Yes, Dave is legit. It is a licensed, publicly traded fintech company (Nasdaq: DAVE) that has been fronting people $25 to $500 through its ExtraCash feature since 2017, and it operates a real checking account, Dave Checking, through partner banks. The Federal Trade Commission sued Dave in November 2024 over how it disclosed fees and “tips,” and referred the case to the Department of Justice in December 2024. That is a real regulatory problem for the company, not a sign the app is a scam that will disappear with your money.
Dave charges more than most people expect going in. Every ExtraCash advance now carries a 5% fee with a $5 minimum, on top of a membership that can run up to $5 a month, so it is worth pricing against the alternatives before you download it.
In this breakdown, we cover exactly what Dave costs today, what the FTC case is actually about, and when it makes more sense to use one of the best cash advance apps instead.
Is Dave a Real, Licensed Company?
Dave Inc. has traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker DAVE since going public in 2022, and it is not the app itself that lends you money. ExtraCash advances and the Dave Checking account are issued through partner banks, which is standard structure for this category of app and the reason Dave can operate across most states.
Being real and being cheap are two different questions. Dave is real. Whether it is the right app for you depends on how its current fees compare to the rest of the best cash advance apps.
What Dave Actually Costs
ExtraCash gets you $25 to $500 with no credit check, but the $500 ceiling is only for members who have built a long history with the app; most new users are approved for far less at first.
Membership costs up to $5 a month, and since February 2025, Dave also charges a 5% fee on every advance with a $5 minimum. On a $100 advance, that is $5 in fees before you add anything else. Delivery is free by standard ACH, which takes about three business days. If you need it faster, express delivery to an external debit card costs 1.5%, while instant delivery is free if you have it sent to a Dave Checking account.
Dave still asks for an optional tip on top of the membership and advance fee. Tips are not required, and skipping one does not affect your next advance. Add up the membership, the 5% fee, and any express or tip charges before you decide Dave is the cheapest option, and compare it against apps like EarnIn, which charges no subscription for a W-2 employee who qualifies.
Does Dave Have Hidden Fees?
Not hidden, but not obvious either. The membership fee, the per-advance fee, and the express delivery charge are all disclosed in the app before you confirm, but Dave does not lead with the total cost the way a flat-fee lender would.
The one cost that surprises people most is the membership fee continuing after they stop using the advance feature. Deleting the app does not cancel your account. You have to cancel it inside the app or through Dave’s support to stop being charged.
If you want to avoid guessing at fees altogether, compare the full breakdown in our best cash advance apps comparison before you subscribe.
The FTC Case Against Dave
In November 2024, the FTC sued Dave, alleging the company misled users about how much of their advance they would actually receive and pressured them into paying “tips” that were presented as optional but felt mandatory in the app’s flow. The FTC referred the case to the Department of Justice in December 2024.
This is a live legal matter, not a resolved finding of fraud, and it does not mean Dave will not pay out an advance you are approved for. It is a legitimate reason to read the fee screen closely before you confirm, and a reason we rate Dave lower than apps with a cleaner regulatory record. If that is a dealbreaker for you, see our best cash advance apps comparison for alternatives with no open FTC action.
How Dave Compares to Other Cash Advance Apps
Every cash advance app charges you somehow, so the real question is not whether Dave has a fee, it is whether that fee beats what else is out there. Dave now takes 5% of every advance with a $5 minimum, on top of a membership that can run up to $5 a month. That is steep next to apps that charge nothing if you qualify, or that cap the cost at a flat number no matter how much you borrow. The table below lines up the same math for seven of the closest competitors, so you can see exactly who beats Dave’s 5% and who does not.
Seven apps that beat Dave’s 5% fee at a glance
All seven at a glance
| App | Max advance | Monthly fee | Fastest funding | Best for | Get started |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 4.5 |
$1,000 ($150 a day) | $0 | ~1 hr for $3.99, free in 1 to 3 days | Best if you never want a monthly fee | |
 5 |
$1,000 | $0 | Minutes for a fee, free in 3 days | Best overall with no credit check | |
 4 |
$500 (avg first ~$66) | $9.99 Plus (free advance by email) | ~1 hr for $2 to $21, free in 3 days | Best for a small first advance | |
 4 |
$250 (first $20 to $100) | $1.99 to $14.99 | Same day for $3.99 to $14.99, free in a few days | Best to cover bills | |
 4.5 |
~$100 per request (limit to $1,000) | $0 | Minutes for $0.49 to $8.99, free in 2 days | Best for no-subscription advances | |
 4 |
$500 | $8.99 to $15.99 | ~20 min for a fee, free in 2 to 3 days | Best for saving on overdraft fees | |
 4.5 |
$500 | $8 (14-day free trial) | Minutes for a fee, free in about a day | Best if you borrow most months |
| App | Max | Fee | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 |
$1,000 | $0 | ~1 hr | |
| 5 |
$1,000 | $0 | Minutes | |
| 4 |
$500 | $9.99* | ~1 hr | |
| 4 |
$250 | $1.99+ | Same day | |
| 4.5 |
~$100 | $0 | Minutes | |
| 4 |
$500 | $8.99+ | ~20 min | |
| 4.5 |
$500 | $8 | Minutes |
*Grant: a free advance is available by emailing support.
Use Dave if
You already bank with Dave Checking, so instant transfers are free, and you have used ExtraCash enough times that you are approved for an amount that actually covers the gap. In that setup, the membership fee is the only real cost most months.
See cheaper apps like Dave →Skip Dave if
You are a W-2 employee on a predictable pay schedule, in which case apps like EarnIn charge no monthly fee at all. Or you need the full $500 right away as a first-time user, since Dave rarely approves that amount before you have a track record with the app. In either case, our best cash advance apps comparison will point you to a cheaper fit.
FAQs
EarnIn charges no fee at all if you qualify as a W-2 employee, and several apps priced under Dave’s flat fee cost less on a typical $100 advance. Compare the full list in our best cash advance apps guide.
Yes. Dave is a licensed, publicly traded fintech company (Nasdaq: DAVE) that has advanced money to millions of users since 2017. It is not a scam, though the FTC has an open lawsuit against it over fee and tip disclosures.
Since February 2025, Dave charges 5% of every ExtraCash advance with a $5 minimum. A $100 advance costs at least $5 in fees, on top of a membership that can run up to $5 a month.
The FTC sued Dave in November 2024, alleging the company misled users about how much of their advance they would actually receive and pressured them into paying tips presented as optional. The case was referred to the Department of Justice in December 2024.
No. ExtraCash advances do not require a credit check and are not reported to the credit bureaus, so applying or repaying does not affect your credit score. If a low credit score is the main reason you are shopping around, compare other no-credit-check apps in our best cash advance apps guide.
