Empower App 2024 Review: Cash Advances - NerdWallet (2024)

Empower is a mobile app offering cash advances to eligible users, which may include gig workers or freelancers. The app provides smaller advances than some competitors, but it funds them more quickly.

Fees are high with this app, but the company says they’re optional — including the $8 subscription fee, which users can cancel by emailing customer support.

Empower’s thin borrowing requirements mean the advances may be accessible to more users, but it also means the company may not scrutinize borrowers’ spending behaviors as much as other apps to ensure they can repay.

» MORE: Compare cash advance apps

Table of contents

Empower advance amounts, fees and repayment terms

Should you use the Empower app for cash advances?

When used occasionally, Empower can be useful if you:

Empower might not be a good solution if you:

Is the Empower app legit?

Empower is a real company based in San Francisco. It has offered cash advances since 2020. The app has 4.7 stars across more than 140,000 reviews on Google Play and 4.8 stars across more than 150,000 ratings on the Apple App Store.

Recent customer complaints with the Better Business Bureau focus on unexpected fees and difficulties opting out of the subscription.

How to qualify for an Empower advance

Like most cash advance apps, Empower doesn’t check users’ credit to determine eligibility. Instead, the app requires users to connect a bank account (or use an existing Empower bank account) so it can review your income, banking history, balances and transactions.

Unlike some of its competitors, Empower says gig workers and freelancers can qualify for a cash advance.

To use the Empower app, you must:

The company doesn’t disclose additional borrower requirements, but it says users don’t need a long history of bank account transactions to get an advance. Though tighter requirements may make it harder to get an advance, they help ensure that users can repay.

How Empower cash advances work

Once you’ve downloaded the Empower app from an app store, here are the steps to get an advance.

Can I change my Empower advance due date?

Yes. Empower says users can contact customer support to reschedule their due date, as long as they reach out by 12 p.m. Pacific time one business day before the scheduled payment date.

Will Empower’s advance cause an overdraft fee?

If you don’t have enough money in your account when Empower takes repayment, your bank may charge an overdraft fee. However, Empower will reimburse users who send proof of the fee to customer support.

Still, if you don't have sufficient funds on the due date, the app may withdraw small amounts from your bank account until the advance is repaid.

How do I contact Empower’s customer service?

You can contact Empower’s customer service by phone, email or in the app.

Other Empower app features

Credit score monitoring

Empower says it lets subscribers view their credit scores through the app. Users can also see a monthly breakdown of their score factors and get personalized recommendations to build it.

Budgeting assistance

Empower uses bank account transactions to create a monthly income and expenses report from which users can assess their cash flow. The app also lets users set budgets for all types of expenses and get alerts about paychecks, bills and purchases. This feature is available to all users who connect a bank account — not just those with Empower bank accounts.

Automatic savings

The app’s automatic savings feature helps users save money manually or with Empower’s artificial intelligence.

Line of credit

Empower offers a small line of credit called Thrive. Amounts start at $200, $250 or $400, depending on your cash flow information, and can go as high as $1,000 when you show a history of on-time payments. The app doesn't do a hard credit check, but your credit history is an eligibility factor.

The APR is 35.99%, or the highest allowable APR in each state, but borrowers who repay the full borrowed amount from their next paycheck don't have to pay interest. The app also charges a 5% late fee, capped at $20, and an instant withdrawal fee up to $8 for a $299 draw. It costs the lesser of 3% or $20 to instantly withdraw $300 or more.

Credit line payments are reported to the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The credit line is an expensive way to borrow a small amount of money, especially considering you can get an interest-free cash advance with comparable instant withdrawal fees. Though on-time payments can build credit, consider other ways to build credit if that's your goal.

Compare Empower to other cash advance apps

Empower offers a solid cash advance option. Though the app charges high fees, they’re all optional. The fast funding fee is high for the amount you can borrow, but users may not need to pay it because advances are sent in one day — faster than most other apps.

The app’s competitors say they try to avoid causing an overdraft fee, but Empower is the only app that provides a refund if it does.

The biggest drawbacks may be the borrowing amounts — which are limited compared to other apps that let users borrow in increments of $10 to $50 — and the app’s thin borrowing criteria.

Empower vs. other cash advance apps