Many or all companies we feature compensate us. Compensation and editorial research influence how products appear on a page. Personal Loans Credit Genie Review 2025: High Fees and Low Advances—Better Alternatives Available Updated Apr 16, 2025 5-min read Written by Lindsay VanSomeren Written by Lindsay VanSomeren Expertise: Mortgages, personal loans, student loans, auto loans, banking, budgeting, debt, insurance, credit cards, credit Lindsay VanSomeren is a personal finance writer living in Suquamish, Washington. She's passionate about helping people learn how to manage their money better so that they can live the life they want. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor adventures, reading, and learning new languages and hobbies. Learn more about Lindsay VanSomeren Get Cash We don’t recommend Credit Genie because of its high fees, low advance amounts, and negative customer reviews. Instead, consider the best cash advance apps for alternatives. Cash Advance No interest No hard credit check Won’t take much action against you if you don’t repay High fees Low cash advance amounts Limited customer support options Can’t be used with joint bank accounts Concerning reviews from customers Subscription required to determine eligibility Funding$0 – $100Speed of advance30 minutes – 3 daysFeesUp to $12.99 for instant advance + subscription fee of up to $6.98 per month Credit Genie is a cash advance app that can lend you extra money if you’re struggling until your next payday. It sounds like a godsend, but we’ve researched how the company works and customer experiences from Credit Genie reviews to help you better understand whether it’s worth it. We don’t recommend Credit Genie because of its high fees, low advance amounts, and numerous customer complaints. We’ll show you better options when you need help. Table of Contents How a Credit Genie cash advance works Costs Who is eligible? Credit Genie reviews and ratings Pros and cons Alternatives FAQ How a Credit Genie cash advance works Credit Genie provides cash advances by analyzing your banking history. After linking your bank account and subscribing to the service, you can request advances. Approval amounts vary and are reassessed with each request. You can get funds in 30 minutes to three days, depending on the transfer speed. How much does a Credit Genie cash advance cost? Subscription fee: $4.99 monthly or $3.49 biweekly to maintain bank account linkage. Express transfer fee: $5.99 for same-day or next-day transfers. Instant transfer fee: $12.99 for transfers within 30 minutes. Optional tips: Users are prompted to leave tips, adding to the overall cost. These fees can make a $100 advance cost up to $31.98, much higher than industry averages. Who is eligible for a Credit Genie cash advance? To qualify, users must: Be 18 years or older and a U.S. citizen or legal resident Have a bank account in your name only (i.e., no joint accounts) open for at least three months Receive at least $600 in direct deposits over the past three months Have at least four direct deposits in the past three months, with one in the last 17 days Reside outside of Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, Hawaii, or Washington, D.C. Credit Genie app reviews and ratings PlatformRatingNumber of reviewsGoogle Play4.5/535KApp Store4.7/550KTrustpilot2.7/5208Better Business Bureau1.0/52Collected on April 16, 2025. Credit Genie earns many good overall ratings in app stores. But when you start digging down into the written Credit Genie reviews, it starts to look a little more concerning based on the problems that customers report having. Many customers report issues with the app that prevent them from subscribing or—more concerning—unsubscribing. Several customers agreed to a subscription only to find out they weren’t eligible for a cash advance. Even more people had problems reaching customer service, with no phone line to call and slow email responses. Pros and cons of a Credit Genie cash advance Pros No interest Like most cash advance apps, Credit Genie charges fees, not interest. No hard credit check Credit Genie might do a soft credit check, which won’t affect your score, but it doesn’t do a hard credit pull. Won’t cause overdrafts Credit Genie checks your bank account balance before it takes your payment. If you don’t have enough, it will postpone payment, split it up into smaller payments, and eventually write it off. It won’t report you to the credit bureaus or put it into debt collection. Cons Expensive fee structure For a two-week loan, you’ll essentially be paying an annual percentage rate (APR) ranging from 130% to—brace yourself—4,687%, depending on your advance amount and whether you pay the instant transfer fees. That’s considered a predatory rate. Low cash advance amount If you’re approved (and not everyone is), the maximum cash advance is $100, which isn’t enough to help many people. Not available in some states Residents of Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, and Nevada aren’t able to use Credit Genie. Tough to reach customer service There are no phone numbers you can call, only an email address, a website contact form, or a snail mail address. Credit Genie reviews from customers say they often don’t hear back from these methods at all. Can’t use with a joint bank account You can only get a cash advance if you’re the sole person listed on the account, which automatically excludes nearly half of couples in the U.S. with a joint bank account, not a solo one. Poorly designed, glitchy, and hides fees Its website is basic and provides little information about its cash advance, including its faster transfer fees. (They’re $5.99 and $12.99, by the way, according to Credit Genie reviews.) Some customers report the app is glitchy and won’t even let them unsubscribe from being charged. Requires a subscription just to see whether you’re eligible A monthly subscription costs $4.99, and a biweekly subscription—oddly enough—costs $3.49. Multiple customers report having paid this fee only to be denied a cash advance, with an invitation to apply later (while still paying the fee, of course). Alternatives to Credit Genie These are several of our favorite cash advance apps based on our rigorous rating system: Company Best for… Rating (0-5) 5.0 Get Cash Best Overall 5.0 Get Cash 4.6 Get Cash Best Overdraft Reimbursement 4.6 Get Cash 4.3 Get Cash Best Repayment Flexibility 4.3 Get Cash Credit Genie’s maximum cash advance of $100—and that’s only if you qualify—is pitiful compared to its top-rated competitors. For example, EarnIn allows some people to borrow up to $150 per day with a maximum advance amount of $750 per pay period. One of the most frustrating aspects of Credit Genie is the need to commit to paying a hefty monthly or biweekly fee to get started, only to find out that you may not even qualify. EarnIn doesn’t charge ongoing fees; you’ll only pay when you request a cash advance and only if you want it fast. When using cash advance apps, you want to be sure you’re working with a reputable company to ensure transparency. EarnIn, in particular, has a much better reputation than Credit Genie reviews on the review websites we consulted for Credit Genie: the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot. FAQ Does Credit Genie let you borrow money? Yes, Credit Genie offers cash advances to help users cover unexpected expenses between paychecks. The amounts available typically depend on your income and other factors, and the advance is deducted from your next paycheck. How long does it take Credit Genie to deposit money? Credit Genie can deposit money almost instantly if you opt for express funding, but standard funding may take up to three business days, depending on your bank. How much does Credit Genie give you? Credit Genie offers up to $100 for cash advances—much less than the best cash advance apps. Do you have to pay back Credit Genie? Yes, you must repay the cash advance when your next paycheck arrives. Credit Genie will automatically deduct the repayment amount from your bank account on the agreed-upon date. Does Credit Genie report to the credit bureaus? No, Credit Genie does not report to the credit bureaus, so using its services will not affect your credit score. However, this also means that timely repayments won’t help you build credit.