Empower App Review

Empower offers cash advances ranging from $10 up to $500, designed to help with short-term financial needs. The app delivers funds directly to your bank account, either instantly for a fee or through free standard delivery within 1–2 business days. Repayment is automatic and timed to your next paycheck, with no interest or late fees involved. Eligibility depends on your income, expenses, and savings patterns, and you must repay any existing advance before taking another. Empower also includes a cash management account with savings and spending tools, and the money in your account can earn interest at 3.30% APY.

Should you use Empower?

• No interest or fees: You won’t pay interest, late fees, or tipping, just an $8 monthly subscription after a 14-day trial (or immediately if you’re a returning user).
• Flexible cash advances: Borrow between $10 and $500, with funds sent directly to your bank account either instantly (for a fee) or via free standard delivery.
• Repayment tied to payday: Repayment happens automatically when you get paid, making it easier to manage without extra stress.
• Tailored advances: The app bases your advance amount on your income and spending patterns to help ensure you can repay it reliably.
• Extra features: Beyond advances, you get a cash management account with savings tools, spend tracking, and an interest-bearing balance at 3.30% APY.
• Subscription cost: The $8 monthly fee might not be worth it if you don’t use the app’s other features regularly.
• Limited availability: Not available to residents of Connecticut, Maine, or Washington, D.C.
• Eligibility requirements: You need a stable income and no outstanding advances to qualify, which might exclude some users in irregular financial situations.

To qualify for an Empower cash advance, you need to be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or resident alien living in the U.S. You must not be subject to IRS backup withholding. Your eligibility depends on your current financial situation, including your income, expenses, and savings patterns, to ensure you can reliably repay the advance. You also cannot have another cash advance outstanding—you must repay any prior advance before taking a new one. Note that the cash advance feature is not available to residents of Connecticut, Maine, or Washington, D.C.

With Empower, you can get your cash advance delivered instantly to your bank account in under 3 minutes if you choose the instant delivery option, which comes with a fee of $1 to $8 depending on the amount. If you opt for the free standard transfer, the money typically arrives within 1 to 2 business days.

With Empower, you’ll repay your cash advance automatically on your next payday, based on your expected paycheck date. The app sets this repayment date by detecting or forecasting when you get paid. If your pay date changes or the forecast is off, you can contact support to adjust the debit date. Repayments are withdrawn from your linked checking account, and if there aren’t enough funds, Empower may try smaller withdrawals or wait until your balance can cover the full amount. There are no interest charges or late fees, but you won’t be able to take another advance until the current one is fully repaid.

Besides the cash advance feature, Empower offers several other tools to help you manage your money.

Cash management account

Empower provides a checking-and-savings-style account where you can deposit, withdraw, and transfer funds. You get account and routing numbers to set up direct deposit, making it easier to handle your paycheck and bills all in one place.

Savings and spending tools

The app includes AutoSave, which automatically moves money you can afford into savings based on your spending patterns. It also offers spend tracking and credit tracking features so you can keep an eye on your finances and credit health.

Interest-bearing balance

Any money you keep in your Empower account can earn interest at a rate of 3.30% APY, helping your savings grow over time without extra effort.