How Can Earned Wage Access Help Your Business?

Earned wage access has continued to grow in popularity as a financial wellness tool for employees and a difference-maker for employers when it comes to recruiting and employee retention.  

This rise in popularity has also come with an increase in new laws that license earned wage access as its own financial product  to codify industry best practices and protect consumers.

DailyPay works proactively with various EWA stakeholders and policymakers.

Our work includes educating to those unfamiliar with EWA about its mutual benefits for both employers and employees:

Employers see faster hiring and increased retention rates.  

Employees can avoid paying bills late and costly financial products like payday loans, overdraft fees and predatory credit financing.  

Earned wage access as it is currently structured is not the future but a recognized and necessary solution for today. That’s why now is the right time for innovative companies to engage and deploy an earned-wage access platform.

States With EWA Laws and Regulations

Nevada

Nevada passed the country’s first bill regulating earned wage access, SB 290.⁹

Missouri

Soon after Nevada, Missouri became the second state to pass and sign EWA legislation. SB 103 was passed with strong bipartisan support. The act outlines the obligations and restrictions on how an earned wage access services provider (“service provider”) may engage in business.¹⁰

Connecticut

Unlike the other states to recognize EWA as its own financial product, Connecticut issued guidelines that indicate EWA providers will have to adhere to the state’s small loan regulations in September 2023.

“Advances of money on future wages or salary that have been earned but not yet paid, commonly referred to as “earned wage access” products, are generally covered by the Small Loan Lending and Related Activities Act,” stated the bill.¹¹

Wisconsin

In March 2024, Wisconsin licensed EWA as its own financial product. It follows in the footsteps of Nevada and Missouri — codifying industry best practices to require meaningful consumer protections that exist in our model and that will now expand them for users of other models. This also serves as another data point validating EWA as a crucial part of employers’ benefit suites.

Kansas

In April 2024, Kansas designated EWA as its own financial product. This legislation establishes clear standards for acceptable EWA services regulated under its registration regime in a manner that reflects the nuances and optionality of the EWA industry while also protecting consumers from irresponsible actors.

South Carolina

In May 2024, South Carolina designated EWA as its own financial product. Senate Bill 700 creates a new regulatory framework to protect all EWA consumers while promoting innovation.

California

In February 2025, new regulations came into effect in California regulating EWA. The state’s Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (DFPI) became the first state financial administrative body to draft, amend, and ultimately adopt an EWA regulation outside of the usual legislative process. The industry-wide rules enable EWA to be available to the state’s residents, as long as operators comply with new product-specific consumer protections, register, and continue to share user activity data. Though the regulations classify EWA as credit, the label is simply that — one without much significance or any related requirements.

Arkansas

In March 2025, Arkansas passed a law regulating EWA. The measure appropriately regulates EWA as its own financial product, and creates a framework for protecting consumers while allowing for businesses to innovate.

Utah

The law codifies the EWA industry’s best practices into law, including recognizing EWA as its own financial product, and requires all EWA consumers to receive the same protections regardless of the product they’re using.