Advance America

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.

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

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

• Consumer lending
• Payday loans
• Installment loans
• Cash advances
• Line of credit

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Installment Loans: Fixed monthly payment loans where customers repay over time. Provides longer repayment terms compared to cash advances.
3. Line of Credit: Revolving credit facility where customers can draw as needed and only pay interest on amounts borrowed.
4. Western Union Services: Money transfer and related financial services offered through Western Union partnership at store locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• No Kid Hungry FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Partnership 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 UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWestern Union money transfer services are offered at Advance America store locations, providing customers with additional financial services including money transfers and related transactions.
• LoanCenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLoanCenter 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/UAdvanceAmerica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/YouAdvanceAmerica
• Facebookfacebook.com/AdvanceAmerica
• Instagraminstagram.com/advanceamerica
• Pinterestpinterest.com/youadvanceamerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advance-america

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Advance America