Brigit 2023 Review: Paycheck Advances
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Our Take
4.0
The bottom line:
Brigit’s cash advance is smaller than some competitors, but the app offers repayment flexibility and tries not to cause an overdraft fee when it takes repayment.
Full Review
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Does not request tips.
- Low fast-funding fee.
- Tries not to cause an overdraft fee.
- Budgeting and credit-building features.
Cons
- Charges a monthly subscription fee.
- Smaller advances than some competitors.
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Full Review of Brigit
Brigit’s Instant Cash feature offers small advances to consumers with sufficient banking history. The app tries to ensure users can repay the amount they borrow and charges low fees for fast funding. Unlike most other cash advance apps, Brigit does not request tips.
Users must pay a monthly $9.99 subscription fee to get the advance — the highest mandatory fee among loan apps — but it may be worth the price if you also use Brigit’s budgeting and credit-building tools.
» MORE: Compare cash advance apps
Table of contents
Brigit advance amounts, fees and repayment terms
Advance amounts | $20-$250. |
Fees |
|
Repayment | Withdrawn from your bank account on the date Brigit determines to be your next payday. |
Time to fund without express fee | 1-3 business days. |
Time to fund with express fee | Minutes. |
Should you use Brigit’s Instant Cash feature?
When used occasionally, Brigit can be useful if you:
Need to cover an emergency expense.
Have a plan to repay the advance and cover your other expenses.
Have an active checking account that receives regular deposits.
Get enough value from the credit-building and budgeting features to justify the monthly fee.
Brigit might not be a good solution if you:
Regularly spend more than you earn.
Receive irregular paychecks from an on-demand or freelance job.
Though cash advances from an app are generally cheaper than payday loans, they may encourage users to rely on borrowed money to bridge income gaps, which can lead to a cycle of borrowing. In 2021, the Financial Health Network released a study that included multiple years of usage data and found that app users frequently take advances consecutively — behavior that is consistent with payday loan borrowing.
Is Brigit legit?
Brigit is a real company based in New York, New York, that has offered cash advances since 2019. The app has 4.6 stars across more than 114,000 reviews on Google Play and 4.8 stars across more than 215,000 reviews on the Apple app store.
Complaints from users on the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau websites focus on technical issues and the company’s credit-building product (more on that feature below).
How to qualify for Brigit’s Instant Cash advance
Like other cash advance apps, Brigit determines eligibility for Instant Cash by reviewing your linked bank account.
Eligible accounts must have:
At least 60 days of activity.
A balance greater than $0.
Money leftover at the end of the day on payday.
Three recurring deposits from the same source, like an employer.
When the app reviews your account, it gives you a score from 0 to 100. You need a score of 40 or higher to qualify for an advance. Users can see their scores.
Here’s what the app is looking for when it scores users:
Bank account health: Your average balance, any bank fees, length of account history and usage.
Earnings profile: The number of same-size deposits from the same source.
Spending behavior: Monthly expenses and savings.
If you don’t qualify, Brigit will tell you how to improve your score.
How Brigit’s cash advance works
After downloading the Brigit app from an app store, here are the steps to get an advance:
Set up an account with the app and connect your bank account.
Brigit reviews your connected account and gives you a score that determines if you qualify for an advance.
If you qualify, you’ll upgrade to Brigit Plus and become a paying subscriber.
Request an advance. Brigit shows you the advance amount and gives you the option to pay a fee for faster funding. Users also confirm their repayment date before agreeing to take the advance.
If you agree, the advance is sent to your bank account.
You get a notification the day before payment is due.
Brigit withdraws the advance amount from your account on the scheduled repayment date.
Can I change my Brigit Instant Cash due date?
Users can preview and adjust the repayment date before agreeing to get an advance, or they can request a deferral. Brigit provides an extension to new users; others earn one extension for every two consecutive advances they repay on time. Users can push the repayment date up to 16 days and hold up to three extension credits at a time.
Will Brigit’s Instant Cash cause an overdraft fee?
Brigit may cause an overdraft fee, but the company says it offers partial repayment options or a chance to reschedule the payment date for users with insufficient funds.
How do I contact Brigit’s customer service?
Users can get help via email, the contact form on Brigit’s website or in-app chat. It does not have a customer service phone number.
Other Brigit features
Credit-builder loan
The app offers a no-interest credit-builder loan to paying subscribers. Here’s how it works:
You apply for a $600, 24-month installment loan.
If approved, Brigit holds the funds in a savings account in your name.
You contribute any amount from $1 to $25 per month as repayment, and Brigit reports each payment to the three major credit bureaus.
At the end of the term, you get back the money you paid toward the loan.
A credit-builder loan is one way for those with low credit scores or thin credit histories to show positive payment history, which can build your credit. Compare other ways to build credit, including alternative credit-builder loans, to be sure Brigit’s option is right for you.
Overdraft protection
Paying subscribers who qualify for an advance can use the app’s Auto Advance feature, which deposits money into your bank account if it’s about to go negative. Because only one advance is allowed at a time, you have to repay an automatic advance before getting a new one.
Overdraft protection from an external app can be helpful but also unnecessary if your bank already offers the protection.
Budgeting assistance
Brigit’s Finance Helper is a free feature that helps users monitor their earnings and expenses, see upcoming bills and find ways to reduce monthly expenses.
Help finding cash and savings
The app’s free Earn & Save feature helps users find ways to earn money, including full- and part-time jobs and taking online surveys or playing games. The app also partners with companies that may offer savings on expenses like insurance or provide rewards like cash back.
Compare Brigit to other cash advance apps
Brigit shines for its consumer-friendly features. It’s the only cash advance app with a credit-builder loan, and it offers budgeting assistance and savings opportunities. The fast funding fee is also substantially lower than some competitors.
Brigit’s biggest drawback is the monthly fee, which is required in order to use the advance and credit-builder loan. If an advance is all you’re after, you may find lower-cost options with other apps. But if you’re looking for an app that can send you a small advance and help improve your credit and finances, Brigit is a solid option.
Loan app | Loan amount | Speed without paying a fee | Fast-funding fee | Other fees |
---|---|---|---|---|
$20-$250. | 1 to 3 days. | $0.99. | $9.99 monthly subscription fee. | |
Up to $100 per day, $750 per pay period. | 1 to 3 days. | $1.99-$3.99. | None. | |
$10-$250. | 1 day. | $1-$8. | $8 monthly subscription fee unless you opt out. | |
Up to $500. | 2 to 3 days. | $1.99-$13.99. | $1 monthly membership fee. | |
$10-$500. | 12 hours to 5 days. | $0.49-$8.99. | None. | |
$20-$575. | Approval takes up to 3 days. Funding takes minutes. | 1.75%. | None. | |
$5-$200. | 3 business days. | $2.99-$20.78. | None. | |
Chime | $20-$200. | Instant. | None. | None. |
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Methodology
NerdWallet reviews and rates cash advance products from financial companies that provide cash advance apps. We collect over 24 data points from each company, verify the information with company representatives and compare the app with others that seek the same customer or offer a similar cash advance product. NerdWallet writers and editors conduct a full fact check and update annually, but also make updates throughout the year as necessary.
The maximum allowable rating for cash advance apps that we review is four stars. Our star ratings award points to cash advance apps that offer consumer-friendly features, including: caps on voluntary tips, protections from overdraft fees caused by app withdrawals, low cost of borrowing and an assessment of the user’s finances before providing an advance. The system also rewards points for features that a consumer seeking an advance would find useful, such as: fast funding without a fee, allowing users to borrow less than they were approved for and customer ratings. Additional points are awarded to apps that provide pathways to budgeting and saving, which are features that can help prevent a user from habitually reborrowing. We weigh these factors based on our assessment of which are the most important for consumers and how they impact consumers’ experiences.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings. Read more about our ratings methodologies for personal loans and our editorial guidelines.
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Frequently asked questions
Brigit is an app that offers paycheck advances up to $250. The app includes budgeting tips and a credit-builder loan. Unlike other cash advance apps, Brigit charges a monthly $9.99 fee.