Is MoneyLion Legit? Our MoneyLion Instacash Review!

MoneyLion is an all-in-one financial technology company that provides several services via its app like instant cash advances, checking and high yield savings accounts, investing opportunities, financial guidance, and help connecting users with credit cards and loans.

The platform is a powerful way to spend, save, and borrow. But is it worth using, and is it legit?

Our MoneyLion review is covering how its popular Instacash feature works. We're also covering its other main features to help you decide if it's right for you.

Key Takeaways:

• MoneyLion Instacash lets members borrow up to $500 per pay period in $100 daily chunks
• There's no interest, credit check, or mandatory cash advance fees
• MoneyLion also offers numerous saving, spending, investing, and borrowing products
• This is an all-in-one financial solution that's also competitive
• For standalone cash advances, we prefer EarnIn and Dave

Is MoneyLion Legit?

MoneyLion is legit and offers a range of financial products and services to help its members spend, save, and borrow more easily. It also has a 4.4 star rating on Trustpilot with over 27,000 reviews, making it one of the highest rated companies in the space.

MoneyLion has been around since 2013. Since then, it's grown to around 10 million members. And the platform is packed with features to help people improve their finances.

Its cash advance feature, MoneyLion Instacash, is also very popular. It's similar to apps like EarnIn and Dave and lets members borrow up to $500. Plus, the platform has tons of other features to help you access cash quickly.

How Does MoneyLion’s Instacash Cash Advance Work?

Although MoneyLion offers several different financial services, its Instacash feature stands out as one of the most popular.

This feature lets qualifying members borrow $25 to $500 cash advance against an upcoming paycheck. There's no interest, credit check, or mandatory fees either.

To qualify, you need steady monthly deposits coming in. And you don't necessarily qualify for the full $500 right away; this limit increases as you build up payment history and make on-time payments.

Additionally, MoneyLion Instacash only lets you request up to $100 a day, like EarnIn. But if you need money to pay rent or small bills, this advance can certainly help.

However, there are a few ways to increase this. For example, you can use Instacash “Boosts” to temporarily increase your limit. You can get Boosts a few different ways like by paying your account balances on time, using MoneyLion’s debit card for the first time, making on-time payments to your Credit Builder Loan, or by receiving a Peer Boost.

Additionally, some users can qualify for up to a $700 limit if they take out a Credit Builder Loan with MoneyLion, or up to $1,000 if you use your RoarMoney account for all your direct deposits.

In any case, this advance feature is useful when you need quick money to get by. All repayments on MoneyLion Instacash advances are automatically scheduled and are based on your regular direct deposit dates.

💵 How To Get $500 As Soon As Tomorrow.

MoneyLion Instacash Requirements & Fees

To qualify for Instacash, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Have a MoneyLion account in good standing
• Have a valid banking account linked to your MoneyLion app or have a RoarMoney account 
• Have a bank account that's veen active for at least 60 days
• Show a record of at least three consecutive direct deposits into the account (these can be weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.)This income can be from payroll, government benefits, or pension payments but doesn’t include cash deposits, ATM deposits, transfers, or an individual check from a new employer

What's nice is that your income can be from a payroll, but also government benefits or pension payments. However, ATM deposits or transfers don't qualify. And gig work from something like DoorDash or Uber Eats may or may not qualify.

Your Instacash limit is based on the amounts of your recurring direct deposits, your transaction history on the account, and any boosts you may have. The maximum amount you can qualify for is $500, though with a RoarMoney account or a Credit Builder Loan this can increase to $700 or $1,000.

Instacash deposits don't have mandatory fees, which I love. However, disbursement normally takes one to two business days if you have a RoarMoney account or one to five days for an externally-linked account.

If you need money immediately, you can pay a “Turbo Fee” of $1.99 to $8.99 depending on the amount you’re requesting. This deposits money into your account within two minutes.

We think Instacash Turbo Fees are somewhat steep, especially compared to companies like EarnIn or Cleo. And you should always calculate any fees as a percentage of your advance so you truly understand how much you're paying.

Who Is MoneyLion Instacash Best For?

MoneyLion Instacash is best for people with a steady job or income stream who may occasionally need extra cash to hold them over because of an emergency or some bills.

For these individuals, an Instacash advance is almost always preferable to taking out a payday loan which can charge interest rates of 15% to 30%. Plus, if you’re already using the MoneyLion app for its other features, you’ll be set up to take advantage of the cash advance when you need it.

That said, this service isn’t a long-term financial fix for those with ongoing money management issues or for those who don’t have a regular income stream. Additionally, most users won’t qualify for the maximum limit of $500 and you can only take out $100 a day, so it may not even be enough for your needs.

We also suggest trying out top side hustle ideas or other ways to make money if you're struggling financially. Borrowing money endlessly isn't a way to get ahead financially, so keep this in mind.

Other MoneyLion Products & Features

MoneyLion has numerous other products and services that help you spend, save, borrow, and invest for income. Some of its top features and accounts include:

• RoarMoney Banking Account: RoarMoney is a bank account administered through MetaBank that’s FDIC-insured up to $250,000. This account comes with a Mastercard, cash back rewards, price protection, no overdraft fees, over 55,000 fee-free ATMs, and early paycheck deposit of up to two days early. This account costs $1 per month.
• MoneyLion Loans: MoneyLion connects users with third-party offers for personal loans, auto refinancing and student loan refinancing.
• Credit Builder Plus: MoneyLion has a Credit Builder Plus membership where customers can apply for a loan of up to $1,000 at a 5.99% to 29.99% APR. You pay back the loan over 12 months, and on-time payments are reported to all three major credit bureaus. This service has a $19.99 monthly fee.
• MoneyLion WOW: A MoneyLion Wow membership costs $9.99 a month and allows you to access exclusive cash-back offers, insurance protection for certain purchases, access to investing opportunities with no commission fees, and waived fees on many of MoneyLion’s other services. 
• Savings Account: This tool connects users to the best high-yield savings accounts, many with no monthly fees and helps you get started with one within minutes. 
• Investing Tools: MoneyLion lets members invest with as little as $1. You can also choose fully managed portfolios that match your goals and risk tolerance. There's even crypto investing and rebalancing tools too.

The sheer number of features might seem overwhelming. But MoneyLion's goal is to be an all-in-one financial solution for its customers.

You really get a lot of features with RoarMoney, which I like. However, many of the other services are just marketplaces that connect you to top financial products and services. And the Credit Builder plan is pretty expensive.

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Pros & Cons

Pros:

• A comprehensive financial tool that caters to all your needs
• High cash advance limit of up to $500
• No interest or credit check requirement of cash advances
• RoarMoney members have a lot of perks
• MoneyLion also lets you invest with as little as $1

Cons:

• Instacash has a $100 daily request limit
• Not all members qualify for cash advances
• Expensive Turbo fees for fast deposits
• MoneyLion asks for tips on cash advances
• Some other MoneyLion products have expensive monthly fees

The Best Alternatives To MoneyLion Instacash

We think MoneyLion provides a comprehensive platform that helps you spend, save, and borrow. And it has a pretty competitive Instacash cash advance feature.

That said, there are other apps like MoneyLion you can consider. And some of these are better standalone offerings than MoneyLion's “do it all” approach:

• EarnIn (best overall cash advance app)
• Current (best savings solution with advances)
• Dave (best for side hustlers)
• Super.com (best for cash back)
• Brigit (best advance app to build credit)
• Cleo (best for gig workers and freelancers)
• Yendo (best credit card with cash advances)
• Klover (best for low-income individuals)
• Possible Finance (best for small loans)

If you strictly need advances, we think EarnIn is better than MoneyLion Instacash. This is because it has a limit of up to $750 and doesn't charge as high fees. But if you want an all-in-one solution with other features, you can try out MoneyLion.

💵 The Best Ways To Get $1,000 In 24 Hours.

Is MoneyLion Safe?

MoneyLion is a safe and secure app to use and connect your existing banking accounts to. It does this by using Transport Layer Security (TLS) technology and encryption for all your personal data and transactions. The company also states that it monitors its site and database 24/7 for security threats and it will send Unusual Activity Alerts any time a suspicious purchase is made from your account.

Other MoneyLion Reviews From Customers

MoneyLion has no shortage of positive reviews, and customers who’ve given the app five-stars comment on the excellent customer service, that the app does exactly what it advertises, that it's easy to navigate, and how helpful the Credit Builder Loan has been in raising their credit scores.

Negative reviews mention that it can be irritating that you’re only allowed to take out $100 at a time with Instacash advance, the high fees for same-day transfers, and that Instacash services send requests for “tips.”

MoneyLion has received an average of 4.4 stars from nearly 28,000 reviews on Trustpilot, and 4.51 stars from reviewers on the Better Business Bureau website.

Is There Customer Service?

There’s a chat feature within the app or you can call or text the company 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-844-224-0087. You can also send a secure message through the website, or send an email to [email protected]. Messages and emails are usually answered within a day.

💵 How To Borrow $200 Instantly.

Does MoneyLion Impact My Credit Score?

With a Credit Builder Loan, you have the possibility of increasing your credit score but only if you make all your payments on time. It’s worth noting that there are other actions you can take during this time that can lower your score, and even with the Credit Builder Loan there’s no guarantee it will raise your score.

There are also no hard credit checks for any of MoneyLion’s services, but if you end up working with one of its third-party partners (like a lender), the partner company may do a hard credit check which can temporarily ding your credit score.

👉 The Ultimate List Of High-Paying Apps.

Is MoneyLion Instacash Worth It?

MoneyLion Instacash is a popular cash advance solution that is competitive with other companies in the space. And MoneyLion as a whole offers tons of products to help you spend, save, invest, and borrow.

As long as you don’t overuse this service and have a steady income stream, it’s worth it to sign up for Instacash for those few-and-far-between times when you need a little bit of money to get you through an unexpected rough patch. However, those with consistent money problems or who don‘t have a regular income stream may not get what they need out of this service.

Hopefully, this MoneyLion Instacash review helps you decide if this is the right service for you!

Want even more ideas to earn and save? Checkout:

• The Best Income-Generating Assets.
• The Best $25 Cash Advance Apps.
• The Best Free Money Apps That Pay Instantly.
• How To Make $5,000 Fast.