earlypay

STEP EARLYPAY

Need cash now? Life doesn't wait for payday, and neither should you. Get cash when you need it most and borrow up to $500. Repay flexibly, either automatically when you get your next paycheck or with your Step account. No credit check, no interest, and no hassle—just a smarter way to borrow and build credit.

App Rating
100K+ Reviews
1
Earn Step Black
Unlock EarlyPay when you earn Step Black
2
Borrow up to $500
Up to $500 cash delivered to your Step account instantly.
3
Automatic repayment
Automatically paid back with 0% APR when you receive your next paycheck via direct deposit.

BORROWING WITH BENEFITS

With Step EarlyPay, you score a ton of other benefits meant to give you the most rewarding (and responsible) borrowing experience possible.

Step Black
When you earn Step Black with either $300 in monthly direct deposit or $500 in monthly card spend, not only do you unlock EarlyPay for eligible users, but you get rewarded with unlimited cashback, 3% on your savings, and so much more.

Build Credit
Improve your credit with every tap, swipe and purchase with your Step Visa Card, and monitor your score directly in the app.

Get 3.00% on savings
Welcome to one of the best savings rates in the nation.

No interest: 0% APR
Waiting for payday is over.

You decide how much you borrow
Step EarlyPay™️ was designed to be flexible. Whether it's $20 or the full $500, you're in control.

The smart and simple way to borrow money
Borrow up to $500, automatically repaid from your next paycheck—helping you build credit without the risk of traditional loans.

Why we built Step EarlyPay™️

Step EarlyPay™️ was built to support you, not set you back. Now you can borrow up to $500 before payday, giving you the flexibility to cover what you need—without interest, hidden fees, or debt that lingers. It's transparent, automatic, and even helps build credit, so you stay in control every step of the way.

Brought me from no score to 735
I didn’t have a score before but when I chose to opt in, it helped dramatically. It brought me from no score to 735 in one night because I was using Step previously.

John C.

“Boosted my score Over 100 Points.”
“Step has boosted my score over 100 points. I had a student credit card with a score of 600. Once I opted in with Step, I got a score of 700.”

Dorothy M.

85 points so far
My credit score is constantly increasing, 85 points so far. I love the borrow option.

Brandon T

WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE WONDERING

What is EarlyPay?

EarlyPay is a single-payment cash loan designed for customers who need quick access to funds. You can choose how you want to receive the loan: you can either access the funds immediately for a small instant access fee, or you can wait the standard processing time to receive the funds at no cost (which arrives in 3 business days).

Who is eligible for EarlyPay?

Before you can use the EarlyPay feature, you’ll need to meet a few requirements:

Please note: the 30-day Step Black Preview does not include EarlyPay.

If you meet these requirements, you’ll see an option to apply right from the Step home screen under the EarlyPay heading!

Once you submit your application, if you’re approved to take out a loan you’ll see the info with how much you could potentially borrow and will need to accept this offer.

How fast can I get the loan?

Good news! You can access the loan you requested instantly by accepting a small instant access fee. Once you accept the fee and complete your loan request, the funds will be immediately deposited into your Step spending account. Otherwise, the funds will be deposited in 3 business days.

Can I cancel my pending loan request?

If you change your mind about taking out a loan, you can cancel it if the loan has not already been deposited and the loan is still pending.
To do this, just open the Step app:

Are there any fees for EarlyPay?

The good thing about the EarlyPay loan with Step is that you don’t have to pay interest or APR on the amount you are borrowing. That means if you borrow $100 you’ll only pay back $100, unlike most traditional lenders.

Please note that if you choose to receive funds immediately, you’ll still need to pay the instant access fee on top of the loan amount. So if you opted to borrow $100 with an instant access fee of $5, you’d need to pay back $105.

The good news here is there are no upfront fees required to access the loan and you’ll still receive the full amount you requested. The instant access fee is only applied once and it is added to your full repayment amount.