MoneyLion review

Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

MoneyLion suits US adults who need a cash advance without a credit check or a fee, and its 0% APR is the same whoever applies. The marketplace side widens the choice of loan, but lender set pricing and a up to $500 cap on the cash advance keep it out of reach for anything larger.

Key facts

Best for
A fee free cash advance for US adults who cannot pass a credit check.
APR
0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan amount
up to $500 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Arrangement fee
$0 (no origination or monthly fee on Instacash; optional tip $0 and up and optional Turbo delivery fee $0.49-$8.99) (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit check
None (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Funding time
Within minutes with optional Turbo delivery fee, or 1-5 business days at no cost (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Marketplace (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Eligibility
Legal resident of the United States, at least 18 years old (age of majority in state of residence); service availability varies by state (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Origination fee (%)
0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan types
Personal, Debt-consolidation, Cash-advance (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit needed
Poor (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Use cases
Home-improvement (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
MoneyLion Technologies Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Phone, Email, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Features
Same-day funding
Official website
moneylion.com

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App Store
Elsewhere
WikidataXLinkedIn

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The cash advance carries a credit check of none, so a poor credit file does not stop a draw.
  • Money can land within minutes on the paid delivery route, and same day funding is among the features the brand is listed under.
  • personal, debt consolidation and cash advance run through the same marketplace, which widens choice beyond a single funder.
  • Applicants are accepted from poor credit, which opens the account to a wider group than a mainstream lender usually reaches.
  • Support runs on phone, email and help centre, including phone and email as well as self service help.

Cons

  • The 0% headline describes the cash advance only. Pricing on a personal loan or a consolidation loan comes from the partner lender inside the marketplace, so the figure does not carry over.
  • A single draw is capped at up to $500, which leaves a home improvement project dependent on the marketplace side.
  • The optional Turbo delivery fee sits on top of the 0% APR for anyone who wants the money within minutes.
  • Support runs on phone, email and help centre, and a marketplace means a payment problem can involve a second party.
MoneyLion

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Scored 9.1 / 10 by BorrowCue.

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Who it suits

  • US adults who need a cash advance quickly and cannot pass a credit check.
  • Borrowers with poor credit who want short term cash at an APR of 0%.
  • People comfortable with a marketplace, where the funder behind the loan is set by the match rather than by the app.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Anyone after a large home improvement loan. Monzo Flex quotes 10% to 23% on a personal loan, a different product from a up to $500 cash advance.
  • Borrowers who want one lender and one published price. Monzo Flex shows 10% to 23% up front, while MoneyLion's personal loan pricing follows the marketplace.
  • Borrowers in another market. Cashspace quotes PHP 12 to PHP 36 and Cashspace ES lends €100 to €5,000, and MoneyLion's service is limited to the United States.

What borrowing costs

Cost is the clearest part of this offer. The Instacash cash advance is listed at an APR of 0%, its origination charge is 0%, and there is no monthly fee. What sits on top is optional: a tip, which you can leave at free, and the Turbo delivery fee if you want the money within minutes. Read that last charge as the price of speed rather than a one off, since it is the only cost on the account that depends on timing rather than on the amount you take. Anyone planning a larger sum should not carry the 0% figure across, because it belongs to the cash advance and not to the loans arranged through the marketplace.

Application and funding speed

Money reaches you within minutes on the Instacash cash advance if you take the optional Turbo delivery fee. The standard route costs nothing and takes a few business days. Each route runs on the same product, so the choice is purely about speed rather than about price. The amount on offer is up to $500, which sets how far a single draw will stretch. That makes this a bridge to payday rather than a way to fund a large purchase, and it is why the paid delivery route carries more weight here than it would on a bigger facility.

Who regulates the lender

Registration is split across the group, all in the United States. MoneyLion Technologies Inc. is listed with NMLS Consumer Access as 1237506. ML Enterprise Inc. d/b/a Engine by MoneyLion, the loan broker, is registered as 1475872. MoneyLion of California LLC is licensed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation as 603 L583. Because MoneyLion works as a marketplace, the broker entry matters as much as the others: it is the party that puts an application in front of a funder, so check that registration before you apply for anything other than the cash advance.

How it compares on our data

Our data separates the two halves of this offer. On APR, the ranking that matters most for cost, MoneyLion sits at position 1 out of 350 brands compared. On loan amount it sits at position 427 of 685 brands compared. Put together, that says the brand is at the sharp end of the table for what a short advance costs and well down it for how much it will hand over. The overall score is 8.5 out of ten, which is consistent with a service that wins on price and lends modestly.

How your money is protected

Who holds the money is the safety question here. MoneyLion runs as a marketplace, so on a personal or debt consolidation loan the advance comes from a partner lender and the contract sits with that lender rather than with the app. The registrations to check are 1237506 for MoneyLion Technologies Inc., 1475872 for ML Enterprise Inc. d/b/a Engine by MoneyLion as loan broker, and 603 L583 for MoneyLion of California LLC with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Match the product to the right entry, because the broker registration and the lender registration cover different parts of the arrangement.

The company behind it

The company behind the service is MoneyLion Technologies Inc., based in the United States. Support runs on phone, email and help centre, so help is available by phone and email as well as through a help centre and a community. Licensing sits across the group rather than under a single name: 1237506 for MoneyLion Technologies Inc., 1475872 for ML Enterprise Inc. d/b/a Engine by MoneyLion as loan broker, and 603 L583 for MoneyLion of California LLC with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Check which of those names appears on the agreement you are given, since the broker and the lender are separate entries.

How MoneyLion compares

Where MoneyLion is available

Available
United States
Licence in United States
NMLS Consumer Access (MoneyLion Technologies Inc.) (1237506), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
NMLS Consumer Access (ML Enterprise Inc. d/b/a Engine by MoneyLion, loan broker) (1475872), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (MoneyLion of California LLC) (603 L583), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does a MoneyLion cash advance cost?+

The Instacash cash advance is listed at an APR of 0%, with an origination charge of 0% and no monthly fee. Two extras sit on top if you want them, an optional tip, which you can leave at free, and the optional Turbo delivery fee that comes with money within minutes. Nothing else is charged for the account.

Is there a credit check on the Instacash cash advance?+

The cash advance carries a credit check of none, so there is no file to pass before the money is released, which is the point for anyone whose credit is thin. The personal and debt consolidation side works differently, running through a marketplace where the partner lender sets its own requirements and MoneyLion is placed at poor.

How fast can I get the money?+

The optional Turbo delivery fee puts the cash in your account within minutes, while the standard route takes a few business days and costs nothing. Money lists the product under same day funding, so a same day draw is the norm on the paid route and the wait applies only to the standard one. Both are set out before you confirm.

How much can I borrow on a cash advance?+

A single Instacash draw is up to $500. That ceiling applies to the cash advance itself, not to the personal or debt consolidation loans arranged through the marketplace, which carry their own limits. Treat the cap as a bridge to payday rather than a way to cover a large bill or a project.

Who can apply, and in which states?+

Applicants must be legal residents of the United States and at or above the age of majority in their state, and service availability varies from state to state, so the entity named on your paperwork can change with your address. The group operates from US and covers personal, debt consolidation and cash advance.

Which regulators and licences cover MoneyLion?+

Registration is split across the group. MoneyLion Technologies Inc. is listed with NMLS Consumer Access as 1237506, ML Enterprise Inc. d/b/a Engine by MoneyLion is registered as loan broker under 1475872, and MoneyLion of California LLC holds a California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation licence, 603 L583.

Who actually holds the money on a marketplace loan?+

Because MoneyLion is a marketplace, an advance arranged through the personal or debt consolidation side comes from a partner lender, and the contract you sign is with that lender. MoneyLion's own registrations are 1237506 and 1475872, so check the entry that matches the product before you sign.

What support do I get?+

Support runs on phone, email and help centre, covering phone and email as well as a help centre and a community. On a marketplace loan that mix matters more than usual, because the money and the contract sit with a partner lender while the app remains the point of contact for the application. Worth knowing your options before a payment date arrives.

Sources

  • moneylion.com checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Support channels

    “24 hours a day 7 days a week 1-844-224-0087 [email protected] ... FAQs https://help.moneylion.com/ ... COMMUNITY”

  • moneylion.com/cash-advance/instacash checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Loan amount, Credit check, Features, Funding time, Origination fee (%)

    “get Instacash cash advances up to $500”

  • moneylion.com/licensing checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Licences

  • moneylion.com/personal-loans checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Credit needed, Lender type, Loan types, Use cases

    “with options tailored to your financial situation, even if you have bad credit”

  • moneylion.com/pricing checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: APR, Arrangement fee

    “Instacash cash advances ... APR 0%”

  • moneylion.com/terms-and-conditions checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Eligibility, Headquarters, Legal entity

    “Reside in the United States ... Be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your state or jurisdiction of residence).”

Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Term, Representative example.

MoneyLion

MoneyLion

A fee free cash advance for US adults who cannot pass a credit check.

9.1/10See alternatives

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