Both are free for employers. Payactiv makes ACH and real-time transfers to its card with direct deposit free and charges $2.49 or $3.49 otherwise; ZayZoon charges a flat $5 per payout in most states and always offers a $0 method.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Scorecard
Payactiv wins 3ZayZoon wins 1
Payactiv vs ZayZoon by dimension
Dimension
Payactiv
ZayZoon
CapabilitiesPayactiv documents 9 of the 11 items on our earned wage access checklist. ZayZoon documents 8, including no-recourse treatment. 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
9 of 11 core capabilities
8 of 11 core capabilities
IntegrationsPayactiv connects to 150+ payroll and workforce systems and publishes OpenAPI documentation. ZayZoon integrates with major payroll processors and powers UKG Wallet in UKG Ready, without a published count. 150+3
6 documented (vendor says 150+)
3 documented
SecurityPayactiv states ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II. ZayZoon holds a SOC 2 Type II report. Yes4
SOC 2, ISO 27001
SOC 2
Fit and supportZayZoon serves SMB, enterprise, mom-and-pop and franchise employers. Payactiv states no company sizes; its published case is a 20,000-employee retailer. Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises5
Enterprises
Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises
Pricing. Both are free for employers. Payactiv’s paid options cost $2.49 or $3.49, and ACH and real-time pay to its card with a qualifying direct deposit are free. ZayZoon charges $5 per payout in most states, with a $0 method always available.
Capabilities. Payactiv documents 9 of the 11 items on our earned wage access checklist. ZayZoon documents 8, including no-recourse treatment.
Integrations. Payactiv connects to 150+ payroll and workforce systems and publishes OpenAPI documentation. ZayZoon integrates with major payroll processors and powers UKG Wallet in UKG Ready, without a published count.
Security. Payactiv states ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II. ZayZoon holds a SOC 2 Type II report.
Fit and support. ZayZoon serves SMB, enterprise, mom-and-pop and franchise employers. Payactiv states no company sizes; its published case is a 20,000-employee retailer.
Neither one?
DailyPay
DailyPay has the highest LeadChange Score in Earned Wage Access after excluding these two (9.3/10).
Does ZayZoon cost more than Payactiv for employees?
Usually, for paid transfers: ZayZoon charges $5 per payout in most states, while Payactiv’s paid options are $2.49 or $3.49. Each also has a free method.
How much can employees get with Payactiv or ZayZoon?
ZayZoon allows up to 50% of earnings, $200 per payout and one payout a day. Payactiv makes a portion of earned wages available within the employer’s program controls.
Is Payactiv or ZayZoon better for small businesses and franchises?
ZayZoon targets SMB, mom-and-pop and franchise employers. Payactiv publishes industries rather than sizes, and its case study is a 20,000-employee retailer.
What security standards do Payactiv and ZayZoon meet?
Payactiv states ISO 27001 certification and a SOC 2 Type II attestation; ZayZoon holds a SOC 2 Type II report.
Do Payactiv and ZayZoon offer financial wellness tools?
Both do: Payactiv adds one-on-one guidance from independent financial professionals, savings goals and bill pay, and ZayZoon adds financial education courses and budgeting tools.
Which competitors compare with Payactiv and ZayZoon?
DailyPay, Tapcheck, Rain, Branch and Instant Financial are the other earned wage access providers we review. Here, Payactiv’s case is free instant pay to its card; ZayZoon’s is small-business focus.
How this page was made
What it is built from
26 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Oct 24, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested either product hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction
Payactiv or ZayZoon? Your answer in 3 questions
Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts and list prices.
LeadChange may earn a fee when you request pricing through our site or follow a sponsored link. Rankings never depend on whether a vendor pays us.We may earn a fee.
How we make money
LeadChange may earn a fee when you request pricing through our site or follow a sponsored link. Rankings never depend on whether a vendor pays us.
The 15 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
Payactiv payactiv.com“Payactiv Earned Wage Access is offered to employers at no cost.”
ZayZoon zayzoon.com/employers“ZayZoon doesn’t cost you a cent.” “Employees can use ZayZoon—anytime, anywhere.”
Payactiv payactiv.com/earned-wage-access“Always a free option and never any tips” “Payactiv connects to 150+ payroll and workforce systems, with active partnerships including ADP, Paychex, UKG, Paycor, Oracle, and Workday.”
Payactiv payactiv.com/trust-center“Payactiv is ISO 27001 certified and SOC 2 Type II attested, and operates under PCI DSS and CCPA-aligned practices”
ZayZoon zayzoon.com/earned-wage-access“For SMB and enterprise, mom-n’-pop and franchise” “It’s free for employers, works with your existing payroll, and can be activated in as little as 10 minutes.”
Payactiv payactiv.com/about“Payactiv was founded in 2012, when it developed the payroll-integrated Earned Wage Access model.” “Payactiv is a privately held, venture-backed company that operates as an independent B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation.”
ZayZoon zayzoon.com“Established in 2014, ZayZoon is a unique solution for employees.”
Payactiv payactiv.com/program-pricing“As a Certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation, we are dedicated to giving you transparent and fair pricing.”
A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.
High confidence: at least 80% of the critical facts are verified on primary sources.
Medium confidence: at least 50% are; the rest are missing or rely on secondary sources.
Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.