Comparison

Payactiv vs B9

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Payactiv

Access your earned wages before payday, pay bills on time, and manage unexpected expenses with user-friendly digital tools. This app helps you achieve financial stability and reach your financial wellness goals without predatory loans or interest.

Highlights
  • Early access to wages
  • Government payment early access
  • Spending and saving tools
  • Low balance alerts
  • Payactiv Visa Card
  • Integrated bill pay
  • Touchless payments
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

With Payactiv, access your hard earned wages before payday, pay bills on time avoiding late and overdraft fees, and handle unexpected expenses with our user-friendly digital tools. Payactiv provides you with the foundation to maintain financial stability and equips you with the necessary tools to help you reach your financial wellness goals and thrive—without payday loans or interest. Just your money at your fingertips. With Payactiv, you can expect: 1. Earlier access to your money: - Enjoy your paycheck up to 2 days early.1 - Receive government payments up to 4 days early.1 - Gain immediate access to earned wages.2 2. Spending and saving tools to achieve your financial goals: - Always stay informed about what's safe to spend. - Easily track your spending habits at a glance. - Receive low balance alerts. - Set up automatic transfers from earned wages. 3. The Payactiv Visa® Card*: A card designed without hidden fees: - No minimum balance requirements. - No overdrafts. - No monthly or inactivity fees. - Access surcharge-free withdrawals at 37,000+ MoneyPass® ATMs. - Enjoy free integrated bill pay. - Withdraw cash at tellers in participating banks. - Send and receive funds to other enrolled members with no transfer fees. 4. Convenience and security you can rely on: - Seamlessly use the card with Google Pay or Apple Wallet. - Utilize touchless payments at stores. - Benefit from Visa's Zero Liability protection.3 - Easily lock or replace lost or stolen cards. - Access 24/7/365 support in English and Spanish. *Central Bank of Kansas City does not administer, nor is liable for earned wage access. The Payactiv Visa Prepaid Card is issued by Central Bank of Kansas City, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Certain fees, terms, and conditions are associated with the approval, maintenance, and use of the Card. You should consult your Cardholder Agreement and the Fee Schedule at payactiv.com/card411. If you have questions regarding the Card or such fees, terms, and conditions, you can contact us toll free at 1 (877) 747-5862, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 1 Many (but not all) employers, government benefits providers, and other originators send direct deposits early with an effective date of 1-4 days later. Beginning with your second direct deposit of at least $5 from the same source, the Central Bank of Kansas City (CBKC) will post the funds to your Payactiv Visa Prepaid Card when we receive it, rather than on the effective date. This may result in your having access to the funds sooner. The date CBKC receives your direct deposit and the effective date are controlled by the originator. 2 Earned Wage Access requires employer participation. 3 Visa’s Zero Liability Policy does not apply to certain commercial card and anonymous prepaid card transactions or transactions not processed by Visa. Cardholders must use care in protecting their card and notify their issuing financial institution immediately of any unauthorized use. Contact your issuer for more detail.

About

B9

Access your paycheck early with cash advances that grow with your direct deposits. This banking app offers simple financial tools, rewards, and opportunities to earn extra money directly from your phone.

Highlights
  • Early paycheck access
  • Cash advances up to $1k
  • Advance limit grows with direct deposit
  • Up to 5% cashback rewards
  • Earn real cash with Play & Earn
  • Simple mobile banking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Get fast cash advances to your B9 wallet or directly to your bank account by becoming a member*. The B9 App is a mobile banking app where cash advances are built around your paycheck. Become a member, set up direct deposit, and get fast cash advance before your payday. No credit checks. No interest. Repay when you get paid. Once you’re a member, connect your paycheck and once it arrives on your account, request cash advances to be sent to your B9 account or send it to your bank. Need money immediately? We’ll expedite delivery within minutes for an additional fee. First time members may qualify for an advance range from $10-50. Not all members will qualify, and many will not qualify for a maximum amount right away. Consistent paycheck deposit will help access higher advances over time. Many members advance up to $150-$250 after their third paycheck. Unlike apps with daily cash-out caps, eligible B9 members can cash out their full available advance amount at once — no forced daily limits. Available advance amounts may increase over time based on recurring direct deposits and account activity. Qualifying income may include W-2 payroll, gig work, part-time income, and benefits such as SSI. Qualifying income may include W-2 payroll, gig work, part-time income, and benefits such as SSI. With over 1.5 million users, B9 is trusted to make everyday banking simpler, faster, and more rewarding. HOW TO GET YOUR B9 ADVANCE • Download the B9 App and open an account • Direct your paycheck to your B9 account • Access starts with your paycheck • Cash out the full available advance amount • Recurring paycheck deposits may increase your available advance amount. Repayment happens automatically with your next pay. WHY CHOOSE THE B9 APP? Cash out the entire available advance whenever you need it. Taking a break? We save your progress! Return within 35 days to start from where you left off. Easy banking Open your B9 Account and use your B9 Visa® Debit Card for everyday spending. Get up to 5% cashback on purchases with your B9 Visa® Debit Card. Earn real cash in the app with B9 Play & Earn. *MEMBERSHIP PLANS Basic — $9.99 • Fast cash advances up to $250 per pay period [1] • Withdraw anytime, including Cash App and Venmo transfers • Up to 5% cashback with the B9 Visa® Debit Card • Send money instantly • Earn real cash Basic plan provides access to B9’s full suite of financial tools and services. Membership auto-renews monthly but can be canceled anytime in the app or by contacting support. Premium — $19.99/month or as little as $6.99 (if paid yearly) • Fast cash advance up to $1,000 per pay period [1] • Immediate access to advance funds • Up to 5% cashback with the B9 Visa® Debit Card • Credit monitoring tools • Send money instantly • B9 Play & Earn real cash • Priority customer support All Premium plans provide access to B9’s full suite of financial tools and services. Membership auto-renews monthly but can be canceled anytime in the app or by contacting support. IMPORTANT NOTES • B9 membership is required to request cash advances • Advances are not loans, not payday loans, and not personal loans • No credit checks • No interest • No late fees • Instant transfer fees are optional and not included in the membership price COMPANY INFORMATION B9 launched in 2021 with a mission to help Americans achieve financial stability by bridging cash gaps. B9 is not affiliated with Credit Karma, Brigit, Earnin, Dave, Cleo, Beem, Chime, MoneyLion, Venmo, Cash App, or similar services. [1] Eligibility requirements apply. Not all users will qualify. Advances are not available in all states. See Terms of Service for details. B9, Inc. is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Evolve Bank & Trust, Member FDIC. Privacy Policy https://bnine.com/privacy-policy Terms of Service https://bnine.com/tos Address: 777 Brickell Avenue, Suite 500, Office 529 Miami, FL 33131

Screenshots

Payactiv4 screens
B94 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: B9 at 80% against Payactiv's 36%. B9 also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Payactiv's advantage is monetization model (free vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Payactiv holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 78K and 23K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 36% of Payactiv's written reviews are positive against 80% of B9's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Payactiv ships an update every 2 months, B9 weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Payactiv versus B9: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPayactivB9
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (78K ratings) — better4.5 (23K ratings)
Positive reviews35.8% of reviews80.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings78K — better23K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#140 — better#153
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB161 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPayActiv Inc.B9, Inc.

Customer experience

Payactiv

All ratings67,229 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral1.6%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews748 reviews
Positive35.8%
Neutral7.1%
Negative57.1%

B9

All ratings23,025 ratings
Positive87.7%
Neutral2.8%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews1,705 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral2.1%
Negative17.5%

User reviews

Payactiv

From 78K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick access to money
  • 👍 Convenient feature
  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Helpful in emergencies
  • 👍 Wonderful app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Hours/funds not updating properly
  • 🔒 Security and login issues
  • 💩 Poor customer service
  • 💰 High fees

B9

From 23K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Early paycheck access
  • 💰 Cash advances
  • 💳 Debit card with cashback
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • ⚡️ Instant money transfers

Room to improve

  • 💸 High fees for transfers
  • 🔒 Difficulty closing account
  • 🤔 Unclear advance repayment process
  • 🤯 Inconsistent advance amounts
  • 🔍 Lack of transparency

Bugs and requests

Payactiv

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App not loading or logging in
  • Funds disappearing or not updating
  • Issues linking bank accounts and cards

Requested features

4 requests
  • Same-day access to funds
  • Reduce withdrawal fees
  • Improve app stability and reliability
  • Better customer support

B9

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Direct deposit issues
  • App crashes and downtime
  • Incorrect account balance information

Requested features

4 requests
  • Savings account option
  • Improved customer support channels
  • More clarity on fees and policies
  • Consistent advance amounts

In-app purchases

None

Payactiv

No in-app purchases

None

B9

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Payactiv free?
Payactiv is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is B9 free?
B9 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Payactiv or B9?
Payactiv is rated higher. Payactiv averages 4.7 out of 5 from 78K ratings, while B9 averages 4.5 from 23K ratings.
Do Payactiv or B9 have ads?
B9 shows ads; Payactiv does not.
Which is updated more often, Payactiv or B9?
Payactiv ships an update every 2 months, and B9 weekly. Most recently, Payactiv was updated on September 24, 2026 and B9 on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Payactiv or B9?
Payactiv currently peaks at #140 in the App Store charts, and B9 at #153. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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