Many or all companies we feature compensate us. Compensation and editorial research influence how products appear on a page. Personal Loans Cash Advance Gerald Wallet: 2025 Cash Advance App Review Updated Jun 19, 2025 10-min read Written by Rebecca Safier Written by Rebecca Safier Expertise: Student loans, personal loans, home equity, credit, budgeting Rebecca Safier is a personal finance writer with nearly a decade of experience writing about student loans, personal loans, budgeting, and related topics. She is certified as a student loan counselor through the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors. Learn more about Rebecca Safier 3.7 /5 Get Cash Cash Advance No fees or interest on instant cash advances No subscription fees No employment or W-2 verification; accessible to gig workers and freelancers Offers online store and prepaid mobile phone plan Must use part of cash advance to shop in Gerald’s mobile store or pay for its prepaid phone plan Customers report slow processing times and missing transfers Many negative customer reviews online Funding$10 – $80Speed of advanceInstantFeesNone If you’re looking for a cash advance to bridge the gap between paychecks, you may be considering the Gerald Wallet app. Gerald is a free app that offers cash advances to qualifying customers, but the money comes with strings attached. Unlike most other cash advance apps, which deposit funds directly into your bank account, Gerald requires that you use at least part of the cash advance to shop at its online store or pay for its mobile phone plan. The amount left over may be only a small fraction of the cash advance you’re looking for, which is one reason we don’t recommend this company for cash advances. Read on for the full story—and to see why we prefer alternatives, such as EarnIn, Dave, and Empower. Need $100, like, right now? EarnIn offers a free, instant $100 cash advance to all qualifying first-time users. Company Best for… Advance Limits Rating (0-5) 5.0 Get Cash Best overall Up to $150 per day; $750 per pay period 5.0 Get Cash 4.7 Get Cash Best credit-building tools Up to $400 per advance 4.7 Get Cash 4.7 Get Cash Best for large advances (up to $500) Up to $500 per advance 4.7 Get Cash 4.6 Get Cash Best theft protection Up to $250 per advance 4.6 Get Cash 3.7 Get Cash (No distinction) Up to $80 per advance 3.7 Get Cash Table of Contents How Gerald Works Cash Advance Transfer™ Fees and interest Advance eligibility Time to deliver advance Repayment Points system Cranberry by Gerald™ Cornerstore™ Shop Now Pay Later™ Play to Earn™ Is Gerald Wallet legit? App eligibility requirements FAQ How Gerald Works Gerald is a mobile app that offers multiple services, including cash advances, an online retail store called Cornerstore, and a prepaid mobile phone plan called Cranberry. Cash Advance Transfer™ After you’re approved for a cash advance—between $10 and $80—you must first use a portion of that advance in the Cornerstore™ (Gerald’s in-app shopping platform) or toward your Cranberry™ prepaid phone plan. This required minimum spend varies by user and offer, but it’s disclosed before checkout. Example: On the Gerald website, you can see a requirement to use $47.67 of a $68.10 cash advance in Cornerstone or to purchase a Cranberry mobile plan. On Google Play, one user reported that they were required to spend $26.28 of their $37.50 cash advance in the store. Another said shipping fees on their required Cornerstore purchase exceeded $20. Once you meet that requirement, you can request to transfer the remaining balance of your cash advance to your linked bank account. Fees and interest There are no late fees, interest charges, or penalties—but if your payment fails, you won’t be able to request another advance until the balance is paid in full. Keeping your account in good standing helps maintain access to future advances. Eligibility The transfer is only available once your spending threshold is confirmed and your account is in good standing. Time to deliver advance Gerald reviews your request and typically processes the transfer within 1 to 3 business days, although some users report longer wait times. Repayment Once your advance is approved and used, Gerald automatically sets up repayment from your linked bank account. The full repayment amount is usually withdrawn on your next payday or as soon as funds are available, so make sure you have enough in your account to cover it. Points system You can earn points in the app by playing games, watching ads, and taking surveys. When you earn enough points, you can redeem them for a cash advance. They serve as an alternate pathway to access advances for users who don’t meet instant approval criteria. Cranberry by Gerald™ Cranberry by Gerald is a flexible, low-cost prepaid cellphone plan starting at $10 per month with unlimited talk and text and optional data from $5 per GB. Powered by T-Mobile and AT&T networks, it uses eSIM for fast setup. Pay monthly or in advance, and even use your Gerald cash advance or store rewards toward your bill. No contracts, no credit checks, and no hidden fees—just reliable, affordable service tailored for financial flexibility. Cornerstore™ Instead of getting the full amount of your advance as cash, you must use part of it to shop for household goods on Cornerstore or put it toward Gerald’s phone plan. The Gerald app requires that you meet these spending requirements before requesting a transfer of the remaining funds, if any, to your bank account. Shop Now Pay Later™ With Shop Now Pay Later™, Gerald lets you buy essentials from the Cornerstore™ and delay payment until you’ve received your next paycheck or advance. It works like a buy-now-pay-later tool: add items to your cart, apply your available advance or points, and cover the rest later. It’s a flexible option for managing everyday spending while staying within your budget. This practice is also known as Buy Now, Pay Later or BNPL. Play to Earn™ Similar to Klover, Gerald’s Play to Earn™ feature lets you earn points by playing mobile games, watching ads, or answering short surveys. These points can help you qualify for a cash advance—especially if you don’t meet the usual approval criteria. The more you play, the more points you earn. Is Gerald Wallet legit? Gerald is a legitimate company that says its mission is to become a leading household essentials provider that increases access to products for people living paycheck to paycheck. It’s backed by Y Combinator, a tech startup accelerator and venture capital firm. PlatformRatingNumber of reviewsApp Store4.2/511,600Google Play 2.9/53,620Better Business Bureau (BBB)1.05/520 Its customers feel the same way. You may have seen thousands of positive reviews for Gerald on the app stores, but these are mostly from before the implementation of its Cornerstore model in 2024 (where users are now compelled to spend their advances in their in-app store or on their proprietary phone plan). However, Gerald has a slew of negative customer reviews online and earns an “F” rating from the BBB due to its numerous unresolved complaints. Dissatisfied customers mention unfair fees, slow processing times, uncommunicative customer service, and difficulty canceling their accounts and disconnecting their bank accounts. Others said they didn’t realize they were required to use part of their cash advance in the app’s online retail store. Source: Gerald The latter is valid. As you can see above, this requirement is only shown as a small print disclaimer on the Cash Advance section of Gerald’s website. You have to read the FAQs in Gerald’s Help Center to get more information. It appears that this is a recent change Gerald made when it eliminated subscription fees for users. If you need to contact Gerald, you can email [email protected]. You may also find answers to some of your questions in its online Help Center. Who is eligible for the Gerald Wallet App? To be eligible for a cash advance through Gerald, you must meet the following requirements: Have a positive balance in your bank account Connect a bank account that’s more than three months old Show a history of consistent payroll deposits of $100 or more Keep money in your bank account for a few days after every paycheck Show a history of paying your bills consistently Connecting multiple bank accounts with Gerald will decrease your odds of approval for a cash advance. Paying your cash advances back on time will also increase your chances of getting approved for future advances. You do not need: W-2 employment verification credit check This makes it accessible to gig workers, freelancers, and others with non-traditional income. Alternatives to the Gerald App cash advance Gerald doesn’t make our list of the best cash advance apps, considering its requirement to spend some, if not most, of your advance in its online retail store or mobile phone plan. We encourage you to explore these alternatives if you need an early payday. Company Best for… Rating (0-5) 5.0 Get Cash Best Overall 5.0 Get Cash 4.7 Get Cash Best Overdraft Reimbursement 4.7 Get Cash 4.7 Get Cash Best Early Payment Benefit 4.7 Get Cash EarnIn offers up to $150 per day to a maximum of $750 per pay period and doesn’t charge interest or membership fees. You can get a cash advance for free if you don’t mind waiting one to three business days, or you can pay a fee of up to $4.99 for an instant cash transfer. Dave is a top choice for accessing your paycheck early, with cash advances of up to $500. Dave doesn’t charge interest on advances; you only need to pay a $1 monthly membership fee to access the ExtraCash feature. You can get funds in two to three business days for free or opt for instant transfer for a fee of up to $13.99, depending on the amount. Dave also offers valuable budgeting tools, making managing your money easier. Empower is another leading option that offers cash advances up to $300. It doesn’t charge interest, but you’ll pay a fee of up to $8 for instant transfers and monthly subscription fees of $8 after your initial 14-day free trial. The Empower app comes with useful tools, such as credit monitoring and help with automatic savings. Keep in mind that any cash advance you borrow is subtracted from your next paycheck. Overreliance on cash advance apps could lead to unpredictable income and aggravate any challenges you might be facing with managing your money. FAQ How do you contact Gerald app customer support? To contact Gerald app customer support, you can reach out through the app itself. Once logged in, navigate to the help or support section, where you’ll find options to submit a request or contact the support team. You may also find support via the Gerald website, which includes a FAQ section. Does the Gerald app work with Chime? Yes, the Gerald app works with Chime. This compatibility allows Chime users to link their accounts with the Gerald app for cash advances, bill payments, and other financial services. Keep in mind that to link your Chime account, you may need to provide specific account details or authorization through secure channels. What happens if I don’t pay back a cash advance from Gerald? If you don’t pay back a cash advance from Gerald, you may incur late fees or additional penalties. Nonpayment can also harm your relationship with the app and its services, potentially limiting your future borrowing options. In some cases, the company may take further action, such as reporting delinquent payments to credit agencies, depending on its terms of service. It’s important to review Gerald’s repayment policies to understand the consequences of missed payments. Is the Gerald app free? The Gerald app is free to download, and it recently eliminated subscription fees for users. However, accessing cash advances through Gerald comes with a catch: You are required to spend a portion of the advance in Gerald’s online retail store or on its mobile phone plan. Always check Gerald’s terms to understand how much of your cash advance needs to be spent within the platform.