7 Best Payroll Card Providers in 2021

In just a couple of years, the payroll card has gone from being an obscure tool to one that’s essential for anyone who even remotely feels like they work in finance. Learn about the seven best payroll card providers.

A payroll card is a prepaid card that may be used to electronically transmit your workers’ salaries every pay period. Payroll cards, as opposed to paper checks, make paydays easy and cost-effective for both you and your workers. Employees may use the payroll card as a debit card or withdraw money from a favored ATM or bank teller; they can even use it to buy things.

The best payroll card systems are easy to set up, provide rapid access to money, have minimal withdrawal costs, and provide a variety of perks to workers (such as cashback and discounts).

• SkylightOne: The Best Payroll Card in General for small companies.
• ADP Pays Wisely: For small companies that use ADP or mobile payment systems like Apple Pay.
• FlexWage: For fast-food businesses and retail establishments that recruit contractual, part-time, or unbanked workers.
• Comdata’s Fintwist: Ideal for companies who value state-by-state compliance with credit card laws.
• Brink’s Money Paycard: For companies that wish to utilize payroll cards for wages, tips, bonuses, or paying contractors.
• PaychekPLUS: Ideal for paid personnel in the fast food, industrial, and retail sectors.
• rapid PayCard: The best payroll card for small enterprises on a tight budget.

How Did We Pick Payroll Card Providers?

We looked at dozens of well-known and highly rated pay card suppliers and restricted our selection to cards with payroll administration tools and/or reasonable prices. Following that, we compared each system’s price (including fees for money transfers and ATM withdrawals) and general features (including card capabilities). Finally, we assessed the overall worth of each program for its price range, as well as its popularity and user feedback.

SkylightOne is the top payroll card supplier, according to our research, with a score of 3.98 out of 5. It will not only help you simplify your payroll, but it will also bring advantages to your workers, which will help you boost workplace satisfaction.

35% of the Total Points

Features and Functions in General

35% of the Total Points

We looked at whether or not the payroll card suppliers provide free signup or have a reasonable membership price. We also looked at the possibility of extra fees being levied whenever an employee transfers monies or withdraws money from an ATM. Wisely Pay and Fintwist have the greatest prices to offer employers among the top seven pay card providers.

35% of the Total Points

Each supplier was expected to have a mechanism in place to replace lost cards. We also checked to see whether they are FDIC insured and if their cardholders have access to a mobile app. Card features such as bill payment, transfer, and card balance were also investigated. Payroll cards with on-demand access and perks such as discounts and rebates, as well as the ability to open savings accounts, received good ratings.

30% of the Total Points

We awarded pay card issuers bonus points if they provide 24/7 customer service, in addition to a seamless deployment. If the pay card system interfaces properly with the employer’s current payroll system or bank, extra points were awarded. Points were also given out for systems that had favorable user feedback.

SkylightOne (Netspend)

The Best Payroll Card in General

PROS

• There is no charge to activate your account.
• There is no minimum balance requirement to start a savings account.
• The Netspend Scholarship Program allows cardholders to apply for tuition aid.
• Customer service that is responsive

CONS

• Fees charged for transactions
• Limits on daily spending and withdrawals

Total Points

3.98 OUT OF 5

Some of the costs charged by SkylightOne are somewhat greater than those charged by the other payroll cards on our list. The hefty cost, however, comes with additional reductions and savings, giving it the top rank on our list. It’s ideal for restaurants and salons since it allows you to offer tips on cards. Its 15 years of expertise has helped firms in a variety of sectors in streamlining payroll and increasing employee satisfaction and retention.

Skylight ONE has a 3.98 rating on our scale. Employees may obtain their money within two days thanks to the company’s direct deposit option. It also assists individuals in managing their finances via the use of mobile financial health tools. The Skylight ONE card allows employees to withdraw money from ATMs, transfer payments, pay bills, shop, and earn incentives. Its mobile application and online access center enable you to manage your finances and create a savings account with a 5% annual percentage yield (APY).

Pricing

Netspend, like other payroll card businesses, does not disclose employer expenses but claims that providing paper checks saves you roughly $3 every paycheck. You’ll need to fill out a contact form on the company’s website to get additional information.

Employee benefits and costs:

• Loading with cash: up to $3.95 per load
• After 90 days of inactivity, there is a $5.95 monthly cost.
• Over-the-counter withdrawals are $2.50 unless used as a debit card with a cashback.
• Depending on the institution and agency, money transfers range from Transfer funds to $3, depending on the institution and agent.

Features

• Set up: Unlike Wisely Pay, ONE SKYLIGHT (Netspend) offers to fund your account in a Corporate Portal in one-time load or load to multiple cards. It also helps with setup, marketing, training, and compliance
• Skylight ONE provides card inventory management and reporting tools in addition to interacting with other payroll systems.
• If your card is lost or stolen, you may get a replacement.
• Funds are available immediately after deposit.
• FDIC-insured liability protection and security
• Check balances, locate ATMs, get Direct Deposit information, and transfer money to friends and family using the mobile app (3.9 stars on Android and 2.7 stars on iOS).
• Employee card capabilities: Compared with the other listed top providers, you can deposit government payments/tax refunds into the ONE SKYLIGHT (Netspend) card
• Employee perks include prescription savings and budgeting tools, as well as a savings account with a 5% APY if you’re a Reduced Monthly user.
• Customer care is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time, and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time, through the corporate portal’s message system.

Wisely

ADP and Apple Pay users will benefit the most.

PROS

• There is no charge to activate your account or monthly subscription fee
• To start a savings account, there is no minimum balance requirement.
• Online portal and mobile application

CONS

• Certain transactions (hotels, restaurants, auto rentals, petrol stations, and so on) need pre-authorization and may place a temporary hold on your card balance.
• Glitches in online portals
• Customer service that is unresponsive

Total Points

3.73 OUT OF 5

Existing ADP payroll customers may utilize Wisely Pay cards for their workers without incurring any fees. They are not only eligible for the advantages of a debit card, but they may also link it to contactless payment alternatives such as Apple Pay. Even without needing to create a bank account, Wisely cardholders may put money away in a Savings Envelope.

Non-ADP users may join up for Wisely Direct and obtain a card. You may be paid up to two days sooner than the specified pay date with a no-fee upgrade. You can manage your money and keep track of your account at any time with the myWisely app.

Pricing

Unlike Skylight ONE, ADP does not charge its clients for this offering. Non-ADP clients are given an account number to deposit the funds, similar to how a direct deposit would be done.

• For a set charge of $5.95, you may load $20–$500 in cash.
• After 90 days of inactivity, there is a cost of $4.00 each month.
• In-Network ATM Purchases: ATM Purchases: $0 in network
• Transferring money through peer-to-peer applications is free.
• There is no charge for an overdraft.
• Payment of bills: If billers take Visa or Mastercard debit cards directly, there is no charge; otherwise, sign up through Plastiq.com, which may charge fees.

Features

• Assemble: Choose from a variety of payment choices, such as split payments and bulk enrollment.
• Payroll tracking: It is compatible with most payroll systems and works well with ADP.
• Card replacement if lost/stolen: Unlike Skylight ONE, Wisely Pay lets the employer quickly provide a new card to the employee instead of calling customer care. This saves time.
• Premium cardholders get their money two days before Direct Deposit; others receive their pay by 9 a.m. on payday.
• FDIC-insured, quick card lock, purchase protection, and travel alert alerts provide liability protection and security.
• Employee mobile app: Android (4.4 ratings), iOS (4.8 stars); monitor expenditure, get notifications, gain insights, and set up savings.
• Employee card features include the ability to add funds from other sources, pay bills, check balances, manage money, and purchase online, over the phone, or in any physical store that takes Debit Mastercard or Visa Debit. When you buy e-Gift cards in your app with Wisely Pay, you may save money and earn up to 12% cash back added to your savings envelope.
• Employee perks: Employees who use Wisely get a savings envelope.
• Customer service: Phone-based automated help with FAQs.

FlexWage

Best for fast-food restaurants and retail stores.

PROS

• Implementation is simple.
• There is no charge to activate your account.
• Visa’s Zero Liability Policy protects employee money.
• Online portal and mobile application

CONS

• Glitches in mobile apps
• Only weekdays are accessible for assistance.
• Employer-specific withdrawal limitations apply.

Total Points

3.72 OUT OF 5

The FlexWage Visa Pay Card is a reloadable debit card that allows workers to receive their pay, tips, commissions, bonuses, and other one-time remuneration immediately and without incurring any fees. Employees may readily access funds from ATMs and other banks, and they can also keep track of their accounts and save money for the future.

Furthermore, the employee fee schedule is among the finest, however, there is a cost for financial transfers. Because the mobile app is a major stumbling block, we suggest it for workers who don’t require it for online or mobile transactions and only want a card to use for purchases or cash withdrawals.

Pricing

Employers are not charged for this service or deposits by FlexWage. When compared to Skylight ONE and Wisely Pay, which charge from $4 to $5.95 per month after 90 days of inactivity, its employee card usage expenses, such as the cash loading fee (free), are equally competitive at $4.95 per month after 180 days.

• Cash loading: $0 in cash loading in cash loading in cash loading in cash loading
• After 180 days of inactivity, there is a $4.95 monthly cost.
• Outside the network, there is a $3 ATM charge.
• Transfer money once a day for Transfer funds: $0 in money to be transferred once per day; $2 after; $2 after that.

Features

• Setup is simple, and no previous bank connection is required.
• Tracking payroll software: Works nicely with any payroll application.
• Employees may call customer care to replace cards that have been lost or stolen.
• FlexWage enables workers to access their cash at any time, unlike Skylight ONE and Wisely Pay. It works in the same way as a direct deposit and may be loaded at any ATM or bank for free, or used wherever Visa and Mastercard are accepted.
• Visa’s Zero Liability Policy provides liability protection and security, which includes 2048-bit digital signatures and SHA-256 encryption.
• Check balances, examine activities, analyze spending, and pay bills using the mobile app (4.2 stars on Android, 4.8 stars on iOS).
• Employee card features include the ability to transfer money, examine balances, and pay bills online using FlexWage.
• Employee perks include having access to cash and being able to monitor account balances.
• Customer care is accessible by phone or email from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mountain time, Monday through Friday. There is also a hotline to call if your card is lost or stolen, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Comdata’s Fintwist

Best for Compliant state-by-state payroll card legislation

PROS

• There is no charge to activate your account.
• Zero Liability Policy of Mastercard
• Compliant state-by-state payroll card legislation

CONS

• Customer service that is unresponsive
• Glitches in mobile apps and login issues
• The ATM locator is not working correctly.

Total Points 3.69 OUT OF 5

Fintwist’s no-cost payroll card program, which includes a rich range of benefits for workers, is an excellent solution for a budget-conscious firm. Its representatives will provide free assistance with the implementation strategy. The cards may be used to withdraw paychecks, transfer cash, and pay bills, and the costs are cheaper than those charged by other payroll cards.

Unlike the other providers, Comdata’s Fintwist is knowledgeable on state-by-state pay card laws. It keeps track of recent payroll cards and direct deposit legislation to remain compliant.

Pricing

Fintwist is a payroll card service that, like FlexWage, does not charge companies for cash loading and set up. There are no costs associated with card inventory, training, or implementation. Its inactivity cost is lower than FlexWage’s.

• Cash loading: $0 in cash loading in cash loading in cash loading in cash loading
• Fee for idleness: $2.95 after 180 days of inactivity.
• Out-of-network ATM withdrawal: $3
• $3 whether you want to see your ATM balance or if you want to refuse it.
• Walmart offers free cashing on convenience checks: $3
• Transfer funds: $0 in money to be transferred in money to be transferred

Features

• Setup is simple: order cards and uploads or transmit a file; there are no setup expenses.
• Fintwist enables you to integrate with your current payroll software.
• If the item is misplaced, the employee should call customer service; there is no fee for the first replacement.
• Fintwist provides instant access to money, unlike Skylight ONE, Wisely Pay, and FlexWage. Employees may use their money to pay for anything that accepts a Debit Mastercard.
• Fintwist is FDIC-insured and also features Mastercard Zero Liability, as well as spending behavior learning to detect fraud.
• Employee mobile app: Android (2.6 stars), iOS (1.5 ratings); check balances, see transactions, find ATMs, transfer cash, and pay bills online.
• Employee card features include the ability to contribute money from other sources and pay expenses online.
• Employer benefits: Set up direct deposit of your future job’s paychecks to your Fintwist card using your account numbers. Discounts on gas and wellness
• Fintwist is the only top pay card supplier that offers live multilingual help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Brink’s Money

Best option for small businesses.

PROS

• There is no credit check, no minimum balance, and no late fees.
• Access to funds is simple.
• A savings account that pays interest
• Purchase cushion for $10

CONS

• A monthly cost for upkeep
• Glitches in mobile apps
• Problems with logging in
• Customer service that is unresponsive

Total Points

3.68 OUT OF 5

Brink’s offers pay cards not only for salaried employees but for contract or freelance workers. Employers can use Brink’s Money Paycard for one-time incentives and the distribution of tips. As such, it’s the most flexible payroll card system we reviewed compared with the other six top pay card providers. You can run the system through a corporate portal. The fees for employees are higher than most, but the card also comes with a savings account that pays interest and prescription discounts.

Pricing

Brink’s, like other payroll card businesses, does not publish pricing for their service. It, like many other Visa Prepaid pay card providers, claims to save roughly $3 every paycheck when compared to paper checks. For a quotation, you’ll need to contact.

Brink’s utilizes Netspend, like Skylight ONE, thus its cards carry the same costs.

Employee benefits and costs:

• Loading with cash: up to $3.95 per load
• After 90 days of inactivity, there is a $5.95 monthly cost.
• Over-the-counter withdrawals are $3; ATM withdrawals are $2.50 unless used as a debit card with a cashback.
• Depending on the institution and agency, monies transfers range from Transfer funds: $0 in money to be transferred to $3, depending on institution and agent to $3.

PaychekPLUS FSV

Best option for salaried employees in the food, retail, and manufacturing industries

PROS

• Access to funds is simple.
• Cashback benefits are available from merchants that accept Visa debit cards.
• Text notifications or the Prepaid CardConnect mobile app may provide balance updates.
• Get a money order from a US Post Office facility without paying a charge once every pay period.

CONS

• Limits on the number of transactions that may be made every day

Total Points

3.68 OUT OF 5

Since 1996, FSV Payment Systems has given payroll card solutions to businesses in the retail, hotel, manufacturing, and staffing sectors, implementing hundreds of programs. Its scalable proprietary platform was created from the bottom up to accommodate prepaid cards, saving companies money on IT expenditures during payroll. PaychekPLUS! is a Visa prepaid payroll card that saves merchants roughly $3 for every employee paycheck and has some of the lowest costs in the industry.

Pricing

The payroll card program is not listed on FSV’s website, so you’ll have to contact for a price. It claims that using electronic payments instead of paper checks saves clients between $2.87 and $3.15 for every employee payment. PaychekPLUS! provides one of the most affordable employee fee schedules available.

• Cash loading: $0 in cash loading in cash loading in cash loading in cash loading
• After 188 days of inactivity, you’ll be charged $5 every month.
• ATM withdrawals made outside of the network cost $1.75.
• Purchases made on the internet: Internet purchases: $0
• Transfer funds: $0 in money to be transferred.

Features

• Setup: Assistance with implementation and a custom-built platform for prepaid debit schemes, as well as tools for compliance.
• Payroll tracking: Compared with the other payroll providers like FlexWage and Fintwist, PaychekPLUS FSV FSV PaychekPLUS FSV PaychekPLUS FSV has its own direct deposit tracking system for payroll
• Replacement of cards that have been lost or stolen: To get a new card, contact customer support or your employer.
• Money is available on payday; the card may be used everywhere Visa Debit is accepted.
• Security and liability protection: FDIC-insured and protected by Visa’s Zero Liability guarantee.
• Prepaid CardConnect’s Android and the iOS app allows workers to check balances, transfer cash, and locate ATMs.
• Text notifications, cash transfers, and bill pay are just a few of the features available on employee cards.
• Employee benefits: In addition to rebates, incentives, credit points, and a savings account, workers may utilize PaychekPLUS to buy a money order!
• Customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for lost or stolen cards.

rapid! PayCard

Best for Small Businesses on a Budget

PROS

• There is no charge to activate your account.
• Access to funds is simple.
• Rewards in the form of cash
• A savings account that pays interest

CONS

• Customer service that is unresponsive
• Unresolved credit card disputes
• Problems with card activation
• The inability to access money via the app due to login issues

Total Points 3.64 OUT OF 5

rapid! payroll card program makes it a good alternative for small businesses. For monitoring pay card deposits, you’ll need to interface its program with your payroll software, but other than that, setup is simple and employee training is free. Employees who do not have a bank account might use the cards to handle their money.

Pricing

Rapid! payroll card service does not charge companies for cash loading services. There are no costs associated with card inventory, training, or implementation. It has the lowest inactivity cost of all providers, at $4.95 after 12 months or 365 days.

• Cash loading: $0 in cash loading in cash loading in cash loading in cash loading
• After 12 months of inactivity, there is a $4.95 cost.
• $1.50 out-of-network ATM withdrawal
• Funds transfer: $1.50 to $1.50 per transfer

Features

• Setup: Training is free, and there are no implementation costs.
• Payroll tracking: APIs enable payroll software integration.
• If you lose yours, you may get a replacement: Customer support is contacted by the employee at no cost.
• Funds are available by 10 a.m. the morning after payday; pay-at-the-pump in real-time.
• Liability and Security Protection.
• View balances, see transactions, find ATMs, transfer cash, and set SMS alerts using the mobile app for workers (4.4 ratings on Android, 4.6 stars on iOS).
• Employee card features include the ability to contribute money from other sources and pay expenses online.
• Employee benefits: Savings account that pays interest, Rewards in the form of cash (optional)

Conclusion

When paying unbanked workers, payroll cards are a better option than paper checks. They are less expensive to adopt, and they save workers money by eliminating the need to pay fees to cash a paper check. Some payroll cards come with a savings account as well as budgeting capabilities. Employees should, however, be informed about the expenses connected with using the card.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best pay card?

A: The best pay card is the one that has a good rewards program and no annual fees.

How much does a payroll card cost?

A: A payroll card is a way to build up funds so you can make purchases with your paycheck. The average cost of one typically falls around $5-$10 per month, but some employers may offer discounts for specific cards or plans. Payroll cards are always cheaper than cash and credit cards because they’re pre-paid; there are no interest fees or annual percentage rates on the balance from the purchase date

Does Paychex have a pay card?

A: Unfortunately, Paychex does not have a payment card that they offer. They do offer their own debit cards and prepaid cards though.