Bree is $0 if you can wait about 3 business days, up to $750. NotchUp is $5 flat with payroll linked, in about 15 minutes. Wagepay is a licensed payday lender in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta that sends Interac in minutes at an establishment fee of up to 14% ($14 on $100).
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Head-to-head at a glance
Bree
$0 if you can wait- Amount
- $15 to $750
- How fast
- About 3 business days free
- Monthly fee
- None needed
Standard delivery is $0. Express is $2.99 to $45.99. No credit check. Canada, no province list published.
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Wagepay
Minutes, nothing monthly- Amount
- $100 to $1,500
- How fast
- Usually minutes by Interac
- Monthly fee
- None
Licensed payday lender in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta (BC 86410, Ontario 4741466, Alberta 359836). Establishment fee up to 14%, shown before you accept. No PAD, late, NSF or card fees from Wagepay.
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NotchUp
- Amount
- Up to about $1,500
- How fast
- About 15 minutes by Interac
- Monthly fee
- None on the $5 advance
$5 flat fee per advance when payroll is linked. Fees vary without that link. About half of the next paycheque. Accepts employment income plus benefits (EI, CPP, ODSP). No credit check.
Visit NotchUpCost at $100, $500 and $1,000
Typical mandatory fees if you qualify for advertised pricing. Confirm the exact number in each app before you accept. Bree express and tips are extra. NotchUp’s $5 needs a payroll link.
Bree
- Cost at $100
- $0 standard
- Cost at $500
- $0 standard
- Cost at $1,000
- Cannot. Max is $750.
- Where it works
- Canada, no province list published
NotchUp
- Cost at $100
- $5 with payroll linked
- Cost at $500
- $5 with payroll linked
- Cost at $1,000
- $5 with payroll linked, if your limit reaches it
- Where it works
- Canada, no province list published
Wagepay
- Cost at $100
- Up to $14
- Cost at $500
- Up to $70
- Cost at $1,000
- Up to $140
- Where it works
- British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta only
At $500, NotchUp’s $5 (if payroll-linked) is far cheaper than Wagepay’s up-to-$70. Bree is $0 if you can wait for standard delivery. Bree cannot fund a true $1,000 advance. Wagepay at $500 and $1,000 is genuinely expensive. The 14% is the Ontario payday-lending cap, not a discount to it.
Best for (verdicts)
Pick on the axis you actually need, not on a single cost column.
- $0 cost: Bree, if about 3 business days for standard delivery works.
- Flat fee and Interac in about 15 minutes: NotchUp, $5 with payroll linked.
- Minutes, no monthly fee, licensed lender in BC, Ontario or Alberta: Wagepay, up to $1,500 for returning customers at up to 14%.
Canadian cash advance apps explained
Wagepay deep dive
Wagepay advances part of your pay before payday. It is a licensed payday lender in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta: BC licence 86410, Ontario 4741466, Alberta 359836. New users: up to about a quarter of their pay. Returning customers: up to $1,500. Minimum $100, so you get a little extra room on a smaller need. One advance at a time.
The establishment fee, a one-time set-up charge, is up to 14% of the amount you take: $14 on $100, $70 on $500, $140 on $1,000, shown in your contract before you accept. Published APR examples: British Columbia, $300 over 14 days, 365% APR. Ontario, $500 over 14 days, cost of borrowing $70, total owing $570, 365% APR. Alberta, $100 over 62 days, 82.42% APR (Alberta terms run 42 to 62 days with 2 to 7 payments). APR is the yearly cost of borrowing, shown so short terms can be compared.
You need to be 18 or older, living and working in one of those three provinces, with at least $400 a week from an employer landing in the linked account and about 60 days of bank history. No credit check. Employer is never contacted. No PAD fees (a charge for a scheduled automatic withdrawal), no late fees, no NSF fees, no card processing fees from Wagepay. Your own bank may still charge you. Full Wagepay review.
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NotchUp deep dive
NotchUp is an on-demand wage advance with Interac e-Transfer in about 15 minutes. The $1,500 ceiling is PockBox’s most recent published claim: about half of the next paycheque, up to about $1,500. The $5 flat fee applies when payroll is linked. Fees vary without that link. NotchUp Plus is $11.99 a month and adds split repayments, credit building and financial advice. It accepts employment income plus benefits (EI, CPP, ODSP) alongside work income. No credit check. Mixed public feedback on re-approvals: a real product, not a guaranteed second advance. Full NotchUp review.
Bree deep dive
Bree advances $15 to $750. Lead with the $750 ceiling and the $0 standard delivery in about 3 business days. Express is $2.99 to $45.99. No credit check. Does not report to credit bureaus. Optional membership $2.99 a month after a 30-day free trial, not required. Tips can be $0. Fixed 90-day term, early repayment at no extra cost. First limits are often far below $750 and grow with on-time repayment. You can link a bank account or upload PDF statements. Government benefits count. Canada, no province list published. Full Bree review.
Partner link
Decision tree
- Outside British Columbia, Ontario or Alberta: drop Wagepay. Choose Bree or NotchUp.
- Need $750 or less and can wait about 3 business days: Bree standard ($0).
- Need a mid-size amount fast and can link payroll: NotchUp ($5) often wins on fee.
- Need closer to $1,000 to $1,500 in BC, Ontario or Alberta with Wagepay history: Wagepay.
- Need under $100: see Nyble or KOHO. Wagepay’s minimum is $100.
More alternatives
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Frequently asked questions
Is Wagepay cheaper than NotchUp?
Usually no. At $500, Wagepay’s up-to-14% ($70) is much higher than NotchUp’s $5 flat with payroll. Wagepay can still win on licensed status, no monthly fee, or if NotchUp denies you. At $100, Wagepay’s one-time $14 versus Nyble’s $11.99 every month for instant transfers is a different comparison.
Is Bree better than Wagepay?
On mandatory cost and on published province limits, Bree is often the easier yes: $0 standard delivery, Canada with no province list published. On returning limit inside British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta, Wagepay can go higher ($1,500 vs $750) and usually funds in minutes.
Wagepay vs Bree vs NotchUp, which is legit?
All three are real Canadian products with public sites and funding flows. Legit is not the same as guaranteed approval or re-approval. Read the contract. Wagepay’s payday-lending licences are public: BC 86410, Ontario 4741466, Alberta 359836.
Bree figures are from Bree’s Google Play listing, checked 19 August 2026. Wagepay fees, APR examples and licence numbers are from Wagepay’s help centre. NotchUp figures are as published in our NotchUp review. How we compare apps · Last checked