When you need money fast, check what an offer costs before you say yes

A bill, a rent date or a repair is a few days away, and the sum is more than you have. In a week like that, speed is what you are shopping for. Some people list what to try: selling things you own, day labour, delivery work, borrowing from family. This page is about the check to run on any of those, and on the offers that turn up when you search for them. What does it ask you to pay up front, and what will it cost in total?

If an offer of quick money asks you to pay first, or promises a guaranteed result, check it before you send anything.

Needing money in a few days is not a failing, and some of the offers below lean on a short week: speed, pressure to act now, and a promise that it will be easy. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in a February 2026 alert on side hustles, says: “Scammers promise big money for little effort.” It lists ads offering “fast cash” for “minimal work” as a warning sign. In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) describes loan fee fraud as often starting with contact out of the blue: “They may contact you unexpectedly and will offer you the money you need.”

This page is for someone weighing ways to raise money in days, in the United States or the United Kingdom. It is not the page for you if you have already lost money to an offer: the box at the top and the guide I paid a scammer, or think I’ve been scammed are where to start. It is also not the first stop if the money is for rent, a utility bill or a debt. The person you are short for may agree to a plan, and there are pages here on that, named at the end. And it says nothing about steady income: it is about the next week.

Offers that ask you to pay first

A loan that needs a fee before the money arrives

The FTC says: “Any up-front fee that the lender wants to collect before granting the loan is a cue to walk away.” It says banks and other legitimate lenders “won’t promise or guarantee you a loan or credit before you apply”, and it lists “Bad credit? No problem” and “No hassle — guaranteed” as warning signs. The FTC page on this is dated July 2022. In the UK, the FCA says loan fee fraud is “a common scam where individuals are conned into paying a fee for a loan”. Its page lists a fee asked for before any loan is provided, sometimes called a deposit, admin fee or insurance; pressure to pay quickly by bank transfer, voucher or crypto exchange; and a promise that the fee is refundable. It says fraudsters often ask for fees “between £25 and £450” and that victims report an average loss of £255 (page updated 31 March 2026). It advises checking the firm on the FCA Firm Checker, and using the contact details the Firm Checker shows, not the ones you were given. Report Fraud, the police fraud-reporting service for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, describes the same pattern: an advert for a fast loan, approval whatever your credit history, and an up-front fee “to cover insurance for the loan” after which the loan does not arrive. It adds that if you deal with a firm that is not regulated, you may not be covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service if things go wrong. The FCA takes reports on 0800 111 6768. In Scotland, report fraud to Police Scotland on 101.

A job or side hustle that charges you

The FTC’s side hustle alert says: “No legitimate gig will make you pay for expenses, training, or anything else to get the job.” It also lists a gig that “will disappear” unless you accept right away as a reason to walk away. Its job scams page (March 2023) says honest placement firms do not typically charge a fee to job candidates, and that if one asks for a fee, especially one you have to pay in advance, you should walk away. In the UK, GOV.UK says recruitment agencies cannot charge you a fee for finding or trying to find you work. It says they can charge for certain services, such as CV writing, training or transport, but an agency “cannot make you use these services as a condition for finding you work”, and must give you full written details of the fee before charging you. GOV.UK says entertainment and modelling agencies have different rules, and that you can complain to Acas if you think an agency has charged you unfairly. This page did not check whether Northern Ireland has the same rules. Report Fraud’s page on work-from-home scams says “the majority of legitimate employers shouldn’t require you to pay anything to start working for them”. It lists reasons you may be given to pay up front, such as to register, buy customer leads, set up a website, buy products to sell or get an instruction manual, and it says many of these schemes only pay if you bring in more people, which it calls pyramid schemes. Some people in the discussions behind this page say the same from experience. In one discussion, a reply promising “guaranteed” money through private messages was flagged as a scam attempt. One person said data-entry jobs advertised at high hourly pay are scams. Another said a site that asks for payment to join is likely a scam. In one discussion, replies pushing survey sites were flagged as spam. Citizens Advice (England 0800 144 8848, Wales 0800 702 2020, Scotland 0800 028 1456) and Advice NI (0800 915 4604) give advice on money problems, and in the US your state labor office is one place to ask about agency fees.

How you are asked to pay

The FTC says: “Never pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency”, and “never deposit a check and send money back to someone.” There is a page here called A new job should never ask you to send money about the cheque version, and one called A buyer never needs you to send money for when you are the one selling.

To report an offer, in the US use ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and in England, Wales and Northern Ireland call Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040. In the US, 211 can point you to local help.

Offers that are real and cost a lot

Some quick cash is not a scam at all, and costs more than it looks like it will.

Payday loans

The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says a payday loan is “usually a short-term, high-cost loan, generally for $500 or less, that is typically due on your next payday”. It says many states cap fees at $10 to $30 for every $100 borrowed, and that a $15 per $100 fee on a typical two-week loan “equates to an annual percentage rate (APR) of almost 400 percent”, where credit card rates run roughly 12 to 30 percent. The due date is typically two to four weeks away. It says some states do not have payday lending, because the loans are not permitted there or lenders do not offer them at the rates allowed, and that in states that allow it, your state regulator or attorney general has more information. The CFPB also says some state laws let a lender “roll over” or renew a loan when it falls due so that you pay only the fees. Some people say to avoid payday loans because the fees can make things worse, and one person adds that a payday loan’s repayment date may arrive before an eviction process ends, so it does not solve the deadline. In the UK, the FCA caps high-cost short-term credit, which includes payday loans: charges of no more than 0.8 percent of the amount borrowed per day, default fees capped at £15, and a total cost cap, under which interest and fees together cannot exceed the amount borrowed (the FCA Handbook, CONC 5A.2). When the FCA announced the rules in 2014 it said: “no borrower will ever pay back more than twice what they borrowed”. The cap applies to firms the FCA regulates. For advice on a loan you already have, in the US a credit counselor through the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (1-800-388-2227) can help, and in the UK StepChange (0800 138 1111) or National Debtline (0808 808 4000).

Title loans

A title loan uses your vehicle as security. The CFPB’s 2016 research on loans made between 2010 and 2013 found that “one-in-five borrowers have their car or truck seized or repossessed by the lender for failure to repay”, that the typical loan was about $700 with a typical APR of about 300 percent, and that “more than four-in-five auto title loans are renewed the day they are due”. That research is old, and the loans may have changed.

Pawning

Some people list pawning an item such as a phone or laptop as a way to get cash straight away, with the chance to buy it back. In a pawn loan the shop holds your item, and in the form the CFPB’s payday-lending regulation describes (12 CFR 1041.3(d)(5)), the lender’s only recourse if you do not repay the loan and redeem the item is to keep it. In one discussion, people who said they used to work in pawn shops advised against it: if you cannot make the payments the item is gone for good, and “you can get it back” is misleading. Fees and rules differ by state, and this page did not check them. In the UK, check a pawnbroker on the FCA Firm Checker before you hand anything over, as you would any lender.

Pay-advance apps

One person lists cash advance apps as an alternative to a loan, and another says they may not give you the full amount you need. A CFPB report from July 2024 found that when employers do not cover the cost, “nearly all workers paid a fee for expedited access to their funds”. Its example is a $50 transaction with $3.18 in fees over four days, which the CFPB says equates to a 580.4 percent APR. Read the fee screen before you tap.

If you have a complaint about a lender in the US, the CFPB takes complaints at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. In the UK, the Financial Ombudsman Service covers regulated firms.

Ways that need no up-front payment

Many people suggest selling something you already own. Some say it is slower than you need, and that buyers pay less than the item is worth. One person says not to tell a buyer how desperate you are, because they may take advantage. One person points out that if the alternative is losing your home, you may sell for whatever is offered. Many people suggest day labour, moving help and temp agencies, for pay the same or next day. One person says day labour can be dangerous or physically exhausting, and one says you need photo ID for many agencies. Many people suggest delivery apps, and they disagree about what they pay: one person says they made far less than they hoped across a long shift, and others say Friday and Saturday nights can bring much more. One person says the earnings do not count fuel and vehicle costs. Before you drive for a delivery app, ask your car insurer whether your policy covers delivery work, and ask the app what its own insurance covers and when; this page did not check the rules where you live. Some people suggest asking family, friends or a community group for a loan or a gift. Some suggest saying when you will repay; others advise whoever helps to give without expecting repayment, to avoid resentment. One person says borrowing can breed resentment if repayment is delayed or forgotten. One person says a church may require membership before it gives help.

The CFPB’s page on whether to take a payday loan (reviewed August 2024) lists other routes: some employers, nonprofit organizations and community groups offer advances or emergency credit; a bank or credit union may have lower-cost borrowing; and you can ask a creditor or debt collector to lower the repayment amount so it is easier to manage. Some people say to call 211, or charities, about the underlying problem and not only the cash. 211 can point you to local help in the US.

How much can you raise in a week?

People disagree. Some say a couple of thousand dollars in a week or two is possible through gig work, selling things and labour. Others say the sum does not work out in that time for someone without things worth selling or skills in demand, and that chasing the full figure can lead to dangerous debt or to illegal activity. What decides it, on their account, is whether you have things worth selling or skills that are paid well. This page does not settle it. If you cannot reach the whole sum, the CFPB’s suggestion to ask the person you owe about the part you cannot cover is a route where nobody is selling you anything. There is a page here called Tell the landlord before the rent is late, and another called Call before the shutoff date.

What this page does not cover

Some people suggest plasma donation, paid medical studies or egg donation. They involve your health, eligibility rules and the law in your place, and this page did not check them. Ask the centre and a doctor. Outside the United States and the United Kingdom, the offices named here do not apply to you.