Good for you if:

  • You need cash quickly to cover a surprise expense or an emergency
  • You need less than $600
  • You currently have a First Financial personal checking account

More details

  • Borrow $200 - $6001
  • Once approved, cash is transferred into your checking account
  • Pay back over three equal monthly payments1
  • 4% loan fee (borrow $200, pay back $208)1

Ready to get a boost?

If you are already a First Financial Bank client, you are most of the way there.

Sign into online banking or the mobile app, click on the account you want to boost, then select "Balance Boost."

Open and complete the f1RST Balance Boost personal loan application.

Pro-tip: Make sure to select the checking account you want to boost during the application process, it does not auto-select.

Your Balance Boost transfers into your checking account in as little as 5 minutes1

You're a few clicks away

Access Balance Boost by logging into online banking or using the First Financial mobile app.

Frequently asked questions

This digital only loan is available to any primary or joint owner of a First Financial Bank personal checking account. Eligible checking accounts include Simple, Choice, Student, Performance and Premier and excludes business, Health Savings, and NoWorry accounts. You must be 18 or older, be enrolled in Online Banking and have an eligible checking account open for 30 days or more.

Maximum loan amounts range from $200 to $600 and you can borrow in increments of $1. The amount you can borrow is based on your checking account activity. Unlike traditional loans which use your credit score to qualify for a loan, f1RST Balance Boost looks at your account activity and history to determine eligibility. There is no guarantee that you will be eligible for a loan just because you have a checking account. To see if you are eligible for f1RST Balance Boost, you’ll need to login to online banking or the mobile app and apply.

There are borrowing limits per checking account and per individual. You can only have one outstanding loan per checking account and per individual at any given time. f1RST Balance Boost may be used up to 3 times in a 6-month period per checking account and per individual. You must repay your loan in full and wait 1-2 business days before you can borrow again.1

Once you e-sign your loan documents, money is directly deposited into your checking account – typically within 5 minutes.1 If you complete the application after 9PM ET, your funds may not be available in your account until the following morning.

There are flexible payment options available, depending on your personal preference. You can choose “Easy Pay” or “Manual Pay.”

  • Easy Pay – payments are automatically deducted from your account on the due dates.
  • Manual Pay – requires you to make payments manually through online banking, paying at a financial center, or by mail.

You can make payments above your required payment amount at any time. There are no fees to pay off your Balance Boost early.

There’s no credit check required for this loan, but once you open it, the account and activity are reported to credit bureaus.

Balance Boost may help you keep your checking account in good standing as funds you borrow are deposited directly into your checking account. You may still be overdrawn or have payments returned if your available balance is not enough to cover future debits.

You can contact First Financial Bank customer service by calling 877.322.9530 or emailing client.service@bankatfirst.com.


1 Balance Boost is a borrowing feature included with most personal use First Financial Bank checking accounts. Any joint account holder must be 18 or older and enrolled in Online Banking to use Balance Boost. With an eligible checking account open for 30 days or more, your ability to use Balance Boost and the amount you are able to borrow is based on your First Financial Bank checking account history, including but not limited to account balances, transactions, overdrafts and return history. An active or recent bankruptcy or other legal process may disqualify you.

Balance Boost is subject to terms and conditions on your loan agreement. You can borrow in increments of $1 with a minimum borrowing amount of $200. The maximum amount you may be eligible to borrow is $600. Although your credit score is not used to determine eligibility, once you borrow money using Balance Boost, your account and activity will be reported to the credit bureaus. Balance Boost may positively or negatively affect your credit score. The Courtesy Cash limit on your checking account is reduced when you have an outstanding balance on your Balance Boost.

Funds may be deposited into and available in your First Financial Bank checking account in as quickly as 5 minutes. Although 5 minutes is typical, there may be times when funds are not deposited and available in your checking account until the next day depending on processing times. A Balance Boost loan must be paid in full with at least a one business day waiting period before another Balance Boost loan may be approved (only one outstanding loan at a time per checking account and per individual). No more than three Balance Boost loans may be approved within a rolling 6-month period on any given checking account or by any individual.