How to get money off my credit card

The cost of a cash advance depends on a number of factors. For your specific terms, you can check your credit card account terms or contact your issuer. But keep in mind that there are typically fees associated with a cash advance.

What’s a Cash Advance Fee?

A cash advance fee is basically a service charge from your credit card issuer. Depending on your issuer, it can be a percentage of the cash advance amount or a flat fee. It could be taken out of the cash advance when you receive it or posted to your credit card bill.

What’s a Cash Advance APR?

When it comes to credit cards, interest and annual percentage rate (APR) are usually the same thing. Cash advances often come with a higher APR than any purchases you make with the same credit card. 

According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the APR could be twice as high. Plus, most credit cards don’t offer a grace period on cash advances. This means that you’ll likely start accruing interest immediately.

What Other Fees Are Associated With a Cash Advance?

You might have to pay a service charge if you take out a cash advance at an ATM—just like you do for any other transaction. Your bank may charge a fee for taking out a cash advance in person too. 

A cash advance will also use more of your available credit. This impacts your credit utilization ratio. And depending on how much you borrow, that could lower your credit score.

If you’re having trouble getting cash from a credit card, it’s possible that the transaction put you above your credit card’s limit for cash withdraws, which is known as a cash advance. Many credit cards have an overall credit limit and a separate lower limit for cash advances and checks written from your credit card account.

What is a credit card cash advance

Most credit card companies offer you the ability to use your credit card to take out money through what’s known as a cash advance. Unlike a debit card, however, getting cash with your credit card at an ATM is considered a short-term loan and can be expensive.

Fees for a credit card cash advance

Unlike withdrawing money from a bank account, a cash advance pulls money from your line of credit through your credit card. In addition to repaying the money you withdraw, you’ll need to pay additional fees and interest as well.

The fees for a cash advance can be substantial. Depending on your credit card terms, the company may charge a flat fee for withdrawing money, or they’ll charge you a percentage of the cash advance. Keep in mind, you may incur additional ATM fees as well.

Interest for a credit card cash advance

In most cases, you’ll also commonly pay a higher interest rate for a cash advance than you would for a typical credit card purchase. Unlike other purchases that have a grace period before they start to accrue interest, interest on a cash advance starts as soon as you withdraw your money.

Before considering a cash advance, check your credit card’s terms and policies to find out the credit limit and fees associated with it. Your latest credit card statement will also list the current interest rate for cash advances. You can also contact the company directly by using the number on the back of your credit card.

Learn more about managing your credit cards

When you're in need of cash, whether it's from an unexpected expense or a sudden job loss, heading to the ATM and withdrawing money from your credit card sounds like a quick fix.

This is called a cash advance, and although many credit cards allow you to do this, the negative financial consequences should make you think twice.

Below, Select explains what exactly it means to use your credit card to borrow cash as an advance, and why it's not worth it.

How cash advances work

Cash advances let cardholders borrow money against their card's line of credit. They essentially act as a short-term loan and can be accessed by withdrawing cash at an ATM with your credit card's PIN number, by requesting one in-person at your bank or by writing a convenience check (if your card provides them) to yourself and then cashing or depositing it.

You can check your credit card statement or call your card issuer to find out your cash advance limit.

Why they aren't recommended

 Here are two reasons why experts don't recommend cash advances.

1. They're very expensive

The cost to withdraw money from a credit card can add up quickly. Since you are borrowing the money rather than withdrawing like you normally would from a checking account, the credit card company will charge you fees and interest rates until you pay back the loan. And unlike having at least 21 days to pay off a credit card purchase in full before incurring interest, there is no grace period for cash advances. That means you will be charged interest starting from the date you withdraw a cash advance.

The fees to consider on cash advances are the monthly payment, the interest rate on that monthly payment, the cash advance fee (usually 3% or 5% of the total amount of each cash advance you request) and the ATM or bank fee (depending on what method you choose). Keep in mind that the interest rates for cash advances are usually steeper than the rate you pay on purchases or balance transfers.

For example, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (which requires good or excellent credit and ranked as Select's best credit card for grocery shopping) has a variable APR of 16.99% - 27.99% on purchases, but a 28.24%APR on cash advances (see rates and fees). Terms apply. But on a card such as the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (which is a good choice for fair and average credit applicants to earn cash back), the APR on purchases and balance transfers is the same as the cash advance APR: 28.49%%.

2. They can impact your credit score: Cash advances from your credit card won't show up on your credit report as their own line item, but they can harm your credit score if the amount you withdraw causes the percentage of available credit you're using, also known as your credit utilization rate, to increase. This could tell lenders that you are using more credit than you should while not paying it off.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.

Information about the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.

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