EWA comes of age. Explore the relics of payroll’s past and welcome the modern age.
Sure, earned wage access might be still gaining traction in Payroll. But let’s not forget that with modern technologies comes modern approaches to pay.
Ten years of Earned Wage Access.
For the last decade, earned wage access (EWA) has helped millions of workers bridge the gap between paydays while giving employers a powerful tool to attract, retain, and engage their workforce. But the next chapter requires more than speed and access.
Market forces, regulatory changes, and employee expectations are converging to redefine what EWA must deliver.
Ten years of Earned Wage Access.
Explore the milestones that took EWA from a basement idea to a multi-billion dollar phenomenon. See how mainstream adoption, regulation, and financial health advocates are driving the modern era for EWA.
![[CE] EWA Industry Timeline 10 Years - Vertical No Disclosures 1-5](https://images.ctfassets.net/ao7gxs2zk32d/5lOHRXlQBqfQiF6Qjcrab8/3ab8683c425dc841bc891401f6d88ae0/timeline-no-disclosures.png?fm=webp&w=1080&fit=fill&q=75)
What is modern Earned Wage Access?
![[CE] Wallet First Step Icon](https://images.ctfassets.net/ao7gxs2zk32d/2tfE89IUdUzpsv5xnT1grU/6a205053d78acfd99cffc16ee108f874/First_Step_Icon.svg?w=640&fit=fill&q=75){kind=icon}
It’s just the first step
EWA provides immediate relief, helping workers bridge the gap between paydays.
![[CE] Scissors No Fee Icon](https://images.ctfassets.net/ao7gxs2zk32d/2IjPJleRk7tOt71ZC0pFUG/2515b9c457bdfcfd27887758fbc8759a/Free_for_employee_icon.svg?w=640&fit=fill&q=75){kind=icon}
Free for employers & employees
Workers keep every dollar they earn, no hidden costs, no fees.
![[CE] Thumbs Up Compliance Icon](https://images.ctfassets.net/ao7gxs2zk32d/3QOvUfCCUJgdPi7gTn32b0/fbc22f3e15d05219af5e71974aec61e3/Compliance_icon.svg?w=640&fit=fill&q=75){kind=icon}
Built for compliance
Designed to support applicable compliance regulations nationwide.
![[CE] Platform Icon](https://images.ctfassets.net/ao7gxs2zk32d/jnvtZLqwGCvQL7D7aJ3Xk/5aaeb2bb8fe3cd6eb5668aa2d068d372/Platform_icon.svg?w=640&fit=fill&q=75){kind=icon}
A part of a Financial Wellness Platform
Integrated with high-yield savings, credit building, and financial education.
Whitepaper
A Decade of EWA: What Worked, What Failed, and What’s Changing
→ A decade of transformation: From early pilots at Lyft and Walmart to widespread adoption across industries.
→ Employer value: The role of EWA in recruiting and retention, and how compliance risks are reshaping design.
→ The modern model: Why integrated, fee-free EWA within a financial wellness platform is key to sustainable impact.
"Our goal has always been to help employees improve their financial well-being, but prior solutions limited them to just one tool. We decided to move to Chime Workplace because it offered tools including earned wage access that helped employees grow.”
Veronica Chimney, CHRO of Etech
“For a decade, earned wage access helped workers get by. In the next 10 years, EWA won’t just be about access. It will be about progress. EWA coming of age is about transforming everyday workers into savers, builders, and growers.”
Jason Lee, Chief of Chime Enterprise
Learn more about Earned Wage Access for employers.
Give your workforce the first step toward financial well-being with no-cost earned wage access and help them take the next step with our all-in-one financial wellness suite, free for you!