Compare providers
UK earned-wage access providers, compared
Most earned-wage access providers do the same basic thing: let a worker draw pay they've already earned before payday. They split on one axis that actually matters: who pays the worker, and who funds the float. Wagecrew is employer-funded and free to the worker. claim — legal-gated
The lens
How to compare EWA providers
Five questions separate the field. The table below is built around them.
Funding model
Platform-funded, "employer-integrated", or genuinely employer-funded from your own float.
Worker fee
Does the worker pay a per-draw fee to reach money they've already earned?
Withdrawal cap
How much of earned wages can be drawn, and who sets it.
Pricing transparency
Is the cost to the worker and the business stated plainly?
Lending entanglement
Is EWA sold alongside payroll loans or a wider credit product?
One distinction does the heavy lifting: employer-integrated is not the same as employer-funded. A platform that fronts the cash and recovers it at payroll still carries funder risk, the kind that surfaced when Earnd's backer Greensill collapsed.
At a glance
UK EWA providers at a glance
Wagecrew's own facts are stated plainly. Rival details are shown as reported by public sources, with ranges where sources differ. No ratings, no scores.
| Provider | Funding model | Worker fee | Cap | Pricing transparency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wagecrew | Employer-funded (your own float) verify | £0 · free to worker gated | Employer-set, up to ~70% | No per-draw worker fee |
| Wagestream / "Stream" | Platform-funded (e-money intercept), per published descriptions | £1.75 A / £1.95 B per draw; employer can subsidise | Up to ~50% B | Per-draw fee |
| Hastee | Platform-funded AB | £1.75 flat, or 2.5%: first £100 free B / 2.5% above £100 A | Up to ~50% | Per-draw fee |
| Level (Level FT) | Platform-funded A / employer-funded B verify | £1.95 A / £1.75–£2 B | ~50% | Per-draw fee |
| FlexEarn | Platform-funded A / employer-funded B verify | £1.75 verify | Per public sources | Per-draw fee |
| Openwage | Platform-funded A / employer-funded B verify | 1% of transfer, min £1 A / not specified B | Per public sources | % of transfer |
| Salary Finance (Advance) | Disputed label AB; sits alongside FCA-regulated payroll loans competitor description — legal-gated | £1.69 per draw verify | Per public sources | Per-draw fee; paired with lending |
| PayCaptain | Provider-funded | Fee-free, but provider-funded (not your float) verify | ~£200/mo emergency cash verify | Fee-free, capped |
| Employment Hero | Platform-funded A | 1.5% per transaction A | Per public sources | % per transaction |
| Access EarlyPay | Platform-funded A | Up to £2.75 per draw A | Per public sources | Per-draw fee |
Figures are reported by the cited public sources, not audited by Wagecrew. Where sources disagree, both are shown and never averaged. PayCaptain is the one genuinely fee-free peer, but it is provider-funded and capped, not funded from your own float. competitor figures — legal-gated
The wedge
Where Wagecrew is different
Employer-funded, with no worker fee, and a cap you control. Built for any UK employer, hourly or salaried.
Your float, not a third party's
Draws come from your own cash and net at payroll. No e-money account in your salary flow, no funder to fail.
Nothing for your team to pay
No per-draw fee, no expedite charge. It removes the EWA-fee-driven NMW risk that repeat fixed fees create. claim — legal-gated
Controls that fit any payroll
Set the cap %, the withdrawals per period and the pay-period shape. Weekly, fortnightly or monthly, any start day.
FAQ
Comparing the field
Who are the main UK earned-wage access providers?
What's the difference between platform-funded and employer-funded EWA?
Is EWA a loan?
Does EWA affect a worker's credit score?
How much does EWA cost?
Book a demo
See where Wagecrew fits for your team.
One short call covers the worker app, the controls you set, and the payroll deduction file.