Brigit

Brigit is a financial wellness app that offers cash advances up to $500, credit building, budgeting tools, and identity theft protection—all without credit checks, interest, or late fees. With over 12 million users and a 4.8-star rating on the App Store, it's one of the most popular cash advance apps on the market .

The reality: Brigit is a legitimate app that can genuinely help in a pinch. But it also has a troubling history: in 2023, the FTC forced Brigit to pay $18 million in consumer refunds for deceptive marketing and making subscriptions impossible to cancel . And complaints keep piling up.

What Is Brigit?

Brigit (legally Bridge It, Inc.) was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in New York, NY . It's a financial technology company, not a bank. Its credit builder loans are issued by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC .

NMLS ID: 2429907

Scale: Claims over 9 million users (some sources say 12 million+) .

Key disclosure: Brigit is not affiliated with other cash advance apps like EarnIn, Dave, Chime, MoneyLion, or Albert .

The Products: What You Can Actually Get

Instant Cash Advance ($25–$500)

The flagship product offers interest-free, no-credit-check advances .

Amount: $25 to $500. Most users qualify for $50 to $100 . Maine residents: $25–$250 only .

No Credit Check: Approval is based on bank account activity, not credit scores .

No Interest, No Late Fees, No Tips: The advance itself costs nothing in interest .

Delivery: Standard ACH takes 1–3 business days (free). Express delivery costs a fee ($0.99–$3.99, or free with Premium subscription) .

Cost: Access requires a $8.99/month (Plus) or $15.99/month (Premium) subscription .

Repayment: Automatically withdrawn when your next paycheck hits. You can request a due date extension .

The Caveat: The advertised $500 ceiling is aspirational. The average advance from 2018 to 2025 was **$73** . Most users get far less.

Credit Builder (Premium Only)

A credit-building installment loan that reports to all three credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—with no credit check, no interest, and no security deposit required .

How it works: You set aside $1 per month (minimum) into a locked account; the rest comes from your new loan . You make monthly payments for 24 months .

Cost: Requires $15.99/month Premium subscription .

Important: "Failure to make on-time payments may result in negative reporting" to credit bureaus .

Example: A $600 loan paid back over 24 months with $25/month payments, 0% APR, and total cost of $600 .

Deals & Offers

Earn extra cash through surveys, find job listings, and unlock cashback, discounts, and insurance savings .

Free Budgeting Tools

Track income and expenses, get spending breakdowns, and identify subscriptions to cancel—all available on the Free plan .

Credit Monitoring & Identity Theft Protection

Track your credit score, get bank balance alerts, and access identity theft protection (Plus and Premium plans) .

The Cost: What You Actually Pay

Brigit has three tiers:

Additional Fees:

Express Delivery (Instant): $0.99–$3.99 per transfer

Overdraft Fees: Brigit doesn't charge them, but your bank might if Brigit attempts a withdrawal when you have insufficient funds

The Reviews: A Story of Two Reputations

App Store & Google Play (4.7–4.8 Stars)

Both app stores show high ratings—4.8 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play, based on hundreds of thousands of reviews . Positive reviewers say the app "saved the day" with fast cash and easy approvals .

But wait: Some review sites report that 96% of 2025 reviews mention serious issues, including billing problems and unauthorized charges . The rating split is stark.

BBB (Not Accredited, 261 Complaints)

Brigit is not BBB accredited . The profile shows:

261 total complaints in the last 3 years

82 complaints closed in the last 12 months

Common BBB complaints:

1. Billing Issues After Cancellation:
One complainant reported canceling their subscription but continuing to be charged $9.99 monthly for months, even after multiple requests to stop .

2. Double Charges:
A user was double-charged for an advance repayment, causing overdraft fees, and received no response from support .

3. Advance Never Arrived:
A user paid for an express advance, the app showed "Delivered," but their bank confirmed nothing was ever sent. Support didn't respond .

4. Account Closure Doesn't Stop Charges:
A user closed their account and deleted the app, but Brigit continued attempting to charge their checking account $9.99 monthly .

5. Cancellation Cancels Benefits Immediately:
A user reported canceling their subscription and losing all benefits immediately despite having paid for a full month already, with no refund .

FTC Settlement ($18 Million, November 2023)

This is the big one. The FTC charged Brigit with:

Deceptive marketing: Promising "instant" cash advances of up to $250 when most users couldn't get close to that amount

Using "dark patterns" to prevent subscription cancellation

Continuing to charge $9.99 monthly to consumers who had an open advance, making cancellation impossible until the advance was paid off

The settlement:

Brigit must pay $18 million in consumer refunds

Prohibited from misleading consumers about advance amounts, delivery speed, fees, and cancellation

Required to provide a simple mechanism for customers to cancel

Must make clear disclosures about subscription products

Trustpilot

4.5 out of 5 stars . Positive reviewers appreciate the fast cash and simple process. Negative reviewers describe a "scam" with unauthorized charges, support that doesn't respond, and credit reporting disputes.

How Brigit Compares to Competitors

Source.

The Verdict: Who Is This Actually For?

It makes sense if:

You need a one-time cash advance for a genuine emergency and can repay quickly.

You want to build credit with small, manageable payments (and are willing to pay $15.99/month for the privilege).

You rarely need customer support.

You understand the cost ($8.99/month minimum) and are okay with it.

It's a bad idea if:

You're living paycheck-to-paycheck with no buffer—auto-debit repayments may cause overdrafts.

You need reliable, responsive customer support—users consistently report it's hard to reach a human.

You're not disciplined about cancelling subscriptions—the FTC settlement specifically targeted Brigit's cancellation process.

You have access to cheaper options (credit union loans, borrowing from family, or EarnIn's free plan).

The bottom line: Brigit is a legitimate fintech that can be genuinely helpful for short-term cash gaps. It has some of the best credit-building tools in the cash advance space, and the subscription cost is in line with competitors like Albert ($8–$15/month).

But the company has a serious history. An $18 million FTC settlement for deceptive marketing and dark patterns is not a small thing. Hundreds of BBB complaints about unauthorized charges, unresponsive support, and subscription cancellation nightmares are still accumulating in 2025.