Cash advance app · Tilt Cash Advance
Tilt (formerly Empower): what it costs and what the record shows
Tilt, the app previously branded Empower, offers cash advances of $10 to $500 that are repaid automatically on your next detected payday. Access normally requires an $8 monthly subscription (it can be waived by email), delivery to a Tilt card or by ACH is free, and instant delivery to an outside account costs $1 to $8, or 3% for advances of $300 or more.
Checked against the company’s published terms and official records on 2026-10-18.
$5 to use $100 for 7 days with instant transfer, no tip. Your cost depends on the amount, the days and the options you pick: try your numbers.
- What it is
- Cash advance app
- Who runs it
- Tilt Finance, Inc. (NMLS #1718374)
- Most you can get
- $10-$500.1
- Monthly membership
- Tilt's Terms say access to Tilt Advance requires a subscription, currently $8 a month (members who signed up between January 1 and July 28, 2020 pay $6; before 2020, $0). First-time customers get a 14-day trial, then the fee recurs automatically; returning customers are charged $8 immediately. The Terms also say you can use Tilt Advance without paying the subscription by emailing [email protected] to ask for the fee to be waived.2
- Instant transfer
- Optional Instant Delivery Fee for delivery to your outside paycheck account, generally within 1 hour, debited on the repayment date: $1 (advances up to $10) rising to $8 ($250-$299.99), and 3% of the advance at $300 or more. Wisconsin and Maryland fees are capped at $5 for advances of $75 or less and $7.50 above $75.2
- Standard transfer
- Free: to a Tilt debit card generally within 1 minute, or by ACH to your paycheck account generally within 1 business day.
- Tips
- Tilt's Terms and cash advance pages do not mention tips.2
Whether an app is “legit” comes down to facts you can check: who runs it, what it charges, whether it is licensed or registered where a state requires it, and what regulators and courts have said about it. Those facts for Tilt (formerly Empower) are below, each with its source. You sign up yourself; the app estimates your pay from your bank account and takes the advance back on payday.
What you pay
| Charge | What the company says |
|---|---|
| Membership | Tilt's Terms say access to Tilt Advance requires a subscription, currently $8 a month (members who signed up between January 1 and July 28, 2020 pay $6; before 2020, $0). First-time customers get a 14-day trial, then the fee recurs automatically; returning customers are charged $8 immediately. The Terms also say you can use Tilt Advance without paying the subscription by emailing [email protected] to ask for the fee to be waived.2 |
| Instant transfer | Optional Instant Delivery Fee for delivery to your outside paycheck account, generally within 1 hour, debited on the repayment date: $1 (advances up to $10) rising to $8 ($250-$299.99), and 3% of the advance at $300 or more. Wisconsin and Maryland fees are capped at $5 for advances of $75 or less and $7.50 above $75.2 $0–$10: $1$10.01–$49.99: $2$50–$74.99: $3$75–$99.99: $4$100–$149.99: $5$150–$199.99: $6$200–$249.99: $7$250–$299.99: $8 |
| Standard transfer | Free: to a Tilt debit card generally within 1 minute, or by ACH to your paycheck account generally within 1 business day. |
| Tips | Tilt's Terms and cash advance pages do not mention tips.2 |
| Late fees or interest | Tilt says there is no interest and no late fees, and advances are non-recourse (no collections and no credit reporting).1 |
What the marketing says, and what it leaves out
- “No interest, late fees, or credit check”: No interest or late fees, but access normally requires an $8 monthly subscription (it can be waived by email), and instant delivery to an outside account costs $1-$8, or 3% for advances of $300 or more.
- “Up to $500”: Offers range from $10 to $500; in Q3 2026 the average first-time offer was $96.
The real cost, worked out
Same formula as our calculator: total cost ÷ amount × 365 ÷ days. Tips are left at $0 because they are optional; a tip adds to the cost.
| Example | You pay | Per $100 | APR |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100, instant transfer, repaid in 7 days | $5 | $5 | 261% |
| $100, instant transfer, repaid in 14 days | $5 | $5 | 130% |
| $100, free standard transfer, repaid in 7 days | $0 | $0 | 0% |
How Tilt (formerly Empower) works
- Link your main checking account (bank linking is through Plaid).
- Start the subscription (14-day trial for first-time customers), or email [email protected] to ask for the subscription fee to be waived.
- Tilt reviews income, expenses and savings trends in the linked account and shows an offer of $10-$500 if you qualify.
- Choose delivery: free to a Tilt debit card or by ACH, or instant to your outside account for a fee.
- Tilt withdraws the repayment automatically on your next detected payday.
Steps summarized from Tilt Cash Advance page (footnotes)1.
How it is paid back
Tilt withdraws the advance plus any delivery fee from your linked checking account (by ACH or the linked debit card) on your forecasted payday. If there is not enough money, Tilt may withdraw small amounts until the balance is repaid, or the full amount once funds are available. You can ask to change the date by contacting support (by 3 PM PT one business day before). Tilt says it reimburses overdraft fees caused by its own repayment attempts, and you cannot get another advance until the prior one is repaid.2
Which banks it works with
Only what Tilt (formerly Empower)’s own help center or terms say. “Not stated” means we found no official statement either way, not that it won’t work. Compare all apps by bank.
| Bank or account | Status | What the app says |
|---|---|---|
| Chime | Not stated by the app | — |
| Cash App | Not stated by the app | — |
| Varo | Not stated by the app | — |
| Current | Not stated by the app | — |
| Chase | Not stated by the app | — |
| Wells Fargo | Not stated by the app | — |
| Bank of America | Not stated by the app | — |
| Capital One | Not stated by the app | — |
State licenses and registrations
- Indiana: listed as “Tilt Finance, Inc.” on the official list (checked 2026-10-18).
- Missouri: listed as “Tilt Finance, Inc.” on the official list (checked 2026-10-18).
- South Carolina: listed as “Tilt Finance, Inc.” on the official list (checked 2026-10-18).
- Utah: listed as “TILT FINANCE, INC.” on the official list (checked 2026-10-18).
Official record
We found no enforcement actions or lawsuits against Tilt (formerly Empower) in the sources we searched.
Searched: FTC legal library; CFPB enforcement actions; State attorney general press releases (via government index search, under both "Empower" and "Tilt"); No government enforcement record found as of 2026-10-18; private lawsuits were not reviewed. A complaint or lawsuit contains allegations; it is not a finding unless a court or agency says so.
Cheaper ways to cover a gap
- Ask your employer whether it offers pay advances through payroll, and what they cost you.
- Federal credit union payday alternative loans (PALs) are capped at 28% APR.
- Ask the bill’s company (utility, landlord, lender) for a payment plan or a few days’ extension.
- Call or text 211 for local emergency help with rent, utilities and food.
Details and official links for each option
What we could not confirm
- The Empower-to-Tilt rename: none of the tilt.com pages read (homepage, cash advance, about, terms, licenses, FAQ) mention the name Empower; the rename comes from the project's terms review (docs/terms-review.md). A person should confirm it from an official statement or the NMLS record for #1718374.
- Supported banks: Tilt's pages do not name any of the eight banks.
Sources
- Tilt Cash Advance page (footnotes)
- Tilt Terms of Service (last updated August 19, 2026)
- Tilt Subscription Agreement (effective August 10, 2026)
- Tilt: Top Cash Advance Questions (last updated Feb 10, 2026)
- Tilt Licenses page
- Tilt Support: Where does Tilt operate?
All checked 2026-10-18. Fees change; the company’s current terms are the ones that count. Spotted a change? [email protected]