DailyPay
DailyPay lets employees access earned wages early, penalty-free.
DailyPay is an earned wage access (EWA) platform that enables employers and payroll providers to offer employees access to wages they've already earned before their scheduled payday. The service integrates directly with employer payroll systems to track daily earnings and allows employees to transfer funds to any bank account or DailyPay's fee-free prepaid card. With 6M+ employees across nearly 1,000 employers including Fortune 500 companies like Target, Kroger, and McDonald's, DailyPay differentiates through tight payroll integration and a free employee experience, positioning itself as the category leader.
Problem solved
Employees wait weeks between paydays while facing unexpected expenses, forcing them to use expensive payday loans or credit products.
Target customer
Mid-market to enterprise employers across retail, logistics, healthcare, and food service sectors seeking to offer earned wage access as an employee benefit.
Founders
J
Jason Lee
Co-Founder
Wall Street veteran with two decades of experience in financial services.
R
Robert Law
Co-Founder
Founding engineer at ReferralExchange, brought technical expertise to build DailyPay's platform.
Funding history
Series A
$5M
September 6, 2016
Led by Unknown
· Unknown
Series D
$175M
Unknown
Led by Carrick Capital Partners
· Existing investors
Conventional Debt
$325M
May 18, 2021
Led by Unknown
· Unknown
Conventional Debt
$200M
February 20, 2026
Led by Unknown
· Unknown
Total raised:
$1.93B
Pricing
Employees pay $3.49 per immediate transfer or opt for no-fee transfers in 1-3 business days. Employers pay no cost to sign up or offer DailyPay as a benefit.
Notable customers
Target, Kroger, Dollar Tree, HCA, McDonald's, Berkshire Hathaway, Adecco, Worldwide Flight Services
Integrations
Direct payroll system integration with major providers; partnerships with payroll providers to embed DailyPay into their platforms; prepaid Visa debit card partnerships
Tech stack
Vue.js (JavaScript frameworks)
Slick (JavaScript libraries)
Swiper (JavaScript libraries)
jQuery UI (JavaScript libraries)
jQuery Migrate (JavaScript libraries)
jQuery (JavaScript libraries)
core-js (JavaScript libraries)
AOS (JavaScript libraries)
Vimeo (Video players)
HubSpot Chat (Live chat)
Drift (Live chat)
PWA
Open Graph
Module Federation
WordPress (Blogs)
Zoominfo (Analytics)
HubSpot Analytics (Analytics)
Amplitude (Analytics)
Pinterest Conversion Tag (Analytics)
Matomo Analytics (Analytics)
Google Analytics (Analytics)
Facebook Pixel (Analytics)
Dreamdata (Marketing automation)
Crazy Egg (Analytics)
HSTS (Security)
Font Awesome (Font scripts)
Nginx (Reverse proxies)
WP Rocket (Caching)
PHP (Programming languages)
Unpkg (CDN)
6sense (Marketing automation)
Marketo (Marketing automation)
MailChimp (Marketing automation)
HubSpot (Marketing automation)
MySQL (Databases)
Pinterest Ads (Advertising)
Google Tag Manager (Tag managers)
Elementor (Page builders)
Yoast SEO (SEO)
Amazon Web Services (PaaS)
WP Engine (PaaS)
AWS Certificate Manager (SSL/TLS certificate authorities)
Google Optimize (A/B Testing)
SparkPost (Email)
Amazon SES (Email)
Website
Competitors
Earnin
Consumer-focused EWA app with optional tipping model; less integrated with employer payroll systems.
Payactiv
Competing EWA provider; similar B2B2C model but different employer partnerships and integration depth.
Tapcheck
Alternative EWA platform with focus on gig workers and hourly employees.
ZayZoon
Canadian-focused EWA provider serving similar employer base with regional differences.
Rain
Emerging competitor in the on-demand pay space with alternative positioning.
Why this matters: DailyPay became a unicorn in just 6 years and now operates one of the largest earned wage access networks in the U.S., with $1.93B raised and a $1.75B valuation. The company's shift toward powering other payroll providers through 'Built In' positions it as infrastructure for the entire EWA category, not just a direct consumer platform.
Best for: Enterprise and mid-market employers in retail, logistics, healthcare, and hospitality wanting to improve employee financial wellness and retention through accessible earned wage access.
Use cases
Unexpected expense coverage
An hourly retail worker faces an unexpected car repair bill mid-week. Instead of seeking a payday loan at 400% APR, they access their earned wages through DailyPay for a flat $3.49 fee, covering the expense without predatory debt.
Payroll provider competitive differentiation
A mid-market payroll provider embeds DailyPay through the new 'Built In' solution, allowing them to offer modern EWA benefits to their SMB customer base without building from scratch, improving customer retention.
Employee retention and engagement
A large logistics company offers DailyPay to reduce hourly worker turnover; employees can access earned wages immediately after completing shifts, improving financial security and reducing attrition by 10-15%.
Alternatives
Earnin
Consumer-first approach with optional tipping; weaker employer integration but stronger consumer brand recognition.
Payactiv
Direct competitor with similar payroll integration; differences in pricing model and employer partnerships.
Traditional payday loans
Expensive alternative with 300-500% APR; DailyPay is free or $3.49, making it substantially better for employees.
FAQ
What does DailyPay do? +
DailyPay enables employees to access wages they've already earned before their scheduled payday. The platform integrates with employer payroll systems, tracks daily earnings, and allows employees to transfer funds to bank accounts or a fee-free prepaid card. Employees pay $3.49 for immediate transfers or nothing for 1-3 day transfers, and employers pay no cost to offer the benefit.
How much does DailyPay cost? +
Employees pay $3.49 for immediate wage transfers or $0 for transfers processed in 1-3 business days. Employers pay no setup or ongoing fees to offer DailyPay as an employee benefit.
What are alternatives to DailyPay? +
Main alternatives include Earnin (consumer-focused EWA app), Payactiv (competing B2B EWA platform), Tapcheck (gig-worker focused), and ZayZoon (Canadian competitor). Traditional payday loans and credit cards are expensive alternatives.
Who uses DailyPay? +
Nearly 1,000 employers across retail, logistics, healthcare, and food service offer DailyPay to 6M+ employees. Notable customers include Target, Kroger, Dollar Tree, HCA, McDonald's, Berkshire Hathaway, and Adecco.
How does DailyPay compare to Earnin? +
DailyPay focuses on B2B2C integration with employers and payroll providers, offering zero-fee access to all earned wages via a prepaid card. Earnin is consumer-facing with optional tipping and less employer integration. DailyPay's employer partnerships provide stronger payroll system integration and financial stability for users.
Tags
earned wage access
payroll integration
employee benefits
financial wellness
B2B2C
on-demand pay
HR technology