Earnin App Loan Review 2021 – READ THIS BEFORE Applying!

When you are living from one paycheck to the next, you may once in a while need a financial boost. Whether it’s a medical emergency that arises or you run out of gas money, the loan app Earnin offers immediate solutions.

But is it a good idea to borrow from this platform? How does it work? How can you tell if it is right for you?

In this comprehensive review, we seek to uncover everything you need to know about Earnin App.

Read on to find out its features, benefits and downsides so as to make an informed decision.

What is Earnin App?

Founded in 2014, the app originally used to operate under the name Activehours. But they rebranded to Earnin in November 2017 and are among the first platforms to offer this type of service.

Earning is a mobile device app that lets you access advances on your salary to bridge the gap between paydays.

Designed as an alternative to traditional payday loans, it works on a completely different premise, letting you borrow against your paycheck.

Pros and Cons of an Earnin App Loan

How is Earnin different from most other emergency loan service providers online

Earnin is specially designed to help you access your day’s pay for up to $100 to sort any emergencies. This means that’s its only available to employed individuals who need access to their day’s earning before payday. The payday loan app’s biggest selling point is the fact that it is free, unlike its counterpart payday lenders that burden you with insane charges. We compared Earnin to such payday lenders as Speed Cash, TitleMax, and Chec ‘n’ Go and this is what we found out:

How does Earnin App loan work?

Earnin works using a simple tagline: You worked today, get paid today. That sums up the idea behind the app and how everything works.

The team behind it explains on the website that the app seeks to fight unfairness in the current financial system.

The site goes on to highlight the ills of the pay cycle, overdraft facilities and traditional lending methods. On one hand, the pay cycle holds back workers’ money, and on the other, overdraft facilities attract high fees and penalties.

At the same time, there are lots of situations that end up putting people in debt. With this in mind, the app lets you cash out ‘your pay’ as soon as you work. And unlike conventional lending facilities, it charges no interests or fees.

Using this app, you can access daily loans based on the wages you are expecting. In return for this ‘cash advance’ you can choose whether or not to leave a tip. Come payday, the app will automatically deduct the borrowed amount plus the tip.

The app allows you to borrow amounts ranging from $100 to $500 every month. On any given day, you can only access a maximum of $100. And the total you can access over a pay period is a maximum of $500.

However, the exact amount for which you are eligible will depend on a number of factors. These include your financial history and your earnings.

When you download the app, you will need to go through a short signup process. Earnin will then take some days to verify the details you submit. For instance, it will verify your bank account by sending two minimal test transactions simply to check ownership. Account verification and activation might take up to 72 hours following signup.

Once that is done, you can request money, and it will first verify the number of hours you have worked during the week in question. If you are an hourly worker, you will need to upload photos of your timesheet.

But if you happen to be salaried, you will need to allow the app to access your mobile location tracking. It will confirm that you actually commute to and from the given location where you claim to work.

Basically then, this loan app is unsuitable for persons who work from home and those who have an irregular work schedule. Furthermore, if you need more than the set limit of $100 daily, it might not be ideal.

To use this app, you also need to have direct deposit into a checking account that is set up through your employer. Additionally, you need a consistent pay schedule. Your pay rate must be $4 per hour at the very least, after taxes and deductions.

In case you are unemployed or receive disability payments or supplemental security income, you would not qualify to use the service. Similarly, extra earnings such as commissions and tips are not included in earnings.

However, an exception to this rule is a partnership between Earnin and Uber that lets drivers use the app.

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If you meet the eligibility requirements for accessing funds on the app, use it to apply for a loan. Before approving your application, it will verify the number of hours that you have worked during the week.

You should get funds by the next day if you make your request on a weekday or by the second business day if you apply over the weekend. But with some banks, you can get cash immediately as we will see below.

When it comes to repayments, the app will automatically deduct the loan amount from your checking account on the day that it expects you to get wages. Once again, it makes use of your timesheets as well as mobile location tracking.

With this information, it monitors how often you go to work and how often you get paid and uses this to determine your due date. Consequently, you can never withdraw more than what you earn.

What loan products does Earnin App offer?

Earnin App offers an alternative to the payday loan or cash advance by letting you borrow against pending wages.

What other services does Earnin App offer?

When using the app, you get access to some additional services other than borrowing loans. Take a look:

Balance Shield

Balance Shield is an optional provision that helps you avoid overdraft fees which can be as high as $35 or even more. Under this feature, you need to keep adding timesheets regularly. And every time your account balance drops below $100, it will automatically deposit a maximum of $100 to your account.

Note that the tip amount that you set when you first sign up for Balance Shield will automatically apply with every top up unless you change it in settings.

Lightning Speed

In case your bank supports the Earnin Lightning Speed program, you will not need to wait a full business day for your loan to process. The feature lets you withdraw pending earnings in a matter of minutes rather than hours. That means you can use the funds you have earned as soon as you need them.

Earnin App Account Creation and Borrowing Process

1. To get started, you will need to download the app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

2. Follow the prompts on the screen to create an account and sign up for the service. You will need to provide your email address and create a password.

3. Next, add your pay information starting with full name, frequency of pay and how you get your pay. Click ‘Next’ to continue.

4. Select the bank your employer uses to pay your wages, enter your online ID and passcode then click ‘Connect’

5. Login to your bank account and allow Earnin to get access so as to track and verify your income.

Eligibility Criteria for Earnin App Loan

Information Borrowers Need to Provide to Get Earnin App Loan

What banks does Earnin App support?

Earnin supports a number of banks including:

What are Earnin App loan borrowing costs?

Borrowing using this app is technically cost-free. There are no interests or fees but you can pay an optional tip.

• Optional tip amount – $0 to $14

Earnin App Customer Support

The app has a mixed review on the internet. It is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) but has an A+ rating based on highlights such as transparency.

While a good number of reviews especially on Play Store and AppStore are positive, there are a significant number of complaints too.

In many cases, these have to do with a lack of communication between the app users and the customer support team.

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Is it safe to borrow from Earnin App?

Earning makes use of 256-bit SSL encryption to keep user data secure. They also claim to comply with US privacy and data security regulations and never store bank login credentials.

However, according to BBB reports, a number of users have reported unauthorized debits from their bank accounts. Others have had repayments withdrawals from their accounts before their paycheck cleared. As a result, they have had to pay hefty overdraft fees.

Therefore, before using the service, it is important to weigh these potential issues against the benefits.

Earnin App Review Verdict

The operational model of Earnin app is vastly different from the typical payday loan and offers a significant improvement. It is much cheaper as there are no fees or interests. Furthermore, the fact that you can only borrow against what you have already earned is protection against poor financial habits.

However, to access its convenience, you have to sacrifice your privacy and reveal a lot of sensitive data. Additionally, the loan limits are quite low and you may need to look elsewhere if you need more funding.

All in all, the app may be a great choice if you periodically need small amounts of extra funds before payday. But if you find yourself in such situations continually, you may need financial assistance.

 

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