Quick cash advances based on credit cards?!

You can't walk a single block in this city without seeing these shady offers plastered on every damn telephone pole.
A guy I work with actually called one of those numbers once just to see what would happen, setting up a meeting with some "gentleman" who basically ran a background check on his creditworthiness using nothing but his card number. On his Visa, the limit was $2667, and the guy ended up handing him $2000 in cash. The catch? The card gets charged $8,000. So, you're looking at $667 in pure interest. My buddy was in a massive bind and needed liquid cash immediately, so he felt like this was his only move.
I honestly don't get it—how is it possible that federal investigators aren't breathing down the necks of these loan sharks? Is it really that hard to track a phone number printed on a flyer?...
It feels like the big banks issuing these cards actually love this mess because the money keeps circulating and they get their cut from the interest. Honestly, if the law allowed it, those banks would probably be running these same predatory schemes themselves.
So, I've got a couple questions for the group here:
1. If you were backed into a corner and desperately needed cash right now, would you actually resort to something like this?
2. Do you think banks should even be allowed to offer full credit limit cash advances through credit cards?

1. No, absolutely not. That’s what actual banks are there for, isn't it?
2. With Visa, you can actually get a cash advance on a Mastercard if you need to.

Taylor Swift said:1. No way, absolutely not, because that’s what banks are actually for.
2. You can just get a cash advance on an Amex or a Mastercard.

Look, sure, big banks exist, but you aren't getting your hands on any real cash from them on the same day, which is basically the same deal with an Amex if I remember correctly. That's exactly why those quick-cash lenders are still thriving out there.
Banks really ought to start offering these flexible, no-strings-attached personal loans that actually clear the same day, instead of making you jump through hoops and collect a mountain of paperwork all week long.👎

Please, do me a favor and don't fall for this garbage. These loans are just textbook predatory lending tricks—classic usury. If you take five minutes to do a quick Google search, you'll see exactly what's going on. Even if they advertise low rates, once you dig in, you're looking at 30% or 40% interest—and that’s only if you actually pay them back on time. But let's be real: paying on time is nearly impossible because these lenders often make it impossible to reach anyone when you need them, which just lets the interest pile up. And it isn't even just some shady individuals; there's usually a whole crew from major banks backing these schemes to pull off these fast-cash scams.
Anyway, the bottom line is that people are using Amex or other cards to buy goods at places like Best Buy just so they can get cash back. If I were in your shoes? I wouldn't touch it. Most major banks and credit card companies have perfectly decent financing options anyway.

Scott Johnson45 said:1.
2. with an Amex, you can actually get a cash advance on a Mastercard too...

3. and you can do it with Diners Club as well...

Eminem said:Look, sure, big banks exist. They’re everywhere. But let’s be real—you can't just walk in and get your hands on cash the same day you need it. And if I remember correctly, Amex isn't exactly much faster when things get urgent. That’s the whole problem right there. It’s that massive delay between needing funds and actually seeing them. That’s exactly why those green energy startups and shady quick-loan outfits are still somehow hanging on. They provide the speed that the major institutions just can't match.

Look, you didn't even bother to ask... and honestly? I just don't get people who act like they need cash dropped in their laps this very second. It’s beyond me.
The Greens are only still hanging on because people refuse to actually think for themselves. It’s infuriating. You see them everywhere, peddling the same tired, recycled nonsense, and yet they keep getting traction simply because the general public is too checked out to question the narrative. People just swallow whatever radical agenda is being spoon-handed to them without a second thought. If anyone actually exercised a shred of critical thinking, these types wouldn't stand a chance.

Eminem said:Honestly, I am so sick of how banks operate in this country. It’s absolutely ridiculous. They should be offering instant, unsecured personal loans that you can actually access the same day you apply. Instead, what do we get? A massive, bureaucratic headache. You spend an entire week drowning in endless paperwork, jumping through hoops, and providing "proof" for every little thing just to get a simple loan. It’s archaic! In a world where everything else is instantaneous, why is banking still stuck in the dark ages? We need speed and efficiency, not a scavenger hunt for documents that lasts half a week. It’s frustrating, it's inefficient, and frankly, it's a joke.👎

Look, I’ve seen this song and dance a thousand times with the big banks. It’s always the same story. They love to talk a big game about "instant approvals" and "seamless digital experiences," right? Pure marketing fluff. But the second you actually need that money—the second you’re standing there on a Tuesday morning because ten other people happen to be hitting that same button at the exact same moment—suddenly, that "instant" process hits a brick wall. Suddenly, it’s not "same-day" anymore. It becomes "let us review your file," or "please wait for a specialist," or some other bureaucratic nonsense. It’s like they have this hidden capacity limit. As soon as the demand spikes even a fraction, the whole system just chokes. It’s infuriating. You're told one thing when you're browsing their website, but the reality is a complete mess of delays the moment things get busy. It’s just classic corporate incompetence.

If you apply for a credit line through your bank, expect the funds to hit your account in about two to three business days...

Vicky said:Getting a credit line approved at an American bank usually takes about two or three days...

well, actually, even sooner than that....

If you take out $6,000 but end up spending $8,000 over, say, 24 or 36 months, your monthly interest rate actually works out to about 1% rather than 30 or 40 percent.

Mc Pimpach said:Sure, banks exist, but you can't get cash from them the same day—which is basically the same deal with American Express, if I recall correctly. That’s why those quick-cash lenders still hang around... they actually drop the money within an hour.
Banks should just offer instant personal loans instead of making you spend a whole week drowning in paperwork.👎

You've got card issuers like American Express. If you have an American Express charge card, you can call them up and request a cash advance. You tell them what you need, and about 5-10 minutes later, you can hit the bank. It's fast. The catch is, if you aren't staying on top of your payments, they won't approve the credit. From what I've heard, you need a solid track record for at least 6-9 months, though they're a bit more lenient with consumer credit via American Express—maybe 3 months of clean payments. That's my take, anyway. And all those sketchy loan offers you see online? They're just disguised consumer loans. You're essentially "buying" something you never even see—you just end up with less cash than what's being charged to your card. You sign for a fridge, a TV, or a washer for $2667, but you only walk away with $2000 in hand. $667 keeps the difference...

With JPMorgan Chase using Mastercard, I know it takes longer—some people claim they got it the same day, but the fastest I ever saw was three days.
That's why I stick with American Express.

How does a middleman walk away with a $2,000 profit if they have to move this much inventory? If they’re selling goods worth $8,000, they can't realistically expect to flip them for $8,000 without taking at least a 10% hit on the price somewhere along the line. It just doesn't add up to me.

Walter Collins said:How does a middleman pocket 2000 if they actually have to move the inventory? If they sell an 8000 item, they're losing at least 10% on the margin—nobody's selling an 8000 product for a full 8000 guaranteed.

I wouldn't know... money's moving somewhere, but who's handing it out or how—no clue. You also have to wonder how the store even records this as a sale when I haven't picked up a thing. Most likely the middleman gets the goods after "arranging" the credit or cutting a deal with the branch manager... everyone grabs their $333, and the stock just sits there in the store. Maybe?

I ended up taking out a $3333 through JPMorgan Chase using my Mastercard. I headed down to the branch on Monday, they gave me a call on Wednesday to get the paperwork signed, and by Thursday, the funds were sitting right in my account.
The whole process was straightforward and quite seamless, though I have to admit the interest rate is a steep 12.5%. I’ll be paying it back over a two-year term for $157... honestly, time seems to move at a snail's pace when you're grinding away at loan repayments..

If getting your hands on cash through legitimate channels was actually that easy, I honestly don't get why there are so many losers out there still trying to "fix" their credit scores using those sketchy middlemen.

Nicole Miller said:If getting cash legally was actually that easy, I don't get why there are so many desperate people out there trying to "fix" their credit through those shady middleman schemes.

Well, it's because they’ve already burned through every legitimate avenue available to them, and honestly... god, it's sad. Most of the people turning to those kinds of tactics are just folks who have hit rock bottom and see it as their absolute last shot at seeing any actual cash.

Going through a middleman is often way cheaper, plus you get the cash instantly without dealing with all that paperwork

babolatpro said:Using a middleman is often cheaper and you get the cash instantly without dealing with any of that paperwork

Are you actually kidding me right now?

marko27 said:I honestly couldn't tell you. Money is moving somewhere, but I have zero clue who is distributing it or through what channels. It also raises the question of how a retail business even records this as a sale when nothing was actually picked up.

It’s a classic maneuver—creating ghost invoices for construction supplies or similar goods, much like those old scams you used to see in the papers. They target contractors working entirely under the table for cash. The store bills for $3.25 flooring tiles, which are then quietly handed off to a contractor they know personally just a few days later...

emili said:because they’ve already burned through all the legitimate ways to make a buck, and honestly, my god... it’s like they need more... everyone turning to this stuff is just some shady character who can only scrape together cash this way

Look, if we're talking about "shady characters," I highly doubt they're walking around with totally clean credit cards with zero debt on them...

Speaking from my professional experience as a personal banker, I am telling you an absolute, resounding NO! Any loan that claims to be processed in a single day—or heaven forbid, within fifteen to thirty minutes—is nothing more than a predatory scam. And believe me when I say, you do not want to get caught up in one of those traps!

Do you really want them waiting on your doorstep with baseball bats?!