DailyPay9.3/10
Payactiv8.7/10
Scored in Earned Wage Access
The short answer
Both are free for employers. DailyPay lists a flat $3.49 per instant transfer, set by each employer’s contract, and nothing for 1-3 business day transfers; Payactiv makes real-time transfers to its Visa card free with a direct deposit of $200 or more per pay period, and charges $2.49 or $3.49 otherwise.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
DailyPay wins 1Payactiv wins 12 ties
| Dimension | DailyPay | Payactiv |
|---|---|---|
| PricingNeither charges the employer. DailyPay lists $3.49 per instant transfer, set by each employer’s contract, and nothing for 1-3 business day transfers. Payactiv employees pay nothing for ACH or for real-time transfers to its card with a qualifying direct deposit, and $2.49 or $3.49 otherwise. Free1 | $0/employee/mo | $0/employee/mo |
| CapabilitiesPayactiv documents 9 of the 11 items on our earned wage access checklist, including access limits and pay stub records. DailyPay documents 6, including financial coaching. Always a no-fee transfer option and no tips, Employer eligibility and program controls, Deductions shown as a line item on the pay stub, One-on-one guidance from independent financial professionals, Bill pay, savings goals and discounts in the app3 | 6 of 11 core capabilities | 9 of 11 core capabilities |
| SecurityDailyPay states PCI DSS, SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Payactiv states ISO 27001 certification and a SOC 2 Type II attestation. Yes4 | SOC 2, ISO 27001 | SOC 2, ISO 27001 |
| Fit and supportDailyPay supports employees by email, phone and live chat. Payactiv lists 24-hour phone and email support. Email, phone, live chat, help center5 | Small businesses, enterprises | Enterprises |
Pricing. Neither charges the employer. DailyPay lists $3.49 per instant transfer, set by each employer’s contract, and nothing for 1-3 business day transfers. Payactiv employees pay nothing for ACH or for real-time transfers to its card with a qualifying direct deposit, and $2.49 or $3.49 otherwise.
Capabilities. Payactiv documents 9 of the 11 items on our earned wage access checklist, including access limits and pay stub records. DailyPay documents 6, including financial coaching.
Integrations. DailyPay connects to over 180 HCM, payroll and time systems and runs natively inside Workday. Payactiv connects to 150+ payroll and workforce systems, including ADP, Paychex, UKG, Paycor, Oracle and Workday.
Security. DailyPay states PCI DSS, SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Payactiv states ISO 27001 certification and a SOC 2 Type II attestation.
Fit and support. DailyPay supports employees by email, phone and live chat. Payactiv lists 24-hour phone and email support.
Tapcheck has the highest LeadChange Score in Earned Wage Access after excluding these two (8.0/10).
From $0/employee/mo17
It depends on the card. Payactiv’s real-time transfers are free to its Visa card with a direct deposit of $200 or more per pay period, and $2.49 without it. DailyPay lists a flat $3.49 per instant transfer, set by each employer’s contract, unless it goes to a DailyPay Card set up with direct deposit.
No. DailyPay says there is zero cost for employers to implement or maintain it, and Payactiv offers its earned wage access to employers at no cost.
DailyPay lists over 180 HCM, payroll and time systems and is a native feature in Workday. Payactiv lists 150+, with partnerships including ADP, Paychex, UKG, Paycor, Oracle and Workday.
Both are: DailyPay states SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS, and Payactiv states a SOC 2 Type II attestation and ISO 27001 certification.
DailyPay lets employees transfer up to 100% of the balance shown as available, up to $1,000 a day. Payactiv gives access to a portion of earned wages set by the employer’s program controls.
Among the earned wage access providers we review, Tapcheck, ZayZoon, Rain, Branch and Instant Financial are the other options. Against each other, DailyPay’s case is payroll coverage and Payactiv’s is free real-time pay to its card.
DailyPay lists small businesses among the sizes it is built for; Payactiv is built for enterprises.
31 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Oct 24, 2026.
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
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