Branch Embedded, announced by the workforce payment platform Thursday (Sept. 18), is designed to make it easier for businesses to provide earned wage access (EWA), 1099 payouts and paycard options from their platforms.
“Branch Embedded gives our partners the power to add a native payments experience in weeks instead of quarters,” Branch founder and CEO Atif Siddiqi said in a news release provided to PYMNTS. “By simplifying payouts and compliance, we help platforms delight their users, strengthen worker loyalty, and unlock new revenue opportunities. All without the heavy engineering lift.”
According to the release, Branch Embedded addresses one of the biggest challenges facing growing platforms: whether to build in-house or partner on payments infrastructure.
Creating and maintaining a custom payments system, the company argues, is costly, time-consuming and requires substantial compliance oversight. Branch says its new offering covers the entire payment lifecycle including card issuing, fraud protection, disputes and customer support, allowing businesses to concentrate on growth.
The launch of Branch Embedded comes at a time when EWA, which lets workers collect pay as they earn it, is “transforming payroll into a strategic retention tool,” as PYMNTS wrote last week. The latest data shows employees are no longer willing to wait two weeks to get paid, particularly amid mounting financial stress.
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“The toll of late payments is significant. Freelancers face persistent delays, with just 5% reporting timely payments for half their invoices,” PYMNTS wrote. “Even traditional employees report payroll mishaps, with 23% citing delayed pay. This instability drives disengagement, absenteeism and turnover, eroding trust between employers and staff.”
EWA offers a simple solution: letting workers access funds in real time. It’s an approach that doesn’t rely on loans or credit, and it can seamlessly embed into payroll systems.
“The impact is profound. Nearly 6 in 10 EWA users say it has helped them avoid borrowing, and 40% credit it with preventing late fees,” PYMNTS wrote. “For employers, the return on investment (ROI) is tangible: lower churn, higher engagement and stronger recruitment appeal.”
But while many workers and their companies are embracing EWA, the legal framework around this payment method “is fragmented and often contested,” PYMNTS wrote earlier this week.
Several states have adopted laws governing EWA. For example, Utah has the Earned Wage Access Services Act, effective last May, while Connecticut and California have passed laws classifying some EWA offerings as loans.
And the state of New York has sued EWA providers DailyPay and MoneyLion, alleging their fees amount to abusive lending (interest rates up to 750% in some claims).
