NEW YORK: When Anna Branch, 37, had her hours at work reduced at the start of the pandemic in 2020, she suddenly noticed ads for an app called EarnIn.

“You know how they get you – the algorithms – like they’re reading your mind,” Branch said. "The ad said I could get up to US$100 this week and repay it in my next pay period.”

Branch, who was working as an administrative assistant in Charleston, South Carolina, downloaded the app, agreed to the flat fee, and added the suggested “tip”. The cash helped her cover expenses until payday, when the app debited the borrowed US$100, plus US$18 for the fee and tip. Four years later, Branch said she still uses the app, as often as once a month.