Advance America
Advance America is a privately-held US consumer lender offering cash advances, installment loans, and lines of credit to subprime individual borrowers through 760+ retail storefronts across 23 states plus a 24/7 online platform, supplemented by Western Union money transfer services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersGreenville, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Advance America does
Advance America (legal entity AARC, LLC) is a privately-held US consumer lender founded in 1997 and headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. The company originates short-term and medium-term loans — cash advances (2-4 week terms), installment loans with fixed monthly payments, revolving lines of credit, online loans, emergency loans, and personal loans — to subprime individual consumers who need quick access to cash between paychecks. It also offers Western Union money transfer services at its retail locations and refers title-loan demand to a third-party partner (LoanCenter / Wilshire Commercial Capital). Pricing is transaction-fee based and varies by state; specific interest rates and fees are not publicly disclosed and are quoted at the application level.
Advance America operates a hybrid distribution model combining 760+ physical storefronts across 23 states (Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) with a 24/7 online application platform that delivers same-day funding for approvals made before 10:30 AM ET. The company holds state direct-lender licenses in multiple jurisdictions and carries BBB accreditation, an Online Lenders Alliance seal, and Great Place to Work certification.
The business is monetized entirely through per-loan transaction fees across its product portfolio, supplemented by Western Union service revenue and referral economics from LoanCenter. No revenue, funding, or ownership figures are publicly disclosed, and the company appears independently operated with no parent, private equity sponsor, or public listing. Brand strength is evidenced by 157M+ cumulative loans originated over 28+ years, a 4.9/5 Trustpilot rating across 128,363 reviews, and 200,000+ Google reviews, while customer concentration risk is inherently low due to the atomized retail borrower base.
Advance America firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Advance America
- Legal name
- AARC, LLC
- Website
- https://advanceamerica.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Advance America is a privately-held US consumer lender offering cash advances, installment loans, and lines of credit to subprime individual borrowers through 760+ retail storefronts across 23 states plus a 24/7 online platform, supplemented by Western Union money transfer services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Advance America industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Lending
- NAICS
- Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (52229), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cash Advance (Online & Storefront) (FSAKAMAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Retail Credit (Closed-End) & Promotional Financing (0%/Deferred Interest) (FSAKAFAF)
Keywords
Where Advance America is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greenville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Advance America business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Cash Advances/Payday Loans: Short-term consumer loans typically repaid within 2-4 weeks. Customers receive quick access to cash for urgent expenses and repay the loan at next payday.
- Installment Loans: Fixed monthly payment loans where customers repay over time. Provides longer repayment terms compared to cash advances.
- Line of Credit: Revolving credit facility where customers can draw as needed and only pay interest on amounts borrowed.
- Western Union Services: Money transfer and related financial services offered through Western Union partnership at store locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Cash Advances - Short-term loans repaid in 2-4 weeks |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Advance America product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Advance America provides consumer lending products including cash advances (short-term loans typically repaid in 2-4 weeks), installment loans with fixed monthly payments, revolving lines of credit, and general personal/emergency loans. Customers can apply in-store at over 700 locations across 23 states or through a 24/7 online platform, with same-day funding available for online approvals before 10:30 AM ET. The company also offers Western Union money transfer services at store locations through a partnership.
Product overview
Advance America operates a multi-channel consumer lending platform offering short-term and medium-term loan products. The core portfolio includes Cash Advances (2-4 week terms), Online Loans, Emergency Loans, and Personal Loans, complemented by longer-term Installment Loans with fixed monthly payments and a Line of Credit with revolving access. The company also provides Western Union money transfer services through a partnership. Products are available through 760+ physical store locations across 23 states and a 24/7 online platform, with same-day funding for eligible online applications approved before 10:30 AM ET.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cash Advances Short-term loans providing quick access to cash for urgent expenses, typically repaid within 2-4 weeks. Targeted at individual consumers needing immediate funds between paychecks.
- Installment Loans Fixed-monthly-payment loans allowing borrowers to receive money upfront and repay over time in scheduled installments. Provides longer repayment terms compared to cash advances.
- Line of Credit Revolving credit facility allowing borrowers to access funds as needed, paying interest only on the amount drawn.
- Online Loans Digital lending products accessible through the company's 24/7 online platform, enabling borrowers to apply and receive approval online with same-day funding for eligible applications.
- Emergency Loans Loans designed to cover unexpected urgent expenses with fast approval and funding. Targeted at individual consumers facing financial emergencies.
- Personal Loans General-purpose loans for personal financial needs, available in both online and in-store formats.
- Western Union Services Money transfer and remittance services offered through Western Union partnership at store locations, enabling customers to send and receive money globally.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of borrowers prefer digital tools for convenience
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Advance America
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Advance America technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Advance America partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- No Kid Hungry FloridaminorPartnership for statewide survey on food insecurity in Florida. Advance America and No Kid Hungry Florida collaborated on surveys measuring the impact of grocery prices on Florida families, finding that one in three Floridians are cutting back on fresh produce purchases.
- Western UnioncoreWestern Union money transfer services are offered at Advance America store locations, providing customers with additional financial services including money transfers and related transactions.
- LoanCenterminorLoanCenter provides title loans referred through Advance America. Advance America makes title loan referrals to LoanCenter at no cost to customers. Loans are made by Wilshire Commercial Capital, LLC dba LoanCenter and Wilshire Consumer Credit. Not available in all states.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Advance America competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Check Into Cash: Direct payday-loan competitor operating storefronts and online platforms with similar cash-advance, installment-loan, and line-of-credit products. Identified alongside Advance America as a dominant player in the global payday loans market.
- ACE Cash Express: Direct payday and installment lender with a multi-state retail footprint and online platform, offering similar short-term cash advance products and bill payment services. Cited as a top-three competitor to Advance America in the US payday lending market.
- Speedy Cash: Direct competitor offering payday loans, installment loans, and lines of credit through both retail storefronts and an online platform across multiple US states, targeting the same subprime borrower segment.
- Money Mart: Multi-state and Canadian storefront-and-online payday lender offering cash advances, installment loans, and check-cashing services to underbanked consumers, structurally similar to Advance America.
- CashNet USA: Online-only payday and installment lender operating across multiple US states, competing directly with Advance America's digital lending channel for short-term cash advance customers.
- World Finance (World Acceptance): Subprime consumer installment-loan specialist with a large US storefront network, comparable to Advance America in serving underbanked borrowers with personal loans, though with longer-duration products.
Emerging players
- Earnin: Fintech earned-wage-access app that lets users draw against accrued wages before payday — directly addressing the same 'cash between paychecks' need as Advance America's cash advances, but via a tip-based, mobile-first model that competes on cost.
- Dave: Mobile banking and cash-advance app offering small-dollar advances to avoid overdrafts, targeting the same underbanked consumer segment as Advance America with a lower-fee, subscription-based model.
- MoneyLion: Digital finance platform offering cash advances, installment loans, and credit-building products to underbanked consumers, representing the fintech evolution of the storefront payday model Advance America operates.
Broad incumbents
- Enova International: Publicly-traded online subprime consumer and SMB lender operating brands like CashNetUSA and NetCredit; competes with Advance America online and provides a comparable public-market valuation reference for the category.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Advance America social profiles
Digital presenceAdvance America compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Advance America financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Advance America leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Advance America funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Advance America M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Advance America
What does Advance America do?
Advance America provides consumer lending products including cash advances (short-term loans typically repaid in 2-4 weeks), installment loans with fixed monthly payments, revolving lines of credit, and general personal/emergency loans. Customers can apply in-store at over 700 locations across 23 states or through a 24/7 online platform, with same-day funding available for online approvals before 10:30 AM ET. The company also offers Western Union money transfer services at store locations through a partnership.
Is Advance America a public or private company?
Advance America is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Advance America founded?
Advance America was founded in 1997. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Advance America based?
Advance America is headquartered in Greenville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Advance America make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Cash Advances/Payday Loans are the primary driver. The others are installment Loans, line of Credit and western Union Services.
Who are Advance America's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Check Into Cash, ACE Cash Express, Speedy Cash, Money Mart, CashNet USA and World Finance (World Acceptance). Emerging players are Earnin, Dave and MoneyLion. Enova International is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Advance America have an API?
No public API is recorded for Advance America.
What industry is Advance America in?
Advance America's product category is Consumer Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAMAC, Cash Advance (Online & Storefront), with a secondary code of FSAKAFAF, Retail Credit (Closed-End) & Promotional Financing (0%/Deferred Interest). Its NAICS code is 52229 and its SIC code is 6141.