Maryland has secured a $600,000 settlement from Brigit, a cash-advance app that markets “instant cash” against upcoming paychecks, over claims that it lent money without a license and misled the people using it. The deal also forces the company to rework how it talks about fees, who qualifies, and how customers can walk away.
Attorney General Anthony Brown announced the agreement on Tuesday, according to the Capital Gazette. The company, formally Bridge It Inc., is a financial technology firm that offers cash advances on upcoming paychecks. Brigit must pay the $600,000 to the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office.
What Maryland says Brigit did
The state alleged that Brigit engaged in unlicensed lending and misled consumers by offering “instant cash” loans that borrowers would repay from future wages. It also alleged that the company advertised cash advances for which some consumers did not qualify.
A third allegation concerns cancellation. The state said Brigit prevented consumers with outstanding loans from canceling their subscriptions, forcing them to keep paying fees.
Brown said that Marylanders living paycheck to paycheck cannot afford surprise charges on a cash advance, per the seed coverage in the Baltimore Sun. Brigit’s media representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New rules Brigit has to follow
Under the settlement, the company must comply with Maryland law and clearly disclose all material terms and fees of any loans it provides. That includes spelling out whether an advertised advance amount is subject to eligibility requirements, and whether instant access to an advance requires an additional fee.
Brigit must also let consumers cancel subscriptions and recurring charges at any time. The settlement requires the company to lay out its fees and terms before consumers borrow.
Maryland’s newer paycheck-advance law
The settlement lands a little over a year after a new state law targeting this corner of the market took effect. As Consumer Finance Monitor explains, the earned-wage-access law became effective October 1, 2025, and deems certain earned-wage-access services to be loans.
Providers must obtain a license, and fees are capped at $5 for advances of $75 or less and $7.50 for advances above that. Providers must also offer consumers at least one reasonable option to get earned-wage access at no cost. The Maryland General Assembly describes the legislation as subjecting certain earned-wage-access products to the Consumer Loan Law and other rules covering consumer-credit providers.
Not Brigit’s first run-in with regulators
Maryland is not the first government to examine the company. A Federal Trade Commission press release carried the headline that an FTC action led to $18 million in refunds for Brigit consumers harmed by deceptive promises about cash advances, hidden fees and blocked cancellation.
Records also show a May 5, 2026 settlement agreement between Brigit and the Massachusetts Division of Banks. California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has a enforcement record on the company dated September 20, 2024.
The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has also been tracking the space. It says it has been monitoring the earned wage product market and obtained data from eight providers to better understand market size, usage patterns and fee structures.
