How Instant Payouts Become Loyalty’s Secret Weapon

In an era of high living costs and economic uncertainty, payroll timing is more than a convenience—it’s a competitive edge. Earned wage access (EWA), which allows employees to collect pay as they earn it, is transforming payroll into a strategic retention tool. The latest data shows workers are no longer willing to wait two weeks for a paycheck, especially as financial stress mounts. The toll of late payments is significant. Freelancers face persistent delays, with just 5% reporting timely payments for half their invoices. Even traditional employees report payroll mishaps, with 23% citing delayed pay. This instability drives disengagement, absenteeism and turnover, eroding trust between employers and staff. EWA offers a simple solution: giving workers access to funds in real time. This approach doesn’t rely on loans or credit, and it can integrate seamlessly with payroll systems. The impact is profound. Nearly six in 10 EWA users say it has helped them avoid borrowing, and 40% credit it with preventing late fees. For employers, the return on investment (ROI) is tangible: lower churn, higher engagement and stronger recruitment appeal. The rise of EWA reflects broader shifts in worker expectations. Like on-demand services in entertainment and retail, instant access to wages is becoming standard. State-level regulation, such as Indiana’s recent EWA legislation, is accelerating adoption, giving businesses clarity and workers confidence in these programs. Companies are responding with innovative offerings. Ingo Payments, for example, is powering Self Financial’s new Self Cash product, which provides no-interest, no-credit-check cash advances in 26 states. By embedding Ingo Payments’ instant disbursement technology, Self Cash delivers payouts via push-to-debit in minutes rather than days. This kind of access highlights EWA’s value not just as a convenience but as a safeguard in a paycheck-to-paycheck economy. Forward-thinking companies are reframing payroll as part of their employee value proposition. Those who act now can set themselves apart, positioning pay not only as a transaction but as a loyalty driver.

Every year, $8.2 billion quietly slips away from financial institutions, lost in the flow of customer disbursements routed to third-party banks. But what if these payouts, often treated as transactional necessities, could become powerful tools for growth, loyalty and strategic advantage? In this exclusive PYMNTS Intelligence report, created in collaboration with Ingo Payments, we explore how disbursements are evolving into one of the most undervalued assets in the money mobility ecosystem. What You’ll Learn Inside “From One-Way Payouts to Two-Way Loyalty: Turning Disbursements Into Long-Term Customer Relationships”: Why just a 20% shift in payout strategy could unlock $1.6 billion in new value and who’s best positioned to seize it How embedded finance and in-network disbursements are transforming payments from a cost center into a competitive edge Which industries are leading (and lagging) in the race to monetize disbursements and deepen customer relationships Download your copy now and stay ahead of the curve.

Speed is becoming the defining feature of lending, and borrowers are setting the pace. With inflation pinching household budgets and emergencies around every corner, consumers no longer consider instant disbursements a perk or convenience. They expect them. In fact, borrowing payouts now lead all categories in instant disbursement usage, with 45% of consumers saying they most frequently receive their loan funds in real time. The top reason? Urgency. According to the latest PYMNTS Intelligence data, 64% of consumers want instant lending payouts due to financial need. More than one in four say they require the funds in 30 minutes or less. Whether paying for rent, groceries or a car repair, many borrowers can’t afford to wait. Borrowers are also putting their money where their need is. Nearly three-quarters of consumer loan recipients are willing to pay a fee for immediate access to funds. Seven in 10 of these borrowers who want instant lending payouts cite convenience as a key reason for this demand. However, that willingness has limits. Transparency matters. When fees are hidden or show up after approval, satisfaction nosedives. Financial institutions are responding. Eighty-six percent now see lending disbursements as a top use case for instant rails. The problem? Legacy systems and fragmented platforms are slowing delivery. While 57% of borrowers report being offered instant lending payouts, delays and friction remain widespread. What’s clear is that real-time payments are no longer optional. For lenders, implementing instant loan disbursements means more than meeting demand—it means staying relevant. Those who deliver on speed and transparency can build trust, streamline operations and improve borrower retention in an increasingly competitive landscape.