What is Oportun?
Founded in 2013 by Ethan Bloch, San Francisco-based Oportun is a finance app that helps people effortlessly save money without cutting into their expenses through its Set & Save feature. It's a legitimate way to save money in an FDIC-insured account without having to keep track of a monthly transfer amount or worry about overdraft fees.
Because Oportun analyzes your spending habits to decide how much to save for you, it saves you time and energy and helps you avoid mistakes. In addition to stashing customers' money in FDIC-insured bank accounts, Oportun also has security features that can offer peace of mind, like military-level 256-bit encryption and touch or face ID on its iOS app.
How to use Oportun
When you sign up for Oportun, it takes the guesswork out of how to save money fast. It offers a 30-day free trial, and after that, you'll pay $5 for a monthly subscription.
Once you're signed up, Oportun will regularly analyze your spending and upcoming bills against the money you make. It will then move extra money from your checking account to your Oportun account each day if you can afford it.
For added protection, Oportun also lets you set custom savings controls to limit how much it saves and help protect you from overdrafting your account.
To determine how much to save for you, Oportun looks at the following four factors:
- Your bank account balance
- Your upcoming bills
- Your upcoming income
- Your recent spending
Based on these figures, Oportun calculates a safe amount of money to save and deposits that amount into your Oportun account.
Unlike automatic transfers at a traditional bank, Oportun adapts your automated savings to your spending habits, bills, and cash flow.
You won't need to pick an amount to transfer, you don't need to worry about maintaining a minimum balance, and you can withdraw from your Oportun account whenever you want.
Oportun also lets you set automatic savings goals, and shows you how far you've come towards achieving those goals. There's no limit to the number of goals you can set.
For instance, you might set a rainy day fund goal, a student loan debt goal, a credit card debt goal, and a down payment goal, and Oportun could help you save towards all of those objectives.
How much can you save with Oportun?
There's technically no limit to how much you can save with Oportun, and your account is FDIC-insured up to $250,000. According to Oportun, the average customer saves more than $1,800 per year.
The more you budget and the less you spend, the more you save. Oportun will even reward you with a 0.10% (as of 04/18/25) annualized savings bonus after you save money for three consecutive months. You don't need to meet an account minimum to get the bonus, and the amount of your bonus is calculated based on your average daily balance.
For instance, if your average daily balance for a particular quarter was $5000, your savings bonus for that quarter would be $1.25. Here's how the math works out: $5,000 x (0.10% ÷ 4) = $1.25.
Since the amount you save with Oportun is also partially determined by your recent spending, it's important to develop healthy spending habits. To maximize your savings, it's a good idea to:
- Create a budget for your monthly expenses and stick to it.
- Cut unnecessary expenses. An app like Trim can help you identify areas where you could save, and will even cancel unwanted subscriptions for you. (Read our Trim review.)
- Consider using apps to save money while you shop.
- Generate more income by finding legitimate ways to make money on the side.
- Consider earning some extra income by finding the best side hustle for you.
Other automated money apps
FAQs
Does Oportun cost money?
You'll get a 30-day free trial, but Oportun costs $5 per month after that. That monthly fee may seem like a lot to pay when you're trying to save money, but Oportun provides many benefits.
These include saving users an average of two overdraft fees per year by providing overdraft protection. When you consider that the average overdraft fee is $33.36, Oportun pays for itself.
Is Oportun secure?
Yes. In addition to providing 256-bit encryption, Oportun uses firewalls and other precautions to protect your data. iOS users can even set a passcode and require Touch or Face ID.
Is Oportun FDIC-insured?
Yes. Your Oportun balance is held at FDIC-insured banks and is insured up to $250,000.
Is there a fee to withdraw from Oportun?
No. It's free to withdraw from your Oportun account, and you can withdraw as many times as you want. It typically takes about one business day for withdrawn funds to appear in your checking account.
Is Oportun better than Qapital?
That depends on your needs. While Oportun is focused on tracking your spending patterns and determining how much to save for you each day, Qapital is more focused on helping you decide how much you should spend based on your savings goals.
Qapital also has some additional features, like pre-built investment portfolios. Members with the basic plan pay $3 per month and save an average of $1,500 per year.
Does Oportun work with my bank or credit union?
According to the Oportun website, Oportun works with thousands of banks and credit unions, with more being added constantly. If your bank isn't listed when you're connecting your checking account to your Oportun savings account, reach out to Oportun support for further assistance.
Bottom line
If Oportun doesn't seem like the best fit for you, there are other ways you can learn how to manage your money with the right financial tools.
If you don't need the support of Oportun's analysis and can afford to make a recurring monthly deposit, you might be better served by a high-yield savings account, which offers a better-than-average interest rate.