Payactiv
Earned wage access and financial wellness app, free for employers, with published employee fees.
Free for employers
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Bottom line
Payactiv is an earned wage access and financial wellness platform for employers with hourly or deskless workforces. It costs the employer nothing to offer. Employees pay per transfer based on method, from free ACH transfers up to $3.49 for instant transfers to outside cards, per the published fee table.
Stands out for: Payactiv publishes an itemized employee fee table and makes instant transfers to its own Visa card free once direct deposit of $200 per pay period is set up. It also runs white-label EWA for partners, including Paychex Pay On Demand, UKG Wallet and OnShift Wallet, and offers an Access-as-a-Service API with sandbox.
Watch out for: Fees vary by program: the Paychex Pay On Demand version charges $2.99 to $4.99 for some transfer types, and instant transfers to non-Payactiv cards cost $3.49. Public peer reviews are thin, so ask for customer references.
Overview
Payactiv pulls time and attendance data, typically only employee name, ID and clock-in and clock-out times, and shows workers their accessible earnings in the app. Payactiv fronts the cash and the amount is deducted on the next paycheck, with no income or expense impact for the employer. The company says a program can go live within 48 hours and that it is payroll compliant in all 50 states.
Beyond EWA, the app includes goal-based savings, discounts on prescriptions and everyday items, and financial counseling. Employer-side tools cover a Visa payroll card, tips and mileage payouts, off-cycle payments, employee communication, recognition and shift scheduling. Payactiv is a Public Benefit Corporation and certified B Corp, and holds ISO 27001, SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II certifications.
Who it's for
Best for
- Hourly employers in healthcare, contact centers, restaurants and retail
- Employers on Paychex, UKG or OnShift that want a built-in EWA option
- HR teams that also want a payroll card and tips payouts
- HCM and payroll platforms that want to embed branded EWA via API
Not ideal for
- Employers seeking a full payroll or HCM replacement
- Buyers who need a large base of public peer reviews before buying
Key features
Earned Wage Access. Employees transfer wages for hours already worked to a bank, card or Walmart cash pickup, or spend them on bills, Uber or Amazon in the app.
Payroll card and tips payouts. A Payactiv Visa Payroll Card and Tips and Mileage feature pay out wages, tips and reimbursements at the end of each shift.
Financial wellness tools. The app includes goal-based savings, a discount marketplace and 1:1 sessions with certified financial counselors.
Deskless team tools. Inform, Engage and Schedule modules cover announcements, recognition bonuses and open-shift coverage.
Pricing
Payactiv states there are no setup or recurring costs to the business. Employees pay by disbursement type, per its program pricing page: ACH bank transfers (1 to 3 business days), Uber, Amazon and bill pay, and financial counseling are free. Real-time transfers to a Payactiv Visa card are free with direct deposit of at least $200 per pay period, otherwise $2.49. Real-time transfers to other debit or payroll cards, Walmart cash pickup, and Venmo or PayPal cost $3.49. Fees differ for the Paychex Pay On Demand program, where they range from $2.99 to $4.99 depending on the employer's program. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.
Checked 19 Sep 2026. Vendors change prices without notice.
Is Payactiv expensive?
Payactiv starts at Free for employers. We list 43 payroll tools in total. 2 have a free tier, and those with a public price typically start around $49 a month.
- 27 quote-based
- 2 free tier
- 12 public price
Worked out automatically from every payroll listing, so it updates as the directory changes.
Pros and cons
Pros
- No setup or recurring cost to the employer
- Itemized employee fee table with several free transfer options
- Developer API for embedding EWA, cards and payouts
Cons
- Employee fees vary by program and are higher in the Paychex version
- Instant transfers to non-Payactiv cards cost $3.49
- Very few public Capterra reviews
Integrations
ADP Paychex Kronos UKG OnShift
How Payactiv compares
See all Payactiv alternatives, with what each one does differently and a head to head for every pairing.
| Tool | Free tier | From | MCP | API | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payactiv (this tool) | ✓ | Free for employers | – | ✓ | |
 DailyPay DailyPay is the closest rival, also free for employers, and lists 180+ pre-built payroll and time integrations plus off-cycle pay through Cycle. | ✓ | Free for employers | – | ✓ | Compare |
| | – | Sales-quoted | – | ✓ | Compare |
| | – | Sales-quoted | – | ✓ | Compare |
DailyPayFree for employers Free tier API
DailyPay is the closest rival, also free for employers, and lists 180+ pre-built payroll and time integrations plus off-cycle pay through Cycle.
Sales-quoted API
Paychex payroll customers can get Pay On Demand, powered by Payactiv, directly from Paychex Flex rather than contracting separately.
Sales-quoted API
UKG customers can use UKG Wallet, which Payactiv's pricing page lists as an affiliated program on the same fee schedule.