Branch Review
Branch is a workforce payments platform with earned wage access at no cost to the business, free instant transfers to its wallet and up to 50% of earned wages before payday.
- Company size
- Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises
- Pricing model
- Free
- Deployment
- Cloud
Best for
- Employers that also pay tips, mileage or 1099 contractors and want one payout platform
- Restaurants and hospitality groups that want same-night cashless tips
- Platforms that want a white-label wallet and earned wage access under their own brand
Not ideal for
- Employers that only need earned wage access and nothing else
- Buyers who need the instant debit-card fee amount in writing
How we evaluated Branch
This review rests on 15 facts checked against Branch’s official pricing pages and documentation, most recently on . We did not test the product hands-on: the score and the pros and cons use only those verified facts, as our methodology explains, and third-party ratings are quoted, never scored.
Our verdict
Branch is a workforce payments platform whose earned wage access costs the business nothing and comes in two models, Core and Flex, with up to 50% of earned wages before payday. Workers get free instant transfers to the Branch Wallet or free ACH, with a small fee only for instant debit-card transfers; tips, mileage and 1099 payouts run on the same rails, and its trust center lists SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022.
Strengths
Free for the business
Earned wage access comes at no cost to the business, with no pre-funding or escrow.
Evidence: Pricing model: Free
Free instant option
Instant transfers to the Branch Wallet are free, as are standard ACH transfers to a bank account.
Evidence: Extra costs: Instant transfers to a connected debit card carry a small fee for the worker; the amount is not published, Instant transfers to the Branch Wallet and standard ACH transfers to a bank account are free
One platform for every payout
Wages before payday, cashless tips, mileage, off-cycle and 1099 contractor payouts.
Evidence: Modules: Earned wage access (Core and Flex), Cashless tips and mileage, 1099 contractor payouts, Off-cycle payments, Branch App and Card, Branch Direct
Audited security
Its trust center lists a SOC 2 Type 2 report and ISO/IEC 27001:2022.
Evidence: SOC 2 Type II: Yes
Weaknesses
Card fee not published
Instant transfers to an outside debit card carry a small fee whose amount is not published.
Evidence: Extra costs: Instant transfers to a connected debit card carry a small fee for the worker; the amount is not published, Instant transfers to the Branch Wallet and standard ACH transfers to a bank account are free
Wallet features in one model
The digital account and built-in financial wellness tools are currently only available in the Core model.
Evidence: Key features: Up to 50% of earned wages before payday, Core and Flex models, No pre-funding, escrow or third-party risk for the employer, Free digital account and debit card for workers, Up to 8 free in-network ATM transactions a month
Price at a glance
Starting price per employee
$0/employee/mo
Pricing model
Free
Price transparency
Partly published
Branch cost at 10 to 100 employees
- Published starting price$0/employee/mo
| Employees | Published starting price |
|---|---|
| 10 | $0/mo |
| 25 | $0/mo |
| 50 | $0/mo |
| 100 | $0/mo |
The published starting price only: plan tiers, add-ons and other products are quoted on top.
Quick answers
- How much does Branch cost an employer?
- Branch is free for employers: offering its earned wage access comes at no cost to the business, with no pre-funding or escrow.Based on Pricing model: Free
- What fees do workers pay with Branch?
- Instant transfers to the Branch Wallet and standard ACH transfers are free; instant transfers to a connected debit card carry a small fee.Based on Extra costs: Instant transfers to a connected debit card carry a small fee for the worker; the amount is not published, Instant transfers to the Branch Wallet and standard ACH transfers to a bank account are free
- Is there a free instant option with Branch?
- Yes. Instant transfers into the Branch Wallet cost nothing, and workers can spend from it with the Branch debit card.Based on Extra costs: Instant transfers to a connected debit card carry a small fee for the worker; the amount is not published, Instant transfers to the Branch Wallet and standard ACH transfers to a bank account are free
- Are there hidden fees with Branch?
- Branch lists no overdraft fees, late fees or minimum balance requirements for workers, and no pre-funding or interest for the employer; only instant transfers to an outside debit card carry a fee.Based on Extra costs: Instant transfers to a connected debit card carry a small fee for the worker; the amount is not published, Instant transfers to the Branch Wallet and standard ACH transfers to a bank account are free
Coverage of core earned wage access capabilities
Each core capability we evaluate in Earned Wage Access, checked against Branch’s own documentation. “Not verified yet” means we have not confirmed it either way, not that it is missing.
6 verified of 11 core capabilities
Earned Wage Access
- Accrued wage calculation
- Payroll and time integration
- Transfer options
- Fee disclosure · not verified yet
- Payroll repayment · not verified yet
- No-recourse treatment · not verified yet
- Deduction recordkeeping · not verified yet
- Access limits and controls
- Employee mobile app
- Financial wellness tools
- Data use and privacy · not verified yet
Specifications
Fit
- Industry focus
- Hospitality, Healthcare, Logistics, Construction, Agriculture, Business services
Product
- Modules
- Earned wage access (Core and Flex), Cashless tips and mileage, 1099 contractor payouts, Off-cycle payments, Branch App and Card, Branch Direct
- Mobile apps
- iOS, Android
Support
- Support channels
- Phone, email, chat
Branch integrations
Native integrations: 7–N
Branch integration coverage
The 10 apps that earned wage access products document most often, and whether Branch documents each.
9 of the 10 most-connected apps documented by Branch; median of the 6 products compared: 3.5
- ADP · documented by 5 of 6
- Paylocity · documented by 4 of 6
- Paychex · documented by 3 of 6
- Paycor · documented by 3 of 6
- Workday · documented by 3 of 6
- 7shifts · documented by 2 of 6
- BambooHR · documented by 2 of 6
- Greenshades · documented by 2 of 6
- Paycom · documented by 2 of 6
- QuickBooks · documented by 2 of 6
Integrations each vendor documents (native, marketplace, Zapier or API), 6 live earned wage access products. Not documented does not mean not possible.
Branch alternatives
Security and compliance
- SOC 2 Type IIYes
- ISO 27001Yes
Branch: frequently asked questions
Is Branch SOC 2 compliant?
Yes. Branch’s trust center lists a SOC 2 Type 2 report and ISO/IEC 27001:2022.
What is Branch used for?
Branch is an earned wage access product built for small businesses, mid-market companies, and enterprises. Its modules include Earned wage access, Cashless tips and mileage, 1099 contractor payouts, Off-cycle payments, and 2 more.
What are the best alternatives to Branch?
In our earned wage access ranking, the highest-scored products other than Branch are DailyPay, Payactiv, and Tapcheck. Compared side by side, by reason to switch: Branch alternatives.
What are the pros and cons of Branch?
Strengths documented on the vendor’s own pages: free for the business, free instant option, and one platform for every payout. It is less suited to employers that only need earned wage access and nothing else and buyers who need the instant debit-card fee amount in writing.
What does Branch integrate with?
Branch documents integrations, including 7shifts, ADP, BambooHR, Bullhorn, and 20 more. Every documented connection: Branch integrations.
Does Branch have a mobile app?
Yes. Branch lists mobile apps: iOS, Android.
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