This article is for employers and employees who want to learn about On-Demand Pay with Clair.
On-Demand Pay is a financial benefit that allows employees to access advances between paydays, often for emergencies or unexpected expenses.
There is a growing demand for flexible pay—as employees navigate increased costs of living—and it’s a great alternative to options like high-interest credit cards or overdrafts.
Gusto partnered with Clair,¹ a financial technology company, to offer On-Demand Pay—a free benefit that allows employees to access advances without any effort required from employers. On-Demand Pay is provided by Clair but managed through the Gusto app for a seamless experience. You can choose to send your advance to a Gusto Spending account or an external debit card.²
Once an employee signs up, here’s how advances from and repayments to Clair work:
Eligibility: Eligible employees can get advances between paydays through Clair’s placement in the Gusto app.
Flexible destinations: You can choose where to send your funds.
Gusto Spending account: Offers higher potential limits (up to $800, $25 minimum) and lower instant transfer fees.⁷ Up to $200 per advance. $25 minimum.
External account: Allows you to receive advances to your existing debit card with a limit of up to $200 per pay period. Up to $100 per advance. $25 minimum.
No hidden costs: There’s no interest, credit checks, or required fees. Standard delivery (typically 2-3 business days) is always fee-free. Instant transfers are available for a per-advance fee, $4.99 if sending the advance to an external debit card and $4.50 if sending the advance to your Gusto Spending account.³
Automatic repayment: Repayments are managed by Clair and are automatically scheduled for the employee’s next payday.⁵
Employer impact: Employers can continue to run payroll as normal and there are no adjustments needed if the employee chooses to use On-Demand Pay.
Clair’s On-Demand Pay limits are based on qualifying direct deposits, repayment history, and where you choose to send your money:
External debit card: Eligible employees can request up to $200 per pay period (max $100 per advance; $25 minimum).
Gusto Spending Account: Eligible employees can request up to $800 per pay period (max $200 per advance; $25 minimum).²
Everyone gets hit with unexpected expenses, and 86% of Americans⁶ report feeling financially stressed. By offering On-Demand Pay, you can give your employees access to their pay early without any admin costs or changes to payroll. In turn, you can attract and retain engaged talent with a unique and easy-to-use benefit that’s in high demand.
If this benefit is not right for your employees, you can opt your company out of Gusto Cash Accounts through the Benefits tab.
There are requirements for both the employer and employees in order to use On-Demand Pay.
For employers to offer On-Demand Pay to employees, the requirements are based on many internal risk factors, including:
Approved for 2-day payroll
Consistently run on-time payroll
Proactively report terminations
For employees to use On-Demand Pay, the requirements include:
Actively employed and paid via direct deposit.
Note: While a Gusto Spending account is not required, having one allows you to access higher advance limits and lower fees.
Additional qualifications apply.
With Gusto and Clair On-Demand Pay, you can get on-demand access to a portion of your earnings as soon as you clock out of work. You can take control of when you access your earnings to either spend or save.
Clair On-Demand Pay advances have 0% interest and no finance charges. Here’s how to enable Clair through your Gusto mobile app to access your earned wages early:
Open your Gusto mobile app.
In the On Demand Pay tile, choose Learn more.
Review the information and select Next.
Tap Let’s do it!
Check the boxes to agree to the terms and select Next.
If Clair is able to open an account based on your information, you will immediately see the option to request an advance on your next paycheck.
If you have any questions about your eligibility, contact Clair directly.
Once you are approved for On-Demand Pay, a new direct deposit account is created for you in your payment methods. This account allows you to access advances before your pay date.
Once you connect Clair to your Gusto mobile app by following the steps above, follow the steps below to request an advance.
Open your Gusto mobile app.
Tap the On-Demand Pay tile.
Choose Request an advance.
Enter the amount you’d like to advance (minimum $25).
Select your destination: Choose either your Gusto Spending account or your linked external debit card.
Select your delivery speed:
Standard Transfer: Funds will arrive in 2–4 business days, for no fee.
Instant Transfer: Funds will arrive instantly (or within 30 minutes), for a fee.³ ($4.50 for Gusto Spending Account; $4.99 for external debit card).
Review your transaction details and tap Confirm.
Repayment is automatic and seamless, regardless of where you sent your advance.
The borrowed amount is automatically deducted from your next paycheck through Gusto.⁵ You may also choose to repay an advance early. For more information on how to repay the advance, please reach out directly to our partner, Clair.
Once you’re approved for On-Demand Pay, you can have ongoing access as long as you meet the following requirements:
Employment with an employer that uses Gusto for payroll processing.
Repayment of any outstanding advances obtained through Clair.
Q: How much can I advance?
A: The easiest way to see how much you can advance right now is to visit your Clair On-Demand Pay dashboard.
How much you can advance may increase as you get closer to payday, up to your overall pay period limit, and subject to other factors including repayment history.
You can advance a minimum of $25 at a time, up to a maximum of $100 to an external debit card or $200 to your Gusto Spending account, if you have one.²
Q: Where can I send my advance?
A: You can send your advance to your Gusto Spending account, if you have one, or to an external debit card.² Please note that Clair cannot send advances to credit cards or international cards. Some prepaid debit cards may also not be supported.
Q: When will I receive my advance?
By default, your advance will be deposited in your account within 2–4 business days, fee-free.
If you selected instant transfer when you requested your advance from Clair, it should be available in your account immediately (subject to the applicable fee).³ Instant transfers typically occur in seconds, but may take up to 30 minutes, depending on your bank.
Q: Why did my advance request get denied?
A: There are a variety of reasons Clair may have denied your request for an advance, including:
You’re no longer employed by an employer who uses Gusto for payroll
You requested more money than is currently available to advance
There have been delays in repayment of your past advances
There have been inconsistencies in how much you’ve been paid for your past few paychecks
For more details, you can go to your Clair On-Demand Pay dashboard and select “Documents" to review your Adverse Action Notice.
Q: Can I cancel my advance?
A: Once an advance has been processed by Clair, it can’t be canceled. However, you can repay the advance immediately after receiving the funds in your account.
Q: How close to my paycheck can I take an advance?
A: If eligible, you can take an advance anytime before your upcoming paycheck as long as you’ve reached the $25 advance minimum, as shown in your Clair On-Demand Pay dashboard.
However, your advance will still be automatically repaid when you receive your next paycheck.
Q: How can I upgrade to an instant transfer from the standard transfer (that typically takese 2-3 business days)?
A: If you took an advance, sent it to your Gusto Spending account, and didn’t choose instant transfer, you can still upgrade to instant by selecting the pending advance from your advance history on the Clair On-Demand Pay dashboard, then following the steps.³ This option is only available on the day you requested your advance or the day after.
If you took an advance, sent it to an external debit card, and didn’t choose instant transfer, you won’t be able to upgrade it to an instant transfer afterward. In this case, your advance will be deposited in your account within 2–4 business days.
Q: How does repayment to Clair work?
A: Typically, all advances you take within a given pay period are repaid automatically when you receive your next paycheck. Here’s how it works:
When you take an advance, your direct deposit settings are automatically updated so that the amount of the advance is transferred to your Gusto On-Demand Payment account on your next payday.² Clair then debits that account to repay the advance.
If you have a Gusto Spending account, you can also repay your advances early by selecting the outstanding advance from your advance history on the Clair On-Demand Pay dashboard.²
Per your agreement with Pathward, N.A., Clair may debit your On-Demand Payment, Spending, or Savings Goal account to repay your advance.²
Q: What’s my pay period limit?
A: Your pay period limit is the maximum amount you can advance between paydays. To view your current pay period limit, go to your Clair On-Demand Pay dashboard and select “Learn about advance limits.”
Out of your total pay period limit, you can advance:
Up to $200 per pay period to an external debit card
Up to $800 per pay period to a Gusto Spending account²
Q: How are my earnings calculated by Clair?
A: Your available to advance balance is calculated as follows:
Up to 50% of your gross pay is eligible to advance, based on the dollar amount of your most recent paycheck.
That amount is then divided by the number of days in your current pay period, and a portion of it becomes available each day.
Once you reach your overall pay period limit, your available balance will stop growing.
Please note that the minimum amount you can advance at a time is $25, so if you have under $25 available, you will not be able to request an advance. Your per pay period and advance limits will vary.
Q: Why do I see $0 available when I know I have completed shifts?
A: The minimum amount you can advance at a time is $25, so if you have under $25 available, you will not be able to request an advance from Clair.
There are a few other reasons you may not be able to advance despite having worked shifts, including:
You didn’t receive a paycheck for your previous pay period
You were paid by check for your previous pay period
Clair is unable to verify your recent work activity
If none of this applies to you and you’re still unable to advance, feel free to reach out to Clair’s support team by going to your On-Demand Pay dashboard and selecting “Contact Clair support.”
Q: What is On-Demand Pay?
A: On-Demand Pay is a financial benefit that allows eligible Gusto users to take advances before payday. The service is powered by Clair, with all advances issued by Clair’s partner bank, Pathward®, N.A.
Q: Who can sign up for On-Demand Pay?
A: In order to sign up for On-Demand Pay, you must:
Be over the age of 18 and a US resident
Live in a state in which Clair operates
Be actively employed by a business that uses Gusto for payroll
Get paid via direct deposit
Q: Who is Clair?
A: Clair is a financial technology company that integrates with payroll providers like Gusto to offer advances to eligible employees.
By allowing you to access your pay when you need it, Clair can help you manage unexpected expenses. Visit getclair.com/welcome to learn more.
Reach out to Clair’s support team by going to your On-Demand Pay dashboard and selecting Contact Clair support.
1. For Vermont residents: THIS IS A LOAN SOLICITATION ONLY. GUSTO, INC. IS NOT THE LENDER. INFORMATION RECEIVED WILL BE SHARED WITH ONE OR MORE THIRD PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR LOAN INQUIRY. THE LENDER MAY NOT BE SUBJECT TO ALL VERMONT LENDING LAWS. THE LENDER MAY BE SUBJECT TO FEDERAL LENDING LAWS.
All Advances are originated by Pathward®, N.A. All Advances are subject to eligibility criteria and application review. Per pay period advance amounts may vary and are based on factors including repayment history. Terms and conditions apply. On-Demand Pay provided by Clair. Clair is a financial technology company, not a bank.
2. The Gusto Spending account is issued by nbkc bank, Member FDIC. Gusto is a payroll services company, not a bank. Banking services provided by nbkc bank, Member FDIC.
3. Advances are typically sent within 2-3 business days fee-free. If an employee chooses to have their Advance disbursed to their Gusto Spending account instantly, they will be charged a $4.50 fee per advance to their Gusto Spending account at the time of disbursement. For instant advances to an external debit card, $4.99 will be deducted from each Advance. Instant Transfers typically occur in seconds, but may take up to 30 minutes.
4. Access to Gusto Wallet Premium pricing and features is subject to certain direct deposit eligibility requirements. Go here for more details.
5. Upon taking an advance, your direct deposit settings will be updated. On payday, a portion of your paycheck equal to your advance amount will be deposited into your On-Demand Payment account to repay your advance. The Gusto On-Demand Payment account is issued by nbkc bank, Member FDIC. Upon enrollment with Clair, this account will be opened.
6. Source.
7. A Gusto Spending account can give you access to higher On-Demand Pay powered by Clair advance limits. Per pay period advance amounts may vary and are based on factors including qualifying payroll direct deposits and repayment history. Terms and conditions apply.