How to Monetize Worker Payments
“Payroll feels like one of those inevitable costs of doing business—something you just have to deal with.”
But what if payroll could actually make you money?
With the right payments strategy, payroll isn’t a cost center—it’s a revenue driver. Not only can you unlock new revenue streams but you can also offer faster, more flexible pay options that keep workers happy and engaged.
In this blog, we’ll break down how you can make payroll work for you. We’ll cover ways to earn revenue from deposits, collect interchange fees, and offer premium payment options like push-to-card and Same-Day ACH. By the end, you’ll see how payroll can go from a necessary expense to a smart business strategy.
Payroll monetization is all about leveraging financial services to generate income from the money you’re already moving.
Here’s how staffing companies can turn payroll into a revenue generator:
By taking advantage of these opportunities, staffing companies can create net new, sustainable, recurring income while also providing better financial services to their workers. In the following sections, we’ll dive deeper into each of these revenue streams and how to maximize them.
Think of this like earning interest on your savings account—the longer the money sits, the more it grows. Why not apply the same logic to payroll?
Staffing companies can earn money through the money that their workers keep in a digital wallet they provide. When employees get paid to their paycard, staffing companies can generate a deposit incentive from the bank as those funds sit in the account before being spent.
In a nutshell: When workers choose to receive wages on a paycard—after agreeing to use this method instead of traditional direct deposit or check—their unspent funds can earn yield for your company. This also provides workers with instant access to wages, reducing payment delays and potentially improving retention. In fact, a study by Harvard Business School found that employees with access to earned wages had a significantly lower probability of leaving their firm compared to those without such access.
Interchange fees are transaction fees that businesses pay when a customer makes a purchase using a credit or debit card. Often called “swipe fees,” these fees are shared among all the participants in the ecosystem that make a card purchase possible including banks, payment processors, and card networks like Visa and Mastercard.
Interchange fees are designed to cover the costs associated with generating, accepting, processing and authorizing card transactions. For staffing companies, interchange fees present a unique opportunity to generate additional revenue when workers use employer-issued paycards for everyday transactions.
Every time an employee spends money using a payroll debit card, a portion of the interchange fee flows back to the issuing entity—often the staffing agency or its financial partner. This creates a steady stream of passive income while also offering workers the convenience of immediate access to their wages without requiring a traditional bank account.
Beyond revenue, providing workers with paycards and digital wallets also enhances financial inclusion by giving unbanked or underbanked employees access to a secure and reliable payment method. Staffing companies that embrace interchange fee revenue can both improve their bottom line and provide better financial solutions for their workforce.
While not necessarily a catch, it’s important to know that not all paycard providers are created equally. Many providers do not offer employer-owned programs. Be sure to look for one that:
Did you know? If you’re using a paycard provider without an employer-owned program, your workers’ transactions are generating significant revenue—but your company isn’t benefiting from it.
People are often willing to pay for convenience or speed. Whether it’s same-day shipping, ordering food delivery, or choosing rideshare over public transport, the demand for instant access is undeniable. Payroll is no different.
Staffing companies can generate revenue by offering faster, more flexible payment options that cater to worker preferences. Instant Pay provides immediate access to wages, making it highly attractive to workers who need faster financial access. Instead of waiting days for traditional payment methods to complete, workers can receive their earnings within minutes, helping improve satisfaction and retention.
Beyond worker benefits, instant pay creates new revenue opportunities for staffing companies. Employers can charge a small convenience fee for instant payroll disbursements, adding a new stream of transaction-based income. Note that employees must elect to use these instant pay options and be informed that early access to earnings may come with a convenience fee. Workers often find value in the ability to access their earnings early, making these services a win-win for both the staffing company and its workforce.
Faster pay has the potential to enhance worker satisfaction, reduce turnover, and differentiate staffing companies from competitors that still rely on slow, traditional payroll systems. By integrating modern payroll solutions, staffing companies may see an improvement in cash flow, streamlined operations, and additional revenue streams while keeping workers financially secure.
Employees must elect to use instant pay options and will be fully informed that accessing their earnings early may come with a “convenience fee.” These fees are designed to cover the cost of providing faster access to wages.
What if you could give workers immediate access to their earnings while also generating revenue from it? It’s like offering express checkout—fast, convenient, and worth a small premium.
Zeal helps staffing companies automate payroll, pay workers faster, and create new income streams.
Zeal enables staffing companies to generate revenue through multiple streams:
Technically, yes but trying to monetize payroll on your own is complex, time-consuming, and expensive. Creating financial partnerships, implementing technology, negotiating interchange fees, and ensuring compliance requires multiple vendors, significant expertise, and costly infrastructure. With Zeal, staffing companies get a fully managed solution that eliminates the hassle and maximizes revenue opportunities without extra administrative burden.
In short, it depends. We see that the worker behavior of 1099 independent contractors and W-2 employees is different. So you'll want to consider the right payment solutions for each segment. And the resulting revenue could vary based on your specific worker behavior. The basic information you will want to get an accurate estimate is:
To get an estimate of your potential annual revenue use this calculator:
Ready to transform payroll from a cost center to a revenue driver? Get in touch with Zeal today!
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