Chime is not a lender, so it does not do payday-style cash advances. What it does offer is two built-in products that cover the same small-shortfall moment, SpotMe and MyPay, plus broad compatibility with the third-party advance apps. Here is what each one actually does.
The Built-In Options
SpotMe is an overdraft shield, not a loan: eligible debit-card purchases go through up to your limit (commonly $200, higher for long-tenured users), Chime charges no fee, and the negative balance clears against your next deposit. Two boundaries matter: it does not create withdrawable cash (no ATM pull beyond your balance), and it covers card purchases, not rent portals or ACH bills.
MyPay is Chime’s earned-wage advance: if your paycheck lands in the account, you can take a slice of money already worked for before payday. Limits scale with your deposit history, from small amounts for new users to a few hundred dollars for established ones; the cost runs from free (with slower delivery) to a small instant-transfer fee. As of 2026 this is the closest thing to a “cash advance” the app itself sells, and for payroll-connected users it is usually the cheapest money on this page.
Third-Party Apps That Fund Onto Chime
| App | Typical range | Works with Chime? | Cost model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chime MyPay | $20 to a few hundred | Built in | Free standard, small instant fee |
| Dave | Small advances | Yes, for many users | Subscription + optional tip |
| EarnIn | Against worked wages | Yes, for many users | Tips + transfer fees |
| MoneyLion Instacash | Tens to a few hundred | Yes | Subscription tiers |
| Empower | Small advances | Yes | Subscription |
| Brigit | Up to ~$250 | Varies by account | Subscription |
“Works with Chime” means the app can verify your payroll landing in the account and deposit the advance to it. Eligibility is account-level and changes without notice, so confirm inside the app before the moment you need the money.
How This Compares With a Real Payday Advance
The Chime-family route costs single-digit dollars or nothing; a state-licensed payday advance costs $15 to $30 per $100. The trade is ceiling and independence: app advances cap low and require your payroll to flow through a connected account, while a payday advance reaches state ceilings for anyone with verifiable income. When the shortfall is $80, the app route is obviously cheaper. When it is $600 in a state that licenses payday, the request form is the tool that exists for that size.
The Small Print Worth Reading Once
Instant-transfer fees are optional; standard delivery is where the free money lives. Tips add up and are skippable on most apps. Subscriptions (Dave, MoneyLion, Empower, Brigit) bill monthly whether or not you advance, so cancel in months you do not use them. And no app in this table reports your on-time advance repayment to the bureaus, so none of it builds credit; for that, see the products in our alternatives ranking.