Branded and Unbranded Payroll Cards

While selecting a paycard vendor, one of the first decisions that you will need to make is what type of paycard you will issue your employees. Today, there are two common types of cards that an employer can choose from. They are branded paycards and unbranded paycards.

Branded paycards are essentially debit cards that display a Visa or similar logo on them. They are also frequently called "signature based" because employees have the option of signing for goods and services that they purchase with the cards in addition to using them with a Personal Identification Number (PIN). These types of cards provide the most utility for the cardholder.

Unbranded paycards, also called "PIN-based" cards, are debit cards that function only at ATMs or point-of-sale terminals through the use of Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) when the user wishes to withdraw cash and/or purchase products and services. Although these cards do not display a Visa or similar logo, they are linked to the Star, Pulse, NYCE, Cirrus, and/or Plus point-of-sale debit networks.

Both types of paycards can be issued with or without the employee's name embossed on them. Paycards issued without an employee's name are commonly called "instant issue" cards and can be quickly assigned to a specific employee for immediate use. Best practice programs provide instant issue branded payroll cards to their employees on the date of hire. This enables the employee to receive their first paycheck on the payroll card.

Contact us for more information about branded and unbranded pay cards.