders to whom you are applying. This often means the lenders with whom you are matched include unlicensed lenders as well as licensed lenders. Doshound generally sees nothing wrong with a matching service as it can be more convenient but we do strongly prefer licensed lenders to unlicensed lenders. This means if you use a matching service, once you are offered a loan, make sure to evaluate your lender to decide if they are licensed or not. For more information see Direct Lenders or Matching Services

Licensed Versus Unlicensed Installment Lenders

Cash advance lenders may be regulated by both federal and state laws. State licensed lenders are regulated and monitored by the state. Unlicensed lenders operate in states under the assumption they can export laws from their state into other states. One specific type of a non-state licensed lender is a tribal lenders. Tribal lenders operate in states under the assumption they can export laws from their tribe into other states. Tribes refer to formally recognized American Indian Tribes that are generally treated as separate federal entities and operate under their own laws. Tribal laws are generally less available to the public than state lending laws so it is difficult to know all the lending laws and their enforcement. We generally believe licensed lenders are a safer choice for borrowers. For more information see Payday Loan Laws or Installment Loan Lenders

What Are Installment Loans

These are loans that paid back over multiple periods with a set payment amount. Lenders calculate the payment amount based on the interest rate, payment periods, and loan amount. The borrower then makes this set payment at every period. Each payment consists of interest and principal. Once the borrower has completed all payments the entire loan is paid off.

Installment loans in the broader sense are loans that are paid back in a defined number of installments. For example, a fixed-rate mortgage is an installment loan. Personal loans, auto loans, and student loans are other examples of these loans. In the current marketplace, installment loans have come to mean short term loans available to individuals with bad or no credit, typically unsecured, and linked to your pay date. We categorize installment loans as loans with a term generally less than 2 years. For loans that have a term greater than 2 years see personal loans Personal loans typically have a 2-5 year term, offer larger loan amounts, but are typically require a better credit profile than installment loans. It is generally easy to get one of these loans but the trade-off is that they are typically very expensive. They are best used to meet unavoidable emergency expense.

Secured Or Unsecured

Lenders generally make two types of installment loans: secured and unsecured. Secured loans have collateral so, if the borrower fails to repay, the lender can seize the collateral. Secured loans are generally cheaper than unsecured loans. Mortgages and auto title loans are examples of secured loans. Unsecured loans are loans that have no collateral. Cash advance lenders offer loans that are unsecured and not based on credit history. They make their decisions on loans based on the amount of your paycheck or benefits check and pay date.

Paycheck Installment Loans

The loans listed in this section are paycheck-based loans. Payments for these loans occur on your pay date. Unlike normal unsecured loans, these loans do not consider credit history and instead, are based solely on your employment. To increase the likelihood of being repaid lenders require access to your checking account where you receive your paycheck. On your payday, they deduct your loan payments.

Cash advance lenders have made these loans very attractive. They are quick, simple, do not require good credit, and have lower payments than traditional payday loans. The application process can take less than 5 minutes. Typically, the lender requires that you be 18+ years old, employed, and have direct deposit set up with your employer. If approved, cash can be deposited into your account within one business day.

Even though these loans are easy to get, it's best to approach these loans with caution as the fees make them an expensive option when compared to bank loans, credit cards, or friends and family. Borrowers can often find better rates from other lenders if those options exist. Installment loans are designed for short-term, emergency funding and are best used for this purpose.

To learn more about installment loans visit Installment Loans.

Cash Advance Lenders by State

Cash advance lenders are state regulated. Select your state below to find available lenders in your state.

The original Doshound cash advance lender ranking was published on