Need $400? Compare What It Costs Before You Borrow
Page last reviewed: October 27, 2026 · Reviewed for accuracy by Betty Walsh
A surprise $400 bill is one of the most common money squeezes: more than a third of adults couldn't cover one with cash in 2025, according to the Federal Reserve. Compare what $400 costs from a bank, an app or a lender, then request it online in one short form.
- U.S. Bank's Simple Loan: $400 for a $24 fee, if you already bank there
- Cash App's first-time Borrow limits go up to $400
- A payday fee on $400 usually runs $40 to $120, depending on your state
How it works: fill out one short form, lenders in our network review it, and you see the full cost before you sign anything. How LendUp works.
Your loan amount
Free · No obligation. LendUp is not a lender. When you submit a request, we share your information with lenders in our network, who may contact you. A request doesn't guarantee an offer.
What $400 Costs, Option by Option
The same $400 can cost almost nothing or more than $100, depending on where it comes from and how fast you repay it.
| Option | Cost on $400 | You repay | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America Balance Assist | $15 flat fee | $415 in 4 monthly payments | Checking account open at least 1 year; credit check |
| U.S. Bank Simple Loan | $24 ($6 per $100) | $424 in 3 payments of about $141.33 | Checking open 6+ months with 3 months of direct deposits |
| Credit union PAL | Up to 28% APR plus up to $20 | About $418.80 over 3 months, plus the fee | At least 1 month of membership for PAL I |
| Chime MyPay | $0, or $5 for an instant transfer | $400 or $405 | Direct deposit to a Chime account |
| Dave ExtraCash | $20 (5%), plus up to $5 a month in membership | $420 | Limits vary; few members qualify for the $500 maximum |
| Payday loan | $60 at a common $15 per $100 | $460 in about two weeks | About 391% APR; not legal in every state |
| Installment loan at 36% APR | $82.16 in interest | $482.16 over 12 months | $40.18 a month |
Bank and app costs come from each provider's published terms, checked October 27, 2026. The payday and installment rows are worked examples; your state sets the caps.
How People Cover a Surprise $400 Bill
The Federal Reserve asks this every year. In its 2025 survey, 63% of adults said they would cover a $400 emergency entirely with cash or its equivalent. The rest of the table shows what else people said they would do; they could pick more than one answer.
| What adults would do | Share of all adults |
|---|---|
| Pay with cash, savings or a card paid off at the next statement | 63% |
| Put it on a credit card and pay it off over time | 15% |
| Borrow from a friend or family member | 10% |
| Sell something | 7% |
| Use a bank loan or line of credit | 3% |
| Use a payday loan, deposit advance or overdraft | 2% |
| Couldn't pay for it right now | 12% |
Source: Federal Reserve, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025 (May 2026), Figure 24 and Table 25.
Borrowing $400 From Cash App
Cash App Borrow is one of the few app products whose first-time limits can reach $400. Here's how it works, according to Cash App's own pages.
- Limits: first-time borrowers can unlock limits of up to $400, with later increases of up to $300. The average first-time limit was $153 in October 2025, so many people start lower.
- Who qualifies: most people become eligible after depositing $300 or more in paychecks to Cash App each month, or by linking an account that receives $500 or more a month.
- Cost: a flat fee, shown before you accept. Cash App says it doesn't check your credit score or report Borrow to the credit bureaus.
- Repayment: pay as money comes in, in weekly installments, or all at once.
- Not offered in: Colorado, Iowa or Oregon.
$400 Loan Questions
How do I borrow $400 from Cash App?
Look for a Borrow offer in the app. If you have one, you can take as little as $20 up to your limit, and first-time limits go up to $400. Eligibility usually depends on depositing $300 or more in paychecks to Cash App each month.
Can I get a loan with a 400 credit score?
It's hard with a mainstream lender, because 400 sits near the bottom of the 300–850 range. Products that lean on income and bank activity instead, such as cash advance apps and payday loans where they're legal, are more realistic, but they lend less or cost more. Options for scores of 300–499.
How can I get $400 today?
If you bank with U.S. Bank and qualify, its Simple Loan is deposited within minutes of approval. Apps such as Chime MyPay and Dave can send money quickly for an express fee. A request through LendUp can be funded the same or next business day if a lender approves it.
What's the cheapest way to borrow $400?
A bank small-dollar loan, if you qualify: Bank of America charges a flat $15 and U.S. Bank $24. A credit union payday alternative loan is capped at 28% APR. A payday loan at a typical $15 per $100 costs $60 for about two weeks.
Is $400 too little for a personal loan?
Often, yes. Many mainstream personal lenders set minimums well above $400; Discover's, for example, is $2,500. That's why most $400 options are bank small-dollar loans, apps, credit union PALs and short-term loans.
Need the $400 before your next paycheck?
LendUp is free to use because lenders pay us. One request, no obligation, and the full cost is shown before you sign.
Other Loan Amounts
Sources
- Federal Reserve - Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Savings and Investments
- U.S. Bank - Simple Loan
- Bank of America - Balance Assist
- Cash App - Borrow
- Cash App - Borrow money (help)
- Chime - Fee and cost schedule (MyPay)
- Dave - ExtraCash account
- 12 CFR 701.21 - NCUA rules for payday alternative loans
- CFPB - What are the costs and fees for a payday loan?
- Discover - Personal loans