FrontPay vs Cleo.
Same job, a small advance against your next paycheck, priced two different ways. Eight rounds on the things that decide the bill, then the receipts for $50, $100 and $300. Figures from joinfrontpay.com and Finder, 10 April 2026.
joinfrontpay.com · website only · not affiliated with FrontPay USA
Finder figures · 10 April 2026
Eight rounds.
- $100Maximum advanceCleo$250first-timers $20–$100
- $9.99Monthly costCleo$5.99 Plus$8.99 Pro · $14.99 Builder
- $0Cost per advanceDraw$0
- $4.99Instant deliveryCleo$3.99
- 12 h–3 daysFree delivery takesFrontPay3–4 business days
- Direct deposit of $400+, two or three timesWho qualifiesCleoA linked bank account; no fixed direct-deposit rule
- Website only, no app, no new bank accountSetupDrawApp; no new bank account
- States not published · email-only supportReach and supportCleoMost states · in-app chat
Cleo, if you can wait three days. FrontPay, if you can't and won't pay express.
Cleo Plus is $4 a month cheaper, the cap is $250 instead of $100, and it's the loosest on direct deposit in this whole category. Its weak spot is speed: 3–4 business days free, against FrontPay's 12 hours to 3 days. Pay $3.99 and Cleo is same-day, still cheaper than FrontPay's $4.99. Cleo settled with the FTC for $17 million in March 2025 over advertised amounts and wait times; read the in-app numbers, not the ads.
Scored on published terms as of October 2026. A draw means neither is clearly better for most people, not that they're identical.
The receipt.
What one advance costs, repaid on the next payday, with the standard free delivery and with the paid instant option. Memberships are counted once, as if this is your only advance that month.
Dollar figures from each company's published schedule; where a fee scales with the amount, the range is shown. Tips set to $0 where they're optional.
| You need | FrontPay | Cleo |
|---|---|---|
| $50repaid next payday | $9.99standard · $14.98 instant | $5.99standard · $9.98 instant |
| $100repaid next payday | $9.99standard · $14.98 instant | $5.99standard · $9.98 instant |
| $300repaid next payday | Over the $100 cap | Over the $250 cap |
Switching from FrontPay to Cleo?
Three things people get wrong, in order.
Cancel the membership first.
FrontPay's $9.99 renews until you email them. Cancelling doesn't erase an open advance; that still comes out on payday.
How to cancel FrontPay, step by step →Don't overlap the paydays.
Take the Cleo advance on the payday after the FrontPay one has been repaid. Two auto-debits on one payday is the usual way an overdraft fee gets added to the bill.
Expect to start small.
Cleo sizes the first advance from your deposit history, not the headline number. Most new users begin well under the maximum and move up after a few on-time repayments.
Over $500?
Then it's neither.
Both of these stop at or below $500 and both take the whole amount back on one payday. A bill bigger than that needs a loan: one fixed payment a month, an end date on the contract, no membership. That is what FrontPay USA connects you with, $200 to $5,000.
Illustration at a common fair-credit APR; your offer shows your rate before you sign. Representative example: $2,500 over 12 months at 35.99% APR is $251.14 a month, $3,013.71 total.
FrontPay vs Cleo
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