Branch Embeds On-Demand Pay in Workplace Apps

Workforce financial infrastructure provider Branch now enables companies and platforms to embed its earned wage access into scheduling, shift and other tools used by workforces.

These new integrations represent an expansion beyond those the company offers for time and attendance and payroll systems, Branch said in a Tuesday (July 14) press release emailed to PYMNTS.

The new embedded experience is enabled by Branch’s new Flex model, which eliminates the integration work and engineering time that has traditionally been required, according to the release.

“Embedding earned wage access into the workplace apps workers open every day can drive engagement, adoption and ongoing usage,” Branch Founder and CEO Atif Siddiqi said in the release. “These new configurations make that embedded experience far simpler to launch, so companies can turn earned wage access into a key value-add that differentiates and enhances their platform, while giving workers a compelling benefit they can genuinely rely on.”

Branch also announced in the release that it now enables workers enrolled in its Core or Flex models to receive funds instantly to an existing debit card for a small fee or within two business days at no cost. Those enrolled in the Core model can also receive instant transfer to the Branch app at no cost, according to the release.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Wage to Wallet Index: Never Quite Enough: How 30 Million Workers Borrow from Tomorrow to Pay for Today” found that 54% of Labor Economy workers said they needed money before it was available to cover an essential expense in the previous 90 days. Sixteen percent said they faced that situation at least four times in the previous 90 days.

“On-demand pay aligns directly with what workers say matters most when bridging a shortfall: speed, immediate availability and the ability to solve a financial problem without asking for help,” the report said.

Giving workers access to what they’ve already earned, before the official pay date, helps alleviate the pressure on them to take on high-interest credit card debt, Branch Chief Financial Officer Matt Peterson told PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster in an interview posted in March.

“There’s a secular trend here where workers don’t want to, and they shouldn’t need to, wait two to three weeks to get paid,” Peterson said.

Branch announced in September 2025 that it debuted a solution that lets businesses integrate fast payment options into their applications and platforms, making it easier for them to provide earned wage access, 1099 payouts and paycard options from their platforms.

In March, the company launched an integration with financial services company Stripe to make it easier for companies to launch a digital wallet and debit card via Stripe Issuing for worker payouts.