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Payroll · head to head

Clair vs Immediate

Clair logo

Clair

Payroll

On demand pay advances funded by a partner bank with no fee to the employee

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Immediate logo

Immediate

Payroll

On-demand pay, off-cycle payments and digital tips for US hourly employers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clair advance limits start around $100 per advance and roughly $200 between paydays, so it covers a shift level cash gap and not a genuine emergency.; Immediate as with the whole category, the employee pays a fee for instant access, so a benefit sold internally as free to staff is not free to the staff using it.
  • They diverge on capability: Clair covers Embedded enrolment, Immediate covers Earned wage access.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clair and Immediate actually diverge.

Attributes where Clair and Immediate differ
AttributeClairImmediate

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Clair

  • Embedded enrolment
  • Bank issued advances
  • Clair spending account and card
  • Free standard delivery
  • Instant delivery option
  • Progressive limits
  • Automatic repayment
  • No interest or late fees

Only in Immediate

  • Earned wage access
  • Digital tip disbursement
  • Off-cycle payments
  • Pay cards
  • Payroll deduction
  • Employer reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Clair

  • A restaurant group already on 7shifts wanting on demand pay without adding another vendor contractnot Immediate
  • A small business on QuickBooks Payroll enabling early wage access inside its existing payroll productnot Immediate
  • An employer that wants a fee free option to be the default rather than a paid upgradenot Immediate
  • A shift based operator using early pay access as a shift fill incentive without changing payroll timingnot Immediate

Immediate

  • A restaurant group ending end-of-shift cash tip handouts and the cash handling that goes with itnot Clair
  • An employer that must issue final pay quickly on termination in states with strict deadlinesnot Clair
  • A hotel or care operator with unbanked staff needing pay cards alongside wage accessnot Clair
  • A high-turnover hourly employer using same-day pay access as a recruiting messagenot Clair

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Clair

  • Advance limits start around $100 per advance and roughly $200 between paydays, so it covers a shift level cash gap and not a genuine emergency.
  • Instant delivery to an existing bank account costs the employee $4.99, so the free path in practice means opening a Clair account and card that the employee did not previously want.
  • The business depends on interchange from the Clair spending account, which means the design nudges workers to move their pay to a new account rather than keep their existing bank.
  • Availability is tied to payroll and scheduling partners, so an employer on an unsupported payroll system cannot buy Clair directly.
  • Advances are issued by Pathward, N.A. rather than Clair, so the terms and eligibility rules for the product ultimately sit with a bank that the employer has no contract with.

Immediate

  • As with the whole category, the employee pays a fee for instant access, so a benefit sold internally as free to staff is not free to the staff using it.
  • It is a smaller provider than DailyPay or Payactiv, so the library of certified payroll and time system integrations is narrower and custom file work is more likely.
  • Earned wage access rules differ by US state and continue to change, which creates compliance work for multi-state employers that the vendor cannot remove.
  • Tips, off-cycle payments and advances are priced separately, so the apparent low headline cost fragments into several line items once you use the full bundle.
  • Pay card programmes attract regulatory and reputational scrutiny in the US, and an employer defaulting staff onto a card rather than a bank account risks complaints and state law problems.

Pricing, plan by plan

Clair

On request
  • Clair on demand pay$undefined/year
    • No published employer cost; delivered through payroll and scheduling partners
    • Standard one to three business day advances are free to the employee
    • Instant transfer to an external bank account costs $4.99

Immediate

On request
  • Immediate$undefined/year
    • Employer pricing quoted, often minimal or per employee per month
    • Employee transaction fee for instant access to funds
    • Tip disbursement and off-cycle payments priced separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Clair if

  • You need embedded enrolment.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want bank issued advances.
Clair review

Choose Immediate if

  • You need earned wage access.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want digital tip disbursement.
Immediate review

Questions people ask

Is Clair or Immediate better?
Neither clearly leads. Clair starts at On request and Immediate at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clair or Immediate?
Clair starts at On request and Immediate at On request.
Does Clair or Immediate run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Clair best used for?
Clair is most often used for a restaurant group already on 7shifts wanting on demand pay without adding another vendor contract, a small business on quickbooks payroll enabling early wage access inside its existing payroll product, an employer that wants a fee free option to be the default rather than a paid upgrade, a shift based operator using early pay access as a shift fill incentive without changing payroll timing. Of those, a restaurant group already on 7shifts wanting on demand pay without adding another vendor contract and a small business on quickbooks payroll enabling early wage access inside its existing payroll product are not what Immediate is typically brought in for.
What can Clair do that Immediate cannot?
Clair covers Embedded enrolment, Bank issued advances, Clair spending account and card, Free standard delivery. Immediate covers Earned wage access, Digital tip disbursement, Off-cycle payments, Pay cards.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clair: Does the employee pay a fee?

Not for standard one to three business day advances, and not for instant access into the Clair spending account. Instant transfer to an outside bank account costs $4.99.

Immediate: What does the employer pay?

Pricing is quoted and often minimal or a small per-employee-per-month charge; most vendor revenue comes from employee instant transfer fees.

Clair: How much can an employee advance?

Up to about $100 per advance and roughly $200 between paydays to start, with limits rising after consistent repayment.

Immediate: Can it replace cash tip-outs?

Yes. Digital tip disbursement is one of its main draws for restaurants and hospitality.

Clair: Can I buy Clair if I do not use a partner payroll system?

Generally no. It is distributed through payroll and scheduling platforms such as Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll and 7shifts.

Immediate: Is Immediate still trading?

Yes. It is an independent Birmingham, Alabama company and joined the American Fintech Council in 2025.

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