Advance America Review

Advance America offers loans both online and at storefronts. Depending on the state you are in they may offer payday loans, title loans, installment loans, and/or lines of credit. They were founded in 1997 and are headquartered in South Carolina. They have issued over 134 million loans and have over 1,400 stores as of 2021. Advance America claims to be the largest non-bank provider of cash advance services in the United States.

Advance America was NYSE listed company until 2012 when it was acquired by Grupo Elektra. Grupo Elektra is a Latin American financial services company. They operate in Mexico, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Peru. Including the ~1,400 America Advance storefronts in the US they have a total of more than 7,000 points of contact. In 2019, the company reported net income of ~$16B MXN (~$800M USD) and have a market cap of ~$325B MXN ($16B USD) as of Feb 2021. They are listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV: ELEKTRA) and Spain's Latibex market (Latibex: XEKT).

Grupo Elektra is in turn a part of Grupo Salinas, a large Mexican conglomerate with businesses in financial services, media, and telecommunications with operations in North America, Central America and South America.

Products

Advance America offers payday loans, installment loans, title loans, and lines of credit. Payday loans range from $50 - $1,500, installment loans from $100 - $3,000, title loans from $300 - $25,000, and lines of credit from $200 - $2,500. The actual amount will depend on your state of residency, financial profile, and credit worthiness. APR's range from 36% to 664%. The lower rates are for title loans that require collateral. All terms, rates, and minimum loans sizes may vary by state

Advance America's payday loan is a short-term, small-dollar loan, due in full at your next paycheck. They are not a long-term financial solution. Their installment loan gets you the money quickly, with the ability to repay over time. Installment loan terms from 2 to 24 months, depending on your state. If you own the title to your vehicle, their title loan allows you to borrow money based on its value. Your car is used as collateral. Their line of credit gives you a little more flexibility. Once you are approved for a certain limit, you can request money up to that total amount. The credit line, or maximum amount of money that can be withdrawn, varies by state, and the funds you request will be deposited directly into your bank account. After your initial approval, there’s no need to reapply. Once you pay back your fees and the money borrowed, you are able to request to withdraw more money from your line of credit whenever you need it.

In terms of payments, for online loans payments are automatically scheduled to be withdrawn from your checking account on the due date. You can also make a payment by logging in to your online account or over the phone.

For store front loans, loan payments are also accepted at the store. In some states, payments can also be made through an online account, by phone or through an automatic withdrawal from your checking account. Check with your local store to discuss available payment options.

Application and Eligibility

You and apply both online or in-person. In-store let's you receive your money in person. The entire process typically takes about 15 minutes, and you could get the money you need on-the-spot. An online loan is processed completely online without the need to visit a store. Once you submit an application, and if approved, the funds are deposited directly into your bank account, in some cases this can be done as soon as the same day. Online approvals before 10:30 AM ET (M-F) are typically funded to your bank account by 5 PM ET same-day. Approvals after 10:30 AM ET are typically funded in the morning the next banking day.

If you’re applying in-store, you’ll need:

• Government issued photo ID,
• Proof of open and active checking account (statement),
• Most recent proof of income (check stub, award letter or direct deposit), and
• Verification of SSN.

Depending on your state, a check may be required.

If you’re applying online, you’ll need:

• Valid Social Security Number
• Have a valid and active email address
• Active Checking Account
• Source of Income
• Government issued ID

For installment loans or extended term loans, they will review third party data sources to verify credit. For payday or cash advance loans they may not require a credit check.

Overall, we prefer licensed lenders because they are regulated by states and often more transparent. Advance America is a licensed lender so they are solid choice in terms of being licensed. Their site is informative with specific information around rates and fee by state. Their fee do seem to be fairly high so it makes sense to shop around or consider other options to borrowing money.