Is Cleo Legit for Budgeting and Cash Advances?

Cleo says it will make budgeting fun by giving you a sassy AI chatbot that mocks your spending, sends you motivational messages, and helps you manage your money without making you feel like you’re being lectured—but is Cleo legit? The app also lets people who sign up for the top-tier Builder plan get cash advances of up to $250 and build their credit. It sounds like a refreshing change from boring spreadsheets and regular banking apps.

Then you look more closely, and the picture gets more complicated. Cleo charges up to $14.99 a month to help you build credit, which comes to almost $180 a year. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission fined Cleo $1.7 million for lying to customers about how much they could get in cash advances and making it difficult to cancel. There are mixed reviews from users. Some people like the chatbot’s personality, but others think it’s silly and annoying.

This review covers what Cleo is, how much it costs, whether it’s real, and who it really helps. Thereafter, it discusses the pros and cons, what real users have to say, and how Beem fits as a different way of doing things.

What is Cleo, and How Does it Work?

Cleo is a budgeting app that uses AI and has a chatbot interface. You don’t have to look through menus and graphs; you just text Cleo like you would a friend. The chatbot analyzes how much you spend and provides personalized advice. Depending on your settings, it can be either encouraging or brutally honest.

There are four membership levels at Cleo. The free plan includes basic budgeting tools and spending information, but it doesn’t let you take cash advances. For $5.99 a month, the Plus plan adds cash advances of up to $250, credit score tracking, and more detailed budgeting tools. The Pro plan costs $8.99 a month and includes advanced AI features such as personalized savings goals and more detailed financial information. The Builder plan costs $14.99 a month and includes everything in the other plans, plus a secured credit card to help you build credit.

Cleo’s cash advances work the same way as other apps. You ask for money before payday, and you get it in minutes or a few days, depending on whether you pay for express delivery. Then, when your next paycheck comes in, Cleo automatically takes the money out of your bank account. The most money you can get up front on the Plus plan is $250, and on the Builder plan, it’s $500. However, most people who sign up don’t qualify for those amounts right away.

Cleo’s chatbot personality is what sets it apart from the rest. You can pick from a few different modes, like supportive, sassy, or neutral. Cleo will make fun of how you spend money and tell you when you go overboard in sassy mode. Cleo is more helpful when she’s in supportive mode. The personality is supposed to make budgeting less of a chore and more like having a financial coach who talks to you.

Is Cleo Legit?

Cleo is a real financial technology company that started in 2017. It works in many countries and has millions of users. Cleo is not a financial institution. It collaborates with FDIC-insured WebBank and Coastal Community Bank to provide banking and credit services.

But in 2023, the Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement that hurt Cleo’s credibility. Cleo had to pay $1.7 million for misleading marketing practices. The FTC said that Cleo lied to customers about how much money they could really borrow with cash advances. The company said it would give people loans of up to $250, but the FTC found that most people received much less. The settlement also addressed complaints that Cleo made it hard for customers to cancel their subscriptions and failed to issue the refunds it promised.

The FTC settlement doesn’t mean Cleo is a scam, but it does mean the company engaged in practices regulators considered dishonest. As part of the settlement, Cleo agreed to change how it does business and markets itself. The app and the company are still in business, but the FTC’s action is an important thing to consider when deciding if Cleo is trustworthy.

There are both good and negative reviews for Cleo in the app store. Some people like the chatbot’s personality and find it inspiring. Some people think the personality is annoying or that the app is trying too diligently to be funny. People usually like the budgeting features, but they often complain about the high costs and low cash advance limits.

Also Read: 15 Best Cash Advance Apps in 2026

Costs and Breakdown of Cleo Subscriptions

To figure out how much Cleo costs, look at the four membership levels. The free plan includes basic budgeting tools and spending insights. You can see where your money goes and get basic help from the chatbot, but you can’t get cash advances or features that help you build credit.

The Plus plan costs $5.99 per month, or $71.88 per year. This plan gives you cash advances of up to $250, lets you track your credit score, and provides you with more detailed budgeting information. You have to pay an extra fee on top of your subscription if you want Express Transfer to send you cash right away.

The Pro plan costs $8.99 a month and offers more advanced AI features and in-depth financial analysis. This level is for those who want a tailored budgeting experience and are willing to pay more.

The Builder plan costs $14.99 per month or $179.88 per year. This plan includes a secured credit card that reports to the three major credit bureaus. This strategy can help you build or rebuild your credit. You can also get a higher cash advance limit of up to $500, but the amount depends on your eligibility. The Builder plan is the most expensive option, and the annual cost is similar to or higher than that of many standalone credit monitoring services.

Express transfer fees for quick cash delivery increase the total cost. If you use express delivery a lot, those fees can add $10 or more to your monthly bill. An A-Plus member who uses express delivery frequently could be paying close to $100 a year for features that some competitors offer for less or free.

Important Features of Cleo

The AI chatbot with personality is what sets Cleo apart. The chatbot analyzes how you spend your money and provides advice through chat messages. You can ask Cleo questions like “Can I afford to go out this weekend?” or “How much did I spend on food this month?” and she will give you specific answers.

The budgeting tools automatically group expenses and give you weekly or monthly summaries. Cleo also has spending roasts, where the chatbot makes fun of your worst spending habits. Some people find such behavior inspiring, while others find it frustrating.

Cash advances don’t charge interest, so they’re a better choice than payday loans or credit card cash advances. When your next paycheck comes in, the payment is automatically made. This means less work for you, but also less control over when it happens.

The Builder plan’s credit builder card is a secured card that sends information to all three major credit bureaus. Paying your bills on time can help improve your credit score over time. This method is one of the more expensive ways to build credit, though, because it costs $14.99 a month.

Cleo also offers savings challenges and goal-setting tools to help you save money for specific things. When the app sees that you can afford it, it can automatically move small amounts into savings.

Advantages of Using Cleo

The best thing about Cleo is its AI personality, which makes budgeting less boring. If you have trouble staying motivated with regular budgeting tools, the chatbot method can help you stay interested. The budgeting tips are good, and the automatic categorization works well.

Cash advances don’t charge interest, which makes them better than payday loans. You don’t need good credit to get an advance, which makes it easier for people with bad credit to get cash when they need it. The Plus plan costs $5.99 a month, which is less than what some competitors, like Brigit or MoneyLion, charge. This type of credit makes it more affordable for people who only need basic features.

Cons of Using Cleo

Building credit with the Builder subscription costs $179.88 per year. Many credit unions offer credit-builder loans with no monthly fees and lower interest rates. The yearly cost of Cleo Builder can exceed the value of the credit card.

Most users find that cash advance limits are lower than they claim. The FTC found that a lot of users were eligible for much less than the $250 limit. Starting limits are usually between $20 and $100, which isn’t enough to cover many costs.

People don’t agree on the chatbot’s personality. Some people love it, while others think it’s gimmicky or annoying. If you just want simple budgeting tools without the attitude, you might feel like you’re paying too much for features you don’t want with Cleo.

Express fees are additional charges on top of the subscription, making the cash advance feature less useful. It’s also hard to tell which plan is the best deal when there are multiple subscription levels.

Who Should Use Cleo?

Cleo is best for younger people who like the chatbot’s personality and want budgeting to be less serious. Cleo can be more fun than regular budgeting tools if you like apps that use gamification and personality.

Cleo isn’t the best choice for people who want basic, no-frills financial tools. You are paying for something you don’t value if the sassy personality feels like a gimmick rather than a feature. If you only need to build credit, Cleo is also too expensive, since the Builder plan costs $180 a year, which is more than many credit-building services charge.

What Real Users Say?

There are mixed reviews from users. People who like the chatbot personality often leave good reviews and say that Cleo keeps them interested in budgeting in a way that other apps didn’t. People always praise the automatic categorization and spending insights.

People who leave negative reviews discuss the FTC settlement and the gap between the advertised cash advance amounts and what users actually receive. A lot of people say they only qualify for $25 to $50, even though they thought they would get closer to $250. That feeling of disappointment keeps coming up.

People often say that the Builder subscription is too expensive for just a secure credit card. Users say that they can get similar benefits for building credit from credit unions or other services for less money each year. Another common complaint is that customer service isn’t very responsive. Some users say it takes a long time to resolve billing and cancellation issues.

What Beem Is and Where It Fits In

Beem is a money app for people in the U.S. who want useful financial tools without paying for personality or gimmicks. Visit https://trybeem.com to find out more. In a talk about Cleo, Beem is a good choice for people who want higher cash advance limits and full money management without the $180 annual fee for building credit.

The Builder plan from Cleo costs $14.99 per month and includes cash advances and a secured credit card. Beem gives Everdraft™ up to $1,000 in clear pricing with no monthly fee for basic credit-building. People who don’t need a chatbot with personality can save money with that structure.

Beem also has features. Cleo doesn’t focus on things like a subscription monitor that finds zombie charges that are draining your account. You could be spending $30 or more a month on memberships and streaming services that you don’t use. Getting rid of them is better for your finances than any chatbot roast ever could be.

Beem covers more than just card purchases; it also covers bill payments. Cleo’s cash advances are mostly for spending and ATM withdrawals. Beem’s Everdraft™ covers ACH bill payments like rent and utilities, which is where many people need help with timing gaps the most.

Also Read: How to Use Direct Deposit With Beem to Automate Paycheck Allocation

Why Pick Beem Instead of Cleo?

The first big difference is the price. To get a secured credit card and higher cash advance limits, Cleo charges $180 a year for the Builder plan. Beem has tools to help you build credit and higher advance limits without charging you extra each month.

The second difference is the limits on cash advances. Cleo says you can get up to $250 or $500, but most people start with a lot less. Beem gives Everdraft™ up to $1,000 with more reliable access from the start.

The third difference is that they can find leaks. Cleo helps you budget and track your spending, but it doesn’t help you find hidden charges that keep recurring. There is a subscription for Beem. Monitor that looks for zombie subscriptions. If you can find and cancel just two or three of those, you’ll save more money than the annual cost of Cleo subscriptions.

The fourth difference is that it is easy to use. Some people find Cleo’s chatbot personality distracting, and it has four subscription levels. Beem is all about tools that work without making you feel bad about your spending.

Finally, Beem lets you pay bills through ACH, which Cleo doesn’t talk about much. Beem is for you if you’re worried about rent or utilities being due before payday.

Conclusion

Cleo is a real financial app with a chatbot personality that some people like. The AI insights are useful, and the budgeting tools work well. The FTC settlement in 2023 for misleading advertising, on the other hand, makes people less likely to trust the company. The company lied to customers about how much they could get in cash advances and made it hard to cancel, resulting in a $1.7 million loss.

For a secured credit card, the Builder subscription costs $180 a year, which is a lot. The limits on cash advances are much lower than what is advertised. Some people like the chatbot’s personality, but others find it annoying or distracting.

Cleo only makes sense if you like the personality-driven approach and consider it motivating. Beem is a better choice for most people who want higher cash advance limits, better value, and useful tools without the personality tax.

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