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Payroll · head to head

Immediate vs Oyster

Immediate logo

Immediate

Payroll

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll

Hire globally, compliantly

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • They diverge on capability: Immediate covers Earned wage access, Oyster covers Global Employment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Immediate and Oyster actually diverge.

Attributes where Immediate and Oyster differ
AttributeImmediateOyster
Starting priceOn request$29/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: 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 Immediate

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

Only in Oyster

  • Global Employment
  • Payroll
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR

What people use each for

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

Immediate

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

Oyster

  • Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot Immediate
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Immediate
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Immediate

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Oyster

  • Employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • A refundable deposit is required before an EOR engagement starts
  • Contractor management is free for 30 days then $29 per contractor per month
  • HR advisory through People Partner Services is billed at $300 per hour on top of the subscription
  • A currency conversion fee applies when you pay Oyster in a currency other than the contract currency
  • Payments are accepted only by direct debit or wire in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Oyster

$29/month
  • Global Contractors$29/month
    • Instant contracts in 180+ countries
    • Contractor payments in 120+ currencies
    • Identity verification
  • Employer of Record (EOR)$699/month
    • Compliant employment in 120+ countries
    • Multi-country payroll in 120+ currencies
    • Automated expenses, time-off, and reports

Which should you pick?

Choose Immediate if

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

Choose Oyster if

  • You need global employment.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Oyster review

Questions people ask

Is Immediate or Oyster better?
Neither clearly leads. Immediate starts at On request and Oyster at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Immediate or Oyster?
Immediate starts at On request and Oyster at $29/month.
Does Immediate or Oyster run on more platforms?
Immediate runs on Web, iOS, Android. Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Immediate best used for?
Immediate is most often used for a restaurant group ending end-of-shift cash tip handouts and the cash handling that goes with it, an employer that must issue final pay quickly on termination in states with strict deadlines, a hotel or care operator with unbanked staff needing pay cards alongside wage access, a high-turnover hourly employer using same-day pay access as a recruiting message. Of those, a restaurant group ending end-of-shift cash tip handouts and the cash handling that goes with it and an employer that must issue final pay quickly on termination in states with strict deadlines are not what Oyster is typically brought in for.
What can Immediate do that Oyster cannot?
Immediate covers Earned wage access, Digital tip disbursement, Off-cycle payments, Pay cards. Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Oyster: How much does Oyster charge for Employer of Record services?

Oyster charges $699 per employee per month for EOR services, with annual discounts available. Setup, onboarding, and offboarding are included with no additional charges.

Source
Immediate: Can it replace cash tip-outs?

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

Oyster: How much does Oyster charge for Global Contractors?

Oyster's Global Contractors tier costs $29 per contractor per month after a free 30-day trial. The plan covers instant contracts in 180+ countries, payments in 120+ currencies, and contractor management tools.

Source
Immediate: Is Immediate still trading?

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

Oyster: What discounts does Oyster offer?

Oyster offers discounts for nonprofits and B-corps through its 'Oyster for Impact' program, startup savings of up to $1,200 on EOR subscriptions, and discounted or waived pricing for refugee support programs.

Source
Oyster: What payment methods does Oyster accept?

Oyster accepts payment by direct debit, wire transfer, and auto-withdrawal. The platform supports multiple currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, and CAD, with fees applied only when paying in a currency different from the contract currency.

Source
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