The internet has forever changed the way that society functions. There are countless examples of these changes, but one of the most overlooked is the concept of direct deposit. It’s estimated that nearly 94 percent of workers in the United States receive their paycheck via direct deposit.
There is no denying that direct deposit is much more convenient than being handed a paper check every week or two. The problem is that you’ll still have to wait a few days before you have access to the funds.
This poses quite a challenge for anyone that’s currently living paycheck to paycheck. Fortunately, there are a few options that can help you get your money much faster.
How Does Direct Deposit Work?
Direct deposit is the term for whenever funds are electronically deposited into a bank account. In the old days, you would be given a physical paper check that would permit the transfer of funds.
Setting up direct deposit will skip this step and allows the amount to be automatically deposited into your account. The convenience allows the payee to get paid without having to take any actions and allows the payer to avoid printing, filling out, and distributing paper checks.
The way that it works is actually fairly simple. First, you’ll give your employer a voided check so they can have the account and routing number of your bank. In the days before a scheduled payday, your employer will send its payroll information to its banking partner.
The information is passed on to the Automated Clearing House (ACH), where an operator routes the paycheck to your specific bank. As soon as your bank receives confirmation from the ACH, it will credit the funds to your account.
What Are the Best Apps for Getting Your Paycheck Sooner?
- Yotta
- MoneyLion
- The Earnin App
- DailyPay
- FlexWage
- Empower
- Dave
- Branch
In most cases, it will usually take a direct deposit between one and three business days to clear. That’s not too bad when you consider that paper checks usually take between two and five business days. However, that’s still a long time to wait for your money in the fast-paced digital era.
There are several banks that offer an early direct deposit feature. Depending on who you bank with, you might already have the option of getting your paycheck early. If your bank doesn’t offer early direct deposit, here are a few apps that do:
Yotta
The Yotta app is the first option on this list for a variety of reasons. For starters, Yotta will give you the ability to get paid up to two days earlier than traditional direct deposits. It will only take a few taps in the app to set up, and you won’t need to fill out any paperwork. But that only scratches the surface of the benefits that come with Yotta.
Yotta is More Meaningful To Your Daily Life Than a Bank Account
Yotta is a bit different than your average bank account option. A lot of banks like to reward customers with interest rates that compound over time. The problem is that these rates are often so low that it amounts to a free cup of coffee by the end of the year. Yotta is much more focused on rewarding its customers in meaningful ways.
Example of Yotta Prize-Linked Savings
The first benefit that comes with using Yotta is the Lucky Swipes program. Every time that you use your Yotta debit or credit card, there will be a chance that Yotta pays for your purchase. Connecting a direct deposit to your Yotta account alone will give you at least one in 150 odds of winning this prize.
The second (and much larger) benefit is that you’ll be given 20 percent more bonus tickets on your initial direct deposit and five percent more on each paycheck. These tickets are also earned based on how much money is in your account. You’ll be given one ticket for every $25 in your account plus whatever you earn using your cards or having your check deposited.
These tickets will enter you into the weekly drawing contest. A total of seven numbers are drawn every week. Depending on how many of them match your tickets, you could win up to $10 million.
There is no charge for these contests, and there are 12 different combinations that will win you a prize. In other words, you’ll be able to play the lottery for free with potentially hundreds of tickets. With a little luck, you’ll never have to worry about getting your paychecks early again.
MoneyLion
The MoneyLion app will let you borrow between $80 and $250 from your unpaid wages. There are no interest fees, and the money will be automatically deducted whenever your paycheck arrives. While that sounds reasonable enough, there are a few issues that come with using MoneyLion.
The most glaring problem is that you’ll have to pay a $9.99 monthly fee to join. You will have access to overdraft protection, loan repayment assistance, and no late fees, but that’s a pretty steep price. You’ll also need to have a direct deposit that averages at least $400 and consistently maintain a positive balance in the days surrounding payday.
The Earnin App
The Earnin app will allow you to cash out up to $100 each day. All that you will have to do is tip whatever you think is fair. These tips are used to support the Earnin community at large. Each user will also have the option of “paying it forward” and covering another user’s tips.
The maximum tip amount is $14, and it’s entirely optional. However, you’ll need to tip regularly if you want to access the best features of the Earnin app, such as the Balance Shield and Cash Back Rewards.
Earnin will automatically deduct however much you cash out as soon as your paycheck clears the direct deposit process. There are no hidden fees, charges, or interest taken out of your check. It will just be to cover the amount that you cashed out in the days prior.
DailyPay
The DailyPay app allows you to access your paycheck funds the same day that you work. You’ll be able to transfer the amount of money that you made working each day, weekend, or holiday. While it’s pretty much impossible to beat the same-day delivery, there are a few drawbacks that come with Daily Pay.
For starters, your employer must be an active partner of DailyPay. Seeing as how the app has only been around since 2015, it’s pretty unlikely that your work is a partner. Another downside is that each money transfer will come with a $1.25 flat fee. So if you were to transfer your money each day that you worked, you would end up paying a few hundred dollars each year.
FlexWage
The FlexWage app functions in a similar way to DailyPay. It’s another app that will give you on-demand access to a limited portion of your earned wages. Anytime that you request your money, it will be immediately deposited onto a FlexWage Visa Payment Card. The process sounds simple enough, but there are a few downsides that come with FlexWage.
The main issue is that your employer will need to be partners with FlexWage. While they have way more partners than DailyPay, there are still millions of jobs that don’t use FlexWage. Another issue is there will be a fee for each transfer that will vary depending on the employer. You’ll also only be able to withdraw a limited percentage of your wages instead of the entire amount.
Empower
The Empower app will allow you to take out an interest-free cash advance of up to $250 before your payday. That’s one of the highest marks on this list, and you can receive the funds as early as two days before your direct deposit. Empower doesn’t come with account minimum or overdraft fees and has features that include customized budgeting and savings recommendations.
The main drawback of Empower is that it will come with an $8 monthly subscription fee. Paying roughly $100 a year for this service is unnecessary when you consider the other options that are free.
Dave
The Dave app will allow you to connect your bank account and advance up to $100 with no interest fees. Dave also provides features such as automatic budgeting, credit building, free access to ATMs, free checks, and no overdraft fees. While that sounds like a solid deal, there are a few problems with Dave.
Dave charges a $1 membership monthly fee. While that amount is lower than some of the other options on this list, you can find free options that offer similar services. Another problem is that the advance that you request can take up to three days to receive. There is the option to receive the money within eight hours, but there will be a fee attached.
Branch
The Branch app gives you the ability to withdraw up to $500 per pay period. Instead of paying any interest fees, you’ll have the option to leave a tip for the service. While Branch clearly offers the highest withdrawal amount on this list, there are a few downsides that come with using it.
The first issue is that you’ll need to pay a $3.99 flat fee if you want the money instantly. If you don’t pay the fee, then you can end up waiting for three days before the money arrives.
Another issue is that the Branch requires the ability to closely monitor your shifts. You’ll need to upload pictures of your work schedule whenever you sign up for an account.
Choose the Best Fit for You
As technology continues to improve, there is less time needed for you to get your paychecks. People used to wait up to five days to get their money after depositing their paper checks. Direct deposit sped up the process, and you could have your money after three days. In modern times, there are plenty of apps that can give you your money even faster than that.
With so many options, you’ll have to decide which one of these apps is the best fit for you. There are a few benefits to using each one, but it’s pretty clear that Yotta is the superior option. Yotta gives you the opportunity to win millions in cash for free. There aren’t many contests in the world that come with free admission, and the ones that do certainly don’t offer a $10 million jackpot.
Visit Yotta today to create your account and get started. You can set up a direct deposit from your work, get paid earlier than your co-workers, and play the lottery for free every week. There isn’t anything that you can lose, but there are millions of things that you win.
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