If you want to succeed in the gig economy, your finances have to be in order. It’s that simple.
Whether you’re a freelancer or a rideshare driver, you’re probably no stranger to some uncertainty and inconsistent pay as a gig worker. This is simply the trade-off for the flexibility that the lifestyle can offer. Fortunately, you can simplify your finances and stay on track with the Moves Financial app.
In this post, you’ll get a full review of Moves Financial. I’ll cover all the pros and cons of the app and from there, you can decide if Moves is the right service for you.
What is Moves Financial?
Moves Financial is an all-in-one financial app built for workers within the gig economy.
It was founded in 2020, and it’s based out of Toronto, Canada. The company’s core focus is on providing tailored financial services to the growing gig worker demographic.
Moves Financial believes that this population is currently underserved by the financial industry and has its sights set on doing something about it.
Moves helps its customers cut down on banking fees, stay organized, and ultimately grow their gig business. To learn just how they go about it, keep reading.
Moves Financial Features
The Moves Financial app offers freelancers three core products: Business Cash Advance, the Moves Spending Account, and The Moves Collective.
1. Business Cash Advance
With Moves’ Business Cash Advance, you can access a low-cost advance for business expenses of up to $1,000. It’s free to sign up, and you can receive instant funding directly into your Moves account.
How much can you borrow with Moves Financial Cash Advance?
The total advance amount you can get is the same as your weekly earnings. So, for example, if you make $250 per week driving for Lyft, you can borrow up to $250 in total. You’ll then make your repayment spread over 10 weeks, with a flat 3.5% fee tacked on.
Business Cash Advance is a cheaper alternative to piling up credit card debt or borrowing from a high-interest lender. There are no fees for late-payments and no credit checks.
To qualify, you must earn income from any of the following gig platforms:
- Uber/UberEats
- Lyft
- DoorDash
- InstaCart
- Amazon Flex
- Postmates
- Caviar
- Grubhub
- Shipt
- Dolly
- Wag
- Rover
- Gopuff
To gain eligibility for a Business Cash Advance, you first need to open a Moves Spending Account. We’ll cover that next.
2. Moves Spending Account
Moves Spending is a bank account designed specifically for gig app workers. It’s completely free, so you won’t pay any monthly, overdraft, or minimum balance fees. The account comes with a Visa debit card and Business Cash Advance access.
The account also allows you to deposit and organize gig income from multiple apps and use your card to cover business expenses like your phone bill and gas.
Unfortunately, there’s no APY earning in the account. But it does have a pretty cool free stock program, which is called The Moves Collective.
3. The Moves Collective
The Moves Collective is built around helping gig workers gain ownership of the companies they work for. It does this by issuing free stock in those companies through a partnership with Bumped Financial.
Here’s how it works:
When you complete tasks within the app, you earn free stock in a company that you gig for. Tasks can be as simple as depositing a certain amount into your Moves account. Of course, the more tasks you complete, the more stock (and say in the company) you’ll ultimately earn.
Fees & Pricing
Moves is an almost entirely free platform. You shouldn’t expect any of the usual fees that come along with traditional banking.
There is a 3.5% fee for any Business Cash Advance. Fortunately, this fee is spread out over your 10 payments.
For example, if you borrow $1,000, you’ll pay a $35 fee. Instead of paying upfront, each payment will be for $103.50, for a total of $1,035.
How To Sign Up for Moves Financial
To sign up for Moves, just download the app. It’s quick and easy to get started, and you can access your account in just a few minutes.
There’s no credit check required, so you don’t have to worry about it affecting your credit score.
Otherwise, it’s as simple as signing up, linking your gig apps, and making Moves work for you.
Promotions
At the moment, there are no sign-up incentives for new Moves users. It’s a relatively new app, so this may change. If opportunities pop up, I’ll be the first to let you know.
Security
Moves Finacial ensures users that its platform was designed with security in mind. The app never stores your usernames or passwords, and you can count on bank-level 256-bit encryption to safeguard your sensitive info.
Customer Support
If you need support, check out the online Help Center, which has a ton of useful information.
If you want to talk with someone, you can submit a request or send an email to hello@movesfinancial.com. Unfortunately, Moves Financial does not currently have a customer service phone number listed.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Almost entirely free
- Designed for gig work
- Interest-free cash advances
- Simple, streamlined banking
Cons:
- No APY
- No customer service phone number
- No sign-up bonus
- Not all gig workers qualify
Alternatives to Moves Financial
Moves is unique in the sense that it exclusively serves app-based gig workers. That said, other banking options could be a fit for the same population. Here are a few worth checking out:
- Chime: Chime is one of the best neobanks in the business, period. It offers fee-free bank accounts, high-yield interest rates, and a top-tier mobile app.
- Lili: Lili is a financial platform built for freelancers. It offers fee-free banking, plus helpful tax time tools for the self-employed.
- Axos: Axos is a full-service online bank with both personal and business accounts. It consistently offers some of the highest interest rates in the business, plus regular sign-up bonuses for various accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What bank is Moves Financial with?
Moves Financial works in partnership with Blue Ridge Bank, a member-FDIC institution. Blue Ridge issues Moves Financials accounts, so your funds are protected up to $250,000.
Is Moves Financial for freelancers?
Yes, but not all freelancers. To qualify for a Moves account, you need to earn income from one of its partner gig apps.
Is Moves Financial Best For You?
There are a ton of benefits of independent work. Whether you’re a courier, an Uber driver, or any other type of independent worker, you do it for a reason. Maybe it’s the convenience or flexibility. Maybe the current pandemic caused a change in your work life.
Whatever your motivation is, you deserve a banking partner that understands your lifestyle. With Moves, you have an option entirely dedicated to making things easier for you as a gig worker.
While the app is still somewhat new, Moves is worth considering as you strive to stack your side hustle earnings.
