New Research Shows Employers Now Expect Earned Wage Access to Be Free--and a Part of a Broader Financial Wellness Strategy

77% of employers offering earned wage access cite employee financial wellness as the primary driver, reinforcing its role as a core workforce benefit

Yet 8 out of 10 employers say their wellness programs struggle to demonstrate positive financial outcomes

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from Everest Group, a leading global research firm, finds that earned wage access (EWA) has become an established workforce benefit after more than a decade in the market. According to the research, EWA has reached an inflection point, with employers now expecting it to be delivered at no cost and as part of a broader financial wellness offering—rather than legacy EWA programs that simply provide instant payouts.

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Based on national research involving more than 100 senior HR, finance, and payroll leaders, the report finds that:

• While 77% of employers have adopted EWA to support employee financial wellness, 83% say their wellness programs struggle to demonstrate positive financial outcomes.
• Across employers, nearly 6 in 10 say EWA should now be offered at no cost.
• Among employers that have not yet adopted EWA, 56% point to limited visibility into financial outcomes and functionality beyond instant payouts as key barriers.
• Over three quarters of employers (76%) cited financial wellness as a strategic priority for the next 12 months.
• Employers also cited financial coaching and guidance (63%), credit score building (57%), financial goal setting (53%), and automated savings (49%) as the most important components of financial wellness programs, signaling how legacy EWA point solutions must evolve to address financial well-being broadly.

The research highlights the evolution of EWA for enterprises: Modern EWA for employees must be part of a broader financial wellness offering, such as Chime Workplace™, and it must be free. Both are essential to unlocking real financial progress for employees and demonstrating measurable financial wellness outcomes for employers, including reduced financial stress, positive changes in financial behavior, and improvements in productivity.

"What we're seeing in this research is a clear inflection point for the earned wage access market," said Sharath Hari, Vice President, Everest Group. "As EWA moves into the mainstream, employers are no longer evaluating it as a standalone capability. They are holding providers to higher standards around cost, compliance, payroll integration, and measurable outcomes. As the market matures, fee-free, compliance-ready solutions that integrate into broader wellness ecosystems will be the market-leading model."

The report builds on one of the earliest comprehensive employer-focused studies of earned wage access conducted by Everest Group in 2022. Additional findings from the report include:

• 66% of employers who have adopted EWA struggle to measure employee financial stress
• 48% report difficulty tracking behavioral changes in employee financial habits
• 31% are unable to quantify productivity improvements linked to EWA
• 35% cannot connect EWA usage to employee retention or turnover

"This research confirms what employers are telling us every day: earned wage access alone is no longer enough," said Jason Lee, Chief of Chime Enterprise. "Employers now expect EWA to be free, measurable, and part of a broader financial wellness strategy. They want proof that it's improving financial health and productivity—not just faster access to pay. Chime Workplace was built for and is leading this next phase of the market."

Explore the full Everest Group report for a deeper look at the data and insights shaping the future of EWA and financial wellness: Download Here

About Chime Enterprise
Chime Enterprise, the enterprise division of Chime^® (NASDAQ: CHYM) — a leading financial technology company — partners with employers to deliver financial wellness solutions that empower their workforce across industries including retail, hospitality, food and beverage, healthcare, and professional services. Through its award-winning flagship product, Chime Workplace™, the company offers a comprehensive financial wellness suite that brings together everything from earned wage access to long-term saving, credit building, and more — all in a single, no-cost platform designed to support employees at every stage of their financial journey. To learn more, please visit https://chimeworkplace.com/.

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SOURCE Chime Enterprise