# Cleo: how AI models rank it, October 2026

HR AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition. Named in 6 judge labels across 2 categories by 4 of 14 models. Page: https://hr-ai-index.com/vendors/cleo/

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earned wage access | 0% | 50 | 100% | 4 |
| Financial wellness platforms | 0% | 113 | 100% | 2 |

## And against it

- "The FTC alleged that Cleo falsely advertised that users could get hundreds of dollars in "instant" advances" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Earned wage access)
- "Often rely on subscription fees + “tips” + express‑delivery charges that can equal triple‑digit APRs" (MiniMax M2.5, Earned wage access)
- "Named in litigation; courts have ruled its products are credit covered by TILA" (Kimi K2, Earned wage access)
- "Cleo AI agreed to a $17 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for misleading consumers" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Financial wellness)

## Movement since September 2026

Floor: 13 points of share, measured on the calibration repeat. A larger change is movement; a smaller one is noise.

- Earned wage access: 0% to 0%, ±0. Inside the floor by 13 points · rank 42 → 50 of 54.
- Financial wellness platforms: 0% to 0%, ±0. New · not ranked in September 2026 · rank 113 of 117.

## Record

- Method: https://hr-ai-index.com/methodology/
- Raw judge labels and full responses: https://hr-ai-index.com/data/
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as HR AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, hr-ai-index.com.