• H&R BLOCK EMERALD ADVANCE® LOAN

    You could get a personal loan for up to $1,750

    By Pathward®, N.A. Terms apply.

  • Apply for an Emerald Advance® Loan, and you could get money within minutes of approval

    No minimum monthly payments, just repay by March 31

    No impact to your credit score

    Fixed-rate 35.9% APR loan

    Emerald Advance loan

  • For every $50 you borrow, you'll accrue approximately $1.48 in interest every 30 days.

  • How to repay the loan

    • You can pay using any debit card by logging in to MyBlock.

    • Pay with any debit card by calling 866-852-9250 and following the prompts.

    • If you complete your taxes with H&R Block and receive a refund, you can choose to repay your loan from your tax refund proceeds.

    • Make a check or money order payable to Pathward and mail it to:

      Pathward, N.A.
      C/O Emerald Financial Services
      PO BOX 4521
      Carol Stream, IL 60197-4521

      Be sure to include your name and loan number on the check/money order. Your loan number can be found in MyBlock.

  • Spruce built by H&R Block

  • H&R Block Emerald Card®

Emerald Advance® Loan FAQs

Emerald Advance® Loan is a fixed-rate short term loan ranging from $400 to $1,750 that must be repaid in full on or before March 31, 2027.

Interest: The Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”) is 35.9%.


Late fee: If the loan is not paid in full within 14 days of its due date of March 31, 2027, the account will be charged a $30 late fee and additional interest.




Other fees: Additional fees may apply to the use of your Emerald Card® or Spruce account, as outlined in the respective Account Agreements.

Your Emerald Advance Loan funds can be loaded onto an Emerald Card or deposited into your existing Spruce Spending Account. You can use funds for emergency expenses, shopping, medical bills, and more.

Qualifying for an Emerald Advance® Loan

To be eligible, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years of age (19 if a resident of Alabama or Nebraska)
  • Have a physical address
  • Provide a valid, government-issued photo ID
  • Provide proof of income such as a paystub, bank statement or award letter, dated within the past 31 days
  • Have an active e-mail address and access to a mobile device to setup your MyBlock account

No, you are not required to file your taxes with H&R Block to apply or be approved for a loan.

Applying for an Emerald Advance® Loan

To apply, make an appointment at a participating H&R Block location during the offer period. You will meet with an H&R Block associate who will guide you through the application process.

You can apply online if you received an invitation code. To apply online, click on the secure link in the invitation email, log in to MyBlock, and enter your unique invitation code.

  • Your personal invitation code
  • Valid, government-issued photo ID
  • Proof of income within the last 31 days
  • Connect securely to your payroll or bank provider to verify income

Don’t worry! You can make an appointment at an H&R Block location. You will meet with an H&R Block associate who will guide you through the application process.

You are welcome to walk into a participating office, but you may experience a long wait time. Starting in late October, you can schedule an appointment time that’s convenient for you during the Nov. 2-Dec. 30 application window.

To apply, you'll need to bring your valid government-issued photo ID and a copy of your most recent pay statement or other proof of current income dated within the past 31 days.

No, a valid Social Security Number is required to apply.

Loan amount and approval are based on assessment of your creditworthiness. Both credit and non-credit information, such as credit history and ability to repay, are considered in the loan decision. Pathward, N.A., the lender, makes all loan decisions.

No, though you can apply for an Emerald Advance® Loan at an H&R Block retail office, H&R Block is not the lender. The Emerald Advance® Loan is originated by Pathward®, N.A., who is the lender.

Income verification is a component of loan underwriting and helps the lender determine that the loan amount you request is affordable and that you have the ability to repay.

No. Emerald Advance® Loans are individual loans and co-borrowers are not allowed.

You can request and review your free report by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com.

No, collateral is not required. The Emerald Advance® Loan is an unsecured loan.

Of course!  If you receive a pre-qualified offer, you will be able to review important loan details, such as the APR, pre-qualified amount, and estimated loan payment, before you finalize your application.

If your loan application is approved and you accept the loan offer, you will have the opportunity to select how you would like to receive your loan funds.


If you apply online and are approved, you can load funds onto an existing Emerald Card or deposit funds into a Spruce account.

 

If you apply in person and are approved, you can load funds onto a new or existing Emerald Card or an existing Spruce account.

Repaying the Emerald Advance® Loan

Yes, monthly payments are permitted, though they are not required. There are no pre-payment penalties, even if you completely pay off the loan before it is due. In fact, that's a great way to save yourself some interest!

Payments will be first applied to any accrued and unpaid interest, then the remaining amount will be applied towards the principal balance. If you do not pay the loan off by the due date and owe a late fee, your payment will first be applied to satisfy the late fee then the past due amount owed.

The loan is due in full on March 31, 2027, but there is a 14-day grace period. If we do not receive your loan payment in full within 14 days of the due date, a $30 late fee will be applied to your loan.


If you make a payment online, we will consider the payment effective as of the day you authorize the payment, even if it doesn't process until the next business day. Please note, this process does not apply if the authorized payment account has insufficient funds to make the payment in full.

To make a payment, you can:

  • Pay online using any debit card by logging into MyBlock.com and accessing your Emerald Advance® Loan account under the ‘Finances’ tab.
  • Pay with any debit card by calling: 866-852-9250.
  • Make a check or money order payable to Pathward and mail it to:

    C/O Emerald Financial Services
    PO BOX 4521
    Carol Stream, IL 60197-4521

    Be sure to include your name and loan number on the check/money order. Your loan number can be found in MyBlock.

  • If you complete your taxes with H&R Block and receive a refund, you can choose to repay your loan from your tax refund proceeds.