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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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Is it worth paying for

MoneyLion

60
Value score / 100 Worth paying? Depends It depends

MoneyLion can be useful for quick cash advances and credit building, but users frequently report issues with customer service, unexpected fees, and misleading practices, making it a risky option.

Free to download seen up to $1000 4.8★ lifetime (317,944) since 2015

MoneyLion offers cash advances and credit building tools, which many users find helpful for short-term financial needs. However, numerous complaints highlight poor customer service, hidden fees, and difficulties with account management, suggesting inconsistent value.

Free vs paid

The app is free to download, but many features, especially the Credit Builder loan, require a monthly membership fee R200. Cash advances also incur fees, particularly for instant transfers or multiple withdrawals R26R42R45. Some users report being charged membership fees even without receiving services R16R44.

Value complaints

  • Users report being charged monthly membership fees without receiving the promised services or after attempting to cancel.R16R20R44
  • The Credit Builder loan has a hidden $20/month membership subscription, significantly increasing the actual cost beyond the advertised APR.R200
  • Cash advances often come with fees for each withdrawal, especially for instant transfers, making larger advances more expensive.R26R42R45
  • The app frequently asks for 'tips,' which some users find annoying and predatory, especially when combined with other fees.R61R65R70
  • Some users claim the app takes money from their account unexpectedly or before the agreed-upon payment date.R11R70R80R95

Where it delivers

  • Many users find the app helpful for getting quick cash advances to cover unexpected expenses or bridge gaps between paychecks.R4R12R23R35
  • The app is praised for its ability to help users build credit and improve their financial standing.R66R69R98R101
  • Some users appreciate the flexibility in repayment options and the overall ease of use for borrowing money.R74R118R120
  • The app offers various financial tools, including investing and rewards, making it a 'one-stop shop' for some users.R12R88R122
Worth paying if

It might be worth paying if you have a steady job and need short-term cash advances to bridge gaps between paychecks, and are diligent about managing repayments R4R66. It could also be beneficial if you are looking to build credit and understand the full cost of the Credit Builder loan, including the monthly membership fee R66R200.

Skip / stay free if

Skip if you are looking for long-term financial solutions, are sensitive to unexpected fees, or require reliable customer service R66R38. Also, avoid if you are in a state where cash advances are not supported, as the app may still charge a subscription fee R44.

Evidence note: The reviews are highly polarized, with many 1-star and 5-star ratings. The 3-star reviews often highlight both positive aspects (like getting cash) and significant negative aspects (like fees or customer service). The high lifetime rating seems to be skewed by numerous generic positive reviews, while detailed negative reviews point to serious issues.

Frequently asked

Is MoneyLion's cash advance truly instant?
MoneyLion advertises instant cash advances, but many users report delays, with funds taking several hours or even 2-4 business days to transfer, especially to external accounts R2R173.
What are the hidden costs of MoneyLion's Credit Builder loan?
While the Credit Builder loan may advertise a reasonable APR, it requires a mandatory $20/month membership subscription to remain active, which significantly increases the overall cost of the loan R200.
Is MoneyLion customer service reliable?
Many users report extremely poor customer service, citing issues with unresponsive chat agents, difficulty understanding representatives, and an inability to resolve account issues or cancel memberships R2R29R38R39.
Can I cancel my MoneyLion account easily?
Users frequently report significant difficulty canceling their accounts or memberships, often being unable to do so through the app and facing unhelpful customer service when trying to close accounts R20R29R50R57.
Does MoneyLion offer high cash advance amounts?
While some users report receiving high cash advance offers, others are approved for very low amounts like $20-$70 despite high income, and advances are often disbursed in small increments (e.g., $100) each incurring a fee R4R42R45R51.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R16] 1/5 · US Misleading: I did apply, Said i qualified for 1,000 dollar but then for some reason it was only 125 which i never received or used and wanted to charge me a monthly membership ship plus almost 34 or 43 dollars for repayment. I spoke to two different people to explain the situation and telly hem to cancel. Neither one wanted to and said i had to wait three working days.” My point is i never got a
  2. [R20] 1/5 · US SCAM: THIS IS THE MOST SCAM APP OUT THERE, they did not let me cancel for more than 3 months and they charged me fees i did not even know existed
  3. [R44] 1/5 · US No warning: After I paid this subscription, the app said MoneyLion cannot provide cash advances in the state of CT. It’s only $9.99, but luckily I found out is would be charged automatically every month so I immediately cancelled. This is very misleading and should state from the start the certain states that won’t allow cash advances before they click a finalized payment button. Imagine how many
  4. [R200] 3/5 · US 3/5: I signed up for the Credit Builder loan because the app advertised a 7% APR, which sounded reasonable. What was not made clear is that you are required to pay a $20/month membership subscription to even keep the loan active. On a $1,000 loan, that adds another $240/year on top of the interest, making the real cost dramatically higher than the advertised APR. Another issue: once you take the
  5. [R26] 1/5 · US Not worth it: Theres a fee for every 100.00 you advance. Not worth it.
  6. [R42] 5/5 · US Cash borrowing: Receive the money instantly for a small fee like similar apps. This would have to be my favorite app out of all it gave me the highest offer for borrowing. Although one thing I can’t stand is you aren’t able to withdraw more than $100 per transaction which means paying the $7.99 fee each time and it definitely adds up… A higher withdrawal amount would be nice
  7. [R45] 2/5 · US Instacash only: The only positive thing about this app is the instacash but even that is a money grab. They offered me $600 but in increments of $100 and charged for each withdrawal, so to get that $600 cost about $670 or so. The credit builder loan is garbage. Something else to get your money with no real return and after reading reviews I see I’m not the only one with this opinion. I understand
  8. [R61] 1/5 · US DONT FORGET TO TIP LOL: *Updated to 1 star after dev response* I have never seen a financial services company ask for tips lol. Can you prove that any “tips” given actually go directly to employees? Or are the tips just classified as revenue for the company. The app is pretty straightforward and useful. but the fact the developers thought adding an option to give them a tip like were at a rest
  9. [R65] 2/5 · US Feels predatory: I have used their instacash for years at this point. Sometimes I’ll take breaks just from their constant hounding of tips. Their customer service is inconsistent. Let your phone close by accident and it completely shuts you out from using customer service. Also them changing the amount on instacash just because? Leaving you a lower amount after you pay a heavy amount just made me
  10. [R70] 1/5 · US Greedy: They will not wait until the payment date and just take it randomly. Always asking for tips it will ask you to give them money four times before you can get yours
  11. [R11] 1/5 · US DO NOT DOWNLOAD: These people are crooks they keep taking money out of my account even after I paid back my cash advance. Stay away from this app
  12. [R80] 1/5 · US Takes money before: Takes money before the initial date but says they don’t receive it
  13. [R95] 3/5 · US They’re good but…: They helped me when I need it but when the time came to pay I was running late. I woke up nearly my whole bank account wiped clean.
  14. [R4] 5/5 · US Best app: This app has genuinely helped me pay for expenses when I didn’t have my paycheck yet. I’ve paid back each cash advance I’ve borrowed from MoneyLion for about 6 months now, started from a $25 advance and I am now up to a $275 cash advance if I need it.
  15. [R12] 5/5 · US Excellent: This is the best app for cash. It’s a one stop shop. Can find apps or use the actual app when something unexpected comes up.
  16. [R23] 5/5 · US So convenient: I’M SO THANKFUL! they spotted me 400$!!!
  17. [R35] 5/5 · US The real deal!!!: This app does everything it’s promised and more. So many of these money lending apps that don’t deliver. This one is awesome. Very fast abs easy to understand.
  18. [R66] 4/5 · US It’s not for long term help: I use it for what it’s for, quick cash advance for when I’m in between paychecks. The “asking for tips” is annoying, and I don’t do it every time, but I understand. I did the credit builder loan two years ago and got surprised when it was over and had an extra $1000 somewhere. I like this app. If you have a steady job, but is short on cash one week, this is for you. Th
  19. [R69] 5/5 · US Reliable App: This app is very helpful for people who doesn’t know much of credit score and has been very useful and informative for me & I’m still learning about how credit works and how to improve it!!
  20. [R98] 5/5 · US Pooh: Love money lion it help a lot with your credit and getting your life together you must love it ❤️
  21. [R101] 5/5 · US Why not? Amazing.: Just awesome. Very good credit builder and cash advance option. This is my go to and sometimes money lion saves my butt!
  22. [R74] 5/5 · US Perfect APP and Program: Easy to use, user friendly and flexibility on repayment
  23. [R118] 5/5 · US Love it: This is a great app , really helped me out when I needed it and the repayment option/interest fees arnt bad at all . Thanks !
  24. [R120] 5/5 · US Great: Great help loan payment been good
  25. [R88] 5/5 · US Best cash advance app: This is the best app ever. It’s like an all in one deal. Cash advances, investing, loans, prizes and more. You’re not penalized for having negative debt either.
  26. [R122] 5/5 · US LOVE LOVE LOVE!: I absolutely love MoneyLion! They offer a ton of great deals, rewards, etc.! It’s also a great place to ‘stash’ your extra cash!! 5+ stars alllll day :)
  27. [R2] 1/5 · US NIGHTMARE!!: This app is a total nightmare!! First of all, they don’t tell you that the funds will be added to their card. Secondly, if you want to transfer the funds to your account, it will take 2-4 BUSINESS days. I did not read anything on there that says so. Called customer service and couldn’t understand the girls accent. Horrible experience!!! Just want to pay it off and close this account!!
  28. [R173] 3/5 · US It’s not instant: Try several hours. It says you get the money instantly or within a few minutes. I was in a pinch and needed the money within about 30min and this app failed to deliver on its promises. Dude if it’s gonna be several hours then say it’ll be deposited in a several hours. Stop sugar coating everything and saying it’ll be in a few minutes. You’re a lying app developer.
  29. [R29] 1/5 · US Don’t use: This app sucks I’m trying to delete my account and I been on hold for 10 then when I went to text it juss kept saying the same thing over and over 0/10 do not use this app
  30. [R38] 1/5 · US Hate it: Worst app to use. The chat team make excuses while your sitting in the chat saying your not responding after I have messages after messages. There is no number to call customer service. Just very poor customer service!!!! I won’t use this app I don’t advise anyone to use this app.
  31. [R39] 1/5 · US CHAT IS USELESS: The chat option has not worked for a week and no one’s doing anything about it You ask a few questions and then they start acting like you’re not responding despite responding multiple times and they only answer what they want to answer I have each/every every screenshot “AGENTS” Marvs Josh Jacob MICHALLA Jason Paul Nicole Mykee Absolutely useless I think they are playing
  32. [R50] 2/5 · US Terrible customer service: I had no issue borrowing and repaying; however, I was unable to delete my account from settings, so I contacted chat support. They would take me as far as verifying my info, then somehow “get disconnected” or no longer receive my responses once I ask them to proceed with the deletion. I literally attempted 4 times and it’s still not deleted?
  33. [R57] 1/5 · US Stay away from!!!!: They keep reporting my account as open even it was discharged by bankruptcy 3 years ago. First I suspect that was a credit bureau issue, but no. When i contacted customer service through chat, guy named Angelo was asking same question several times and then just disconnected by himself on the middle of my conversation. There is accalount delete button in the app, but you can’t
  34. [R51] 1/5 · US False advertising: They claim it’s not credit based but then ask for your credit information. Also claim you can get up to $500 once you link your bank account & then approve for you for $20 to $70 bucks unless you open a credit builder lion money account with them and then even if you do open the account they still base it off of your credit versus your income. I make $1200 a week at my job, they

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store