Branch: A Better Payday Reviews

by Pisssssssssssssd

After using Branch for sometime I decided to try their direct deposit after hearing I could get my checks up to two days early. After requesting my card I was emailed a direct deposit form and after sending it to my HR I was in rolled that same week and paid through the this app app (yet not any sooner I should add). I was disappointed to find out the this app card was not excepted in many places including 7-Eleven and Quiktrip. After being declined I called their customer service to find out they did not have a specific list of places the card wasn’t excepted so it became my job to find where the card wasn’t excepted by being declined.I tried to take matters into my own hands by transferring all my funds from my this app account to my Chase account only to find out there was a limit of $300 I could transfer Per day but not before I paid a fee of $5. The rest I would have to transfer the next day for another fee.. terrible card service over I would never recommend it to anyone.

by Sncvrf

Fantastic Sams decided to use this app services for its employees to receive their tips. In the beginning it was a game changer that made the receival of my tips convenient. Later I had an issue with a merchant charge. The merchant ran my this app card 4 times explaining that I had insufficient funds. Instead,I ended up using my bank debit card to complete the transaction. Later that evening I discovered that my this app card had been charged for each swipe made by the merchant. The charges remained deducted from my this app card . I waited several days before using my this app card hoping that the funds would be returned. I called customer service and was told that the merchant had not closed out the card charges for business that week and that my funds would be returned within two weeks. I waited two weeks and,unlike my personal banking application that keeps a reliable account of each and every transaction I make,the evidence disappeared. There was no proof or record of the transactions that took place on that evening, the transactions just disappeared.I continued to call customer service. My employer gave me a supposed direct number to someone that would assist me and I was directed to the same pointless waste of time. I never got my $30 back. Who is accountable? Fantastic Sams or this app?

by Nicc300

I have had the same direct deposits with the same amount and it’s no longer detecting my deposits because I am unable to get the advance. I don’t recommend this service, customer service does not get back to you. I’ve messaged them twice. Once on my own and the second time was a reply to a old support message I had sent to so I can possibly pay the advance back earlier. They got back to mee almost a week after that message which defeated the purpose cause it was just paid in the regular date. I recommend everyone to us Dave! They also give you a bigger advance. Also I’m throwing this this app card in the dumpster cus it’s TRASH.

UPDATE: they now claim I spend all my money on payday which isn’t true because it moved to a credit and savings account. Flawed company and system. The system never detects bank account correctly. I do not recommend anyone use Branch. You better off using Dave which gives you a bigger advance and less of a hassle on getting the advance. They also created that trash bank card to steal more money from people who already need extra money so they can profit more off you. It was simple just paying the fee and instant depositing the advance in your account but no, they want to gouge cash. That’s how bad the company is doing.... Very desperate

by Nkubon

I recently had $146 worth of fraud on my account from someone ordering from Chipotle Online with my card. I called the fraud number this app gives, was told they’d cancel my card, which would take 7-10 days to receive, with having no expedited forms of shipping the card and no way to get my money in my account unless I move it to another account with another bank and wait 3-4 days to get it. Then because the charges were “pending” I was told there was nothing they could do until the transactions were “posted”, and to call back then. I called back and was told I won’t hear anything for 45 days, for them to investigate. Yes, 45 days to get my money back! Thank God it’s only $146, but that’s still a good bit of money to wait 45 days for!! I was given no reference or confirmation number or email that a dispute was filed, just told I’ll hear from the fraud department IF they find something. The representative on the phone was completely unconcerned, and could care less. So here I sit, out $146 for 45 days, all my money in my account trapped for 7-10 days til I get my new card. Unreal!

The only benefit to this app is the money spotting if needed and the easy app to use.

I’ll be moving my money out of this app immediately, and will not refer them.

by Mel2189

Not even worth a star! They are liars, and it’s a waist of time! Branch can tell you your qualified in every area, and when you contact customer service they will say,

“Recently, there were several new factors taken into consideration when qualifying for earned wage access. Many of the factors were related to historical on-time repayments. However, visibility into the specific factors is not available. We understand that this is a difficult time for many people and that these changes can be challenging. Earned Wage Access requirements are continually evolving, and we do not guarantee qualification each pay period. With unprecedented times ahead, we are doing what we feel is necessary so that we can continue offering our service to as many people as possible, for as long as possible.”

So you understand it’s hard times yet you don’t give your customers real reasons why they don’t qualify! Concrete reasons they can fix or work on! Yet, according to their app says I meet all the criteria and the fact that 3 weeks prior I qualified just fine! Branch tells you things yet customer service tells you something different! they are not worth it, if you have them leave them, all they do is lie! Save your self the headache!

by Mynameisme123

So Branch still says I qualify for an advance, that I meet every requirement, but somehow I can’t have one. It makes no sense and after waiting a week to respond “Greg C” gives the same answer the he replied to here. He says they’ve changed qualifications and requirements but he can’t see if I meet them or not and why. I told them it says I meet them all, assuming there’s some sort of error. He again sends the exact same message. I told him again and still received the same answer. I feel like this started happening to a lot of people this past month and this app is doing some shady stuff....disconnect your banking info and let it go because I feel like they are up to no good.

Branch was great for a year, no issues. I’ve had no changes to anything. Suddenly it said I met all the qualifications but yet I didn’t qualify. No change in pay, job, bank etc. Everything had been the same as the last 12 months. I contacted them on November 25 to find out why and haven’t heard back. They only have the messages for support but no one contacts or anything. It use to be my favorite app for that but now my mind has changed. Not because of the issue as much as it’s because their “support” obviously isn’t really there.

by LTrain80

Everything was smooth sailing for awhile. I was able to do instant pay cash advances without a problem. In the past month I’m being hit up constantly to open a direct deposit checking account, and I’m being told they can’t verify my pay cycle with my bank anymore, even though nothing has changed on my end. I’ve contacted support twice and both times they said my bank was having an issue with Plaid and this could be an intermittent outage issue, and to keep checking back to see if it gets resolved. (Other apps used simultaneously have seemingly had no issues connecting my bank with Plaid). They seem to be in no hurry to resolve their tech issues and seem to be placing more restrictions on customers who previously had none and for whom nothing has changed. Is this an intentional business strategy to coerce users to open accounts, because it’s really annoying and only going to lose business in the long run. Why should I trust them with my direct deposit when their basic services are having issues? Hey, this app - resolve the tech and approval issues with your basic offerings BEFORE asking your customers to upgrade.

by Paying2Drive🥺

If I could rate no stars that’s exactly what they’d get from me… I’ve been trying to reach them for well over a week and either the “priority support” line continuously rings until it ends the call or a voicemail comes on telling you the voicemail is full!!!! You can’t leave a message for them to get back to you in a timely fashion and when you reach out to support via chat or email you won’t receive a response for a good month and then when you do receive a response it’s from an earlier inquiry and has NOTHING to do with your current issue!!!! For some reason and my calls get rerouted to ddi for my this app support which is redundant at best because you continuously get rerouted between the two never getting an answer just then blaming each other 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 Then I’m told ddi has only 10 employees!!!!! 10 EMPLOYEES!!!!! Really?????? For a nation of gig workers???? Really???? EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE!!!!!! Get rid of your this app accounts and get a different gig of the gig FORCES you to get an app to get paid!!!! 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎

by Stephanieaf8785

Branch USED to be super amazing. As a single working mom working as a frontline healthcare worker, with zero help, Branch was a Godsend for me. I “make too much” to get any kind of help yet I barely scrape by between paychecks. When I had an unexpected emergency expense, I discovered this app and the instant pay advance came to save the day!

It saved me on multiple other occasions through this whole COVID fiasco - where the responsibility falls on me, is that I kept Branch for when I had emergencies and depended on it being there when I needed it.

Payday came and they took their payback as scheduled - I had to take a week off work due to a potential exposure situation and was going to depend on this app to get me over the hump. Except when I went to go take out an advance, it said I didn’t qualify. They have changed their structure so that you HAVE to have your direct deposit out into a this app Bank Account (vs depositing it into your regular bank account). Then you have to wait until you have had multiple direct deposits before you are eligible.

We all have enough stress in our lives and enough other things to keep track of. The last thing I want is another account and have to change my direct deposit info and then have to wait a couple months.

I doubt they will, but it would be nice if they would go back to their previous structure.

by Jackl2021

Branch is such a mess now that they have “updated” or whatever they call it. I have consistently used the same debit card as my external method of payment for over a year with the company. The company ADMITTED they were having issues with Plaid AND anyone who had Bank of America. I was no different. So when they went to collect my instant repayment, the Plaid issue caused them to have to use an ACH withdrawal from my account versus repay from the debit card. I have contacted support 900 times after I have not been able to take another instant because this app placed a block on my card because the ONE time they had an issue pulling my payment back with the card. Mind you they were still able to collect the money using the ACH method. Now supports excuse (and I guarantee you will be the company reply to this comment) will say “oh we had some updates and we just must (all of a sudden) not accept your debit card due to verification issues” OR their other favorite “to prevent this hassle please set up your direct deposit with us there are lots of benefits” So in turn they are forcing me to sign up for direct deposit in order to use instant pay ever again. If you don’t believe me check back for the company’s response once they respond to my review!

by SadeWallaceEO

To me Branch isn’t consistent with the cash outs. Usually I’m able to take an installment out within 24 hours of them processing my payment. I thought they were getting better because They even let me cash out on the same day with the last installment. However, now I see that there is a 3 business day processing time which is fine. But even after that, I’m still unable to access a loan because I’m being told that they’re “verifying my direct deposit.” Why would they need to verify my direct deposit when I’ve been using Branch for months? I work for the same company with the same Biweekly Paytime and the same bank account. Then I’ve emailed customer service over 48 hours ago and still no response. Yet they took the last installment a week ago. I understand glitches, just wish customer service was more convenient. Maybe provide a chat feature?

by Hailee Michelle

Branch is getting lower and lower on my list for its usefulness in payday advances. It seemed reliable at first but long term, especially in our current climate it is not feasible (for me atleast). They really can’t help with much on their end so don’t look for it. There’s no payment extensions available ever regardless if you have a good history with them and regardless of covid. And it will automatically pull from your account regardless of your available funds unlike MoneyLion and Dave that wait until they can take the full payment. God forbid you get one overdraft fee ..you won’t be able to get an advance for 30 days. Even if your bank refunds the overdraft fee and even if the overdraft fee was a result of something non preventable and unforeseen they do not care. What’s crazy is even if you’ve been paid and your account is positive you still have to wait 30 days. Support is always less than helpful simply saying there’s nothing they can do. I’ll stick with MoneyLion and Earnin .

by Davidrocks24

I have used Branch for months and it has always been a great way for an advance on my paycheck when I’m in a pinch. I mostly was approved for advances and when I wasn’t they explained why and I was usually able to correct the issue. I recently paid back an advance from them on a Friday and was notified that it cleared on a Monday and I could try for a new advance. However, when I tried for a new advance it denied me. I waited a couple days and still was being denied. The most frustrating part is I met every requirement. The only thing it kept telling me was I didn’t qualify for an advance but there was no reason why. I tried emailing their support team who said they couldn’t help me because they can’t see why I am not approved. It makes no sense that they couldn’t see that info. I don’t want to get rid of Branch but if you can’t get approved for advances there really is no point in having it.

by AzianKiRo

So I was using Branch for specifically using the schedule upload so I could see my schedule. My first go around I was at another store with a small crew and I got 90% of them on to add it. Now I’m at another store and I have been trying to get my crew to add it. But either I get told they don’t have the room or they have a set schedule. We also have too much people come and and go. I would understand getting your paycheck early would be a premium feature and maybe editing/swapping shifts.... I would try to get my bigger boss to get this but they already started using a different app. And the only way you can get premium is to contact the team? Too much work for just one person to use. If there was option/setting that showcased different memberships like 99 cents a week for the schedule upload (that I might consider), $4/week for everything, etc... I would consider staying. Other than that gripe, it is a good app for company/store who want to actively stay in contact with your employees... but if you are individually just getting it. Pointless.

by Dizzle707

Overall a pretty legit app, definitely has helped me make rent on time when I was short and payday not til the next week. It can feel lame on payday when the check is small from the deduction but I just remind myself that I’m basically getting the money from that check earlier which after a while you get used to it and it’s nice to be able to get my money early when I need it since living paycheck to paycheck it’s not uncommon to be flat broke the week or payday so having the option to advance is super convenient. Only downside is that sometimes it takes a little bit of time for work to get the hours reported to this app, if it was always daily hours update to it that’s the only improvement really I can think of, and that might be the fault of my work as well. So definitely a solid 4 stars for sure if your work offers the this app service it can be very helpful at times.

by UrQu33n

This is by far the best way to borrowing money if your low on cash and don’t want to pay all the interest and fees when taking out a personal loan. You do have to have a steady paycheck coming in, the max you can borrow is 500$ and you don’t get that the first time you borrow. If you are on time with your payback when you borrow every time the limit to borrow increases. Remember 500$ is the cap! Please make sure your pay date is correct, because if not your payback to this app want be on time which will cause this app to pause you from borrowing for about 15-30 days! If your considering this app, you hit the spot! Better than Dave!

by Alex T. Cross

After my last pay cycle I was able to get an advance a couple of days later. The next day I noticed my daily balance notification hadn’t updated. Went into Branch and it said I couldn’t get an advance because my direct deposit wasn’t detected, which was fine. Didn’t need one. But I did put in a ticket. That was almost two weeks ago and I still can’t get one. Since then I’ve submitted five tickets and I don’t get a response and it’s still not resolved. I’m betting they will take the payment tomorrow for the advance I received. If you can’t detect my direct deposits that are clearly showing on Branch then you shouldn’t be able to detect my upcoming pay and not take the money out of my account. This is the worst app I’ve ever used for ANYTHING. After this payment is made, I’ll be deleting Branch and spreading the word on ever platform I can to worn others not to deal with this app. Go to Earnin folks. They have live chat and will get your issues settled in 48 hours or less.
P.s. you may not be able to see this message long. The last two reviews I posted were deleted.

by TheresaNKyle

I found Branch and have been using it every single month since the first time I tried it, and it has seriously helped me every single month, literally can say it’s a life saver every time I just need to use a couple hundred dollars to get through the rest of the month. It also ensures I don’t borrow so much that I hurt myself for the following month and it also has helped me start to budgeting my funds a heck of a lot better then I was doing. I swear if your like me and don’t have any friends to ask for help and family is just out of the question, then do just like me and get Branch because it has become the biggest help to me every time I need it the most. Thanks this app for always being there for me.

by NikkiG33

I’ve been using this app for a while now and it’s been great, up unto the last 2 advances. My pay has never changed and I’ve never missed a payment. It has always been consistent. I build up to a 450 dollar advance loan and just recently the last two loans went down to 300 and 227. Nothing has changed, I have the same pay and the same direct deposit schedule. Plus my money on payday, especially on the last direct deposit of the month, it’s when I spend the most because of my mortgage payment. But that never had any issues or has it affected the limit on my advance. I have emailed customer service and basically they told me that they can’t do anything about it because it’s the system that tracks everything. It’s out of their hands. Now that’s incredibly really hard to believe that they can’t do anything on increasing or decreasing the advance. They are the software developer and they can’t do anything about that??? It just doesn’t make sense.

by JessieKaa.xo

to be honest, i was skeptical at first. I have used other apps that are for “loaning money” and most either don’t work or approve me when i have steady income or they charge a lot for a loan. this app is amazing!! they are FREE with the option of a tip, which i do recommend because it helps keep this app running and it doesn’t hurt to tip a little (whatever you want, $1-anything). this app has always came through for me and one of the few loan apps i actually enjoy using. you get a new card to put money on from this app so you keep it separate from your other money which i like because it’s like my back up card when i really need help. i recommend Branch to anyone. it’s easy and payback is automatic but then after a day - 3 days (for processing payback) then you can get another loan if needed. i love Branch!! ❤️

by Rmarie123

I have used Branch for almost a year now and I’m honestly on the brink of deleting. They’re customer service is horrible so if something happens to Branch or say you get a new debit card or change employment, Good luck on getting a response. I will be deleting soon as I have contacted them 3 times about the same issue. When i did get a response it was “everything looks good on our side” then nothing.I believe this happened before when I had an issue a couple of months ago. Other than their customer service and how they deal with customer issues Branch is cool. I won’t give any stars though because it is really ridiculous that I feel like I have to chase and send so many emails just to get a response that doesn’t relate to my problem because Branch is not working properly. Save your time.

by Bri1090

I have been trying to use Branch for the past month. I have always gotten an excuse as to why I can’t take out a loan. This last time I was told because my payday was not regular. Which was a lie I get paid faithfully every Thursday. Then the rep told me that my bank is having issues with their online which is another lie because I have been using my online banking through Branch and the website constantly that is how I check my account balance. The representative who was helping me also called me the wrong name and told me to check back later This has just been a terrible experience. I would NEVER EVER recommend Branch to anybody. I have never had these types of issues with the earnin app.

by RareUntamableLeo

Really sorry I even wasted my time with Branch. Had issues from the second I downloaded it. It won’t let me add my workplace (despite it telling me to) no matter how many times I typed in the info all I kept getting was spinning circle. After two days of that I finally reached out to customer service for help as to what was going on with Branch . They responded ONCE and when I emailed them back with was going on. crickets... No one ever got back to me and even after uninstalling it was doing the same thing so I said to hell with Branch. If they can’t get their crap in order before I am even able to get to the sign up page then this is definitely an app I don’t need to be dealing with. I will not be wasting a another second on this trash app

by Cj16

So i downloaded Branch because i heard it was very similar to Earnin. Branch accepts my bank unlike Earnin which is great but since signing up a few days ago, i havent even been able to send myself an advance. My card was charged for a verification that was successful and yet when i go to do the advance it says “opps cant verify account information”. I’ve been corresponding with a few ppl and there not very good about updating and getting back to you. Im willing to still give it a try and possibly change this review but given that i provided a lot of personal information and its still not working, i would not recommend its use to to others. At the moment their still “not quite sure what the issue is” even after providing many of screenshots.

by KiaraJJJ

Before I start, there’s no point in providing that email address only to face the same issues with no solution to it. Even though Earnin isn’t without its issues at least the reps respond in a timely manner, they usually know the answers to my questions, & can get something done. This this app app hasn’t allowed itself to show me how supposedly helpful it is & I only had it for a very short period of time. I kept sending emails about why my withdrawal amount hasn’t changed. No one knows the answer & if I do get one, it’s the same answer. I’ve asked more times to count why do I still see nothing as an option & after providing them with everything asked for?

by Mrsanow

My account was charged twice and yes that issue was resolved but I am not able to advance now after paying back the full amount on time every time. When I first signed up I didn’t qualify because of infrequent card usage/spending and now it’s id day I can’t advance due to too frequent of card usage! Qualification guidelines need to be adjusted along with bug fixes in the entire app as of Friday Branch is junk! I have emailed support numerous times to get an automated message in reply and it has ZERO helpful information in it...I was also somehow CC into a support email with other app users and was able to see all of there screen shots from their accounts being double charged over the weekend I feel that is a total violation of others privacy and I know I don’t want to share info like that with others especially via email GET IT TOGETHER!

by Revman89

Okay so here’s the thing.... Branch has had problems from jump. Pulling teeth out of a dog would be a lot easier then to deal with Branch.

If you’re looking for an app to help you out for a payday advance this is not Branch for it. They always “guess” your payday and it’s always two days after you take out the advance, which then leads you to reaching out to customer support.

Trying to get a hold of customer support is so bad you’d think that were communicating through carrier pigeon. And that’s even after you’ve had to resend your email with all the info of your problems twice! So how they can’t seem
to get back to is beyond me.

The connection to your bank is the part that scares me the most. When I went to go open Branch yesterday it had said that I needed to connect my bank again, in which I did for a total of 4 times! Makes me nervous to think that people could be trying to obtain your information. And now it says that I don’t qualify for an advance after paying them back.

So there a go again writing my issues on a scroll and attaching it to a poor little pigeon that didn’t choose this life.

All I’m saying this app app....is look at your life and look at your choices because maybe app development isn’t the right career choice.

by Shyamm Monifa

I’ve been using Branch as a personal schedule and earnings management. It’s annoying to see it being treated as if it’s an actual app used in the work field when it’s not. There was no reason for there to only make manager able to manually add the schedule. I don’t want to upload pictures and wait for you to add my shifts when i can put it in myself. And the this app pay is pretty unnecessary as well. Branch isn’t being used for all sorts of companies. I loved Branch because it was simple but the more i download it, delete it and re-download it or it just updates, more and more stuff is being added. Please tone it down, it’s not that serious.

by Ses1290876374

When I first started using this app it was incredible! I am a salaried employee therefore my paycheck never changes so at the very beginning of using Branch it was consistently increasing my advance. But then one paycheck it went from $400 all the way down to 165 and they stated it was because they were tracking my direct posit incorrectly. However after fixing it they never increased the amount for my advance. I had to email in four different times before I finally got the same response three times in a row. Fast forward to this most recent paycheck I paid back my loan in full six days ago yet it still states that it’s pending even though it was only supposed to be three days when I write into support I get absolutely no response. I would say that I love Branch if they could actually fix the bugs.

by Canda2012

On the general manager of Five Guys and mine tire store uses this app to request time off to make sure there on time for their shift it works wonderful I haven’t had any complaints actually make it mandatory but they download Branch when they are hired. It’s a great app and has tons of potential. As long as they listen to the reviews and Update it when necessary. The only complaint I had this app took care of it for me and released a patch to fix it the branches great I highly recommend it to any and all bosses wanting to make your schedule easier

by Perskinny

I’m not sure how Branch is rated so high. Customer service is terrible. They don’t respond and I think someone was attempting to be a jerk by leaving their response blank. Pointless. Branch has all these qualifications and stipulations as to why you can’t advance.
It’s just weird. It’s like one day you can and the next day they can’t find your account. It’s a waste of time and energy. You can use Dave or Earnin. Soooooo much better. I tried multiple times to give this app a chance but it’s awful. Honestly.

by Sey2u

this app sent out an email Saturday stating we wouldn’t be able to log in due to system maintenance in which I couldn’t log in wouldn’t take my phone number. They never sent an email to customers informing when we would be able to access our accounts. Today I try to log in, am unable to-same error, I email them asking about the issue and they’re response is to ask me what’s the issue and error as if they aren’t aware....wow

by 1994DJ

Branch worked fine for me at first, and was everything that was needed but then randomly one day, it could no longer verify and link my debit card to my bank account and I’ve contacted support and that hasn’t been any help at all because I just keep having to try to verify over and over again and my bank is good to go, and is working fine with every other app. Support either does not get back to you or does not do much when getting back to you. I am not happy with Branch at all.