Clair
Clair is a New York-based embedded fintech (legal entity Maverick Payments, Inc., NMLS 2324313) that provides Earned Wage Access to U.S. hourly workers via real-time API integrations inside HR, payroll, and workforce management platforms, with advances originated by partner bank Pathward, N.A.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Clair does
Clair is a New York-based embedded fintech company, operating under the legal entity Maverick Payments, Inc. (NMLS 2324313), that provides Earned Wage Access (EWA) products to U.S. hourly and frontline workers through integrations with HR, payroll, and workforce management platforms. Founded in 2020, the company enables employees to access a portion of already-earned wages before payday directly inside the apps they already use, with no interest, no mandatory fees, no employer setup, and no changes to payroll. Clair's core technical offering is a real-time API engine that handles underwriting, KYC, loan origination, distribution, and repayment end-to-end, with a proprietary underwriting model built on real-time earnings data and with all advances originated by FDIC-insured partner bank Pathward, N.A. The product suite includes Clair Embedded On-Demand Pay (the base engine), Clair for Payroll & HCM, Clair for Workforce Management, and a vertical-specific extension, Clair On-Demand Pay for Tips (launched with 7shifts in 2026 for the restaurant industry).
Clair distributes exclusively through a B2B2C embedded channel, embedded in 10+ category-leading platforms including Gusto, 7shifts, TriNet, Intuit QuickBooks, BambooHR, When I Work, Connecteam, TCP Software, Social Schedules, Belfry, and Check, reaching 5 million+ professionals across 23,000+ workplaces as of the latest reported figures. The company monetizes through three streams: per-transaction instant-transfer fees (free standard delivery in 1–3 business days; instant delivery in seconds for a fee deducted from the advance), revenue-share commissions paid by Clair to its platform partners on qualified advances originated through embedded integrations, and bank-partnership servicing economics with Pathward for loan fulfillment. Compliance is a core pillar: the company maintains NMLS registration and a dense footprint of state-level collection, lending, EWA, and credit services licenses across 20+ states, plus an AICPA SOC for Service Organizations certification, allowing it to operate in 43–50 states depending on the partner page.
Clair has raised approximately $217.75 million across four reported funding rounds: a $4.55M seed in October 2020, a $15M Series A led by Thrive Capital in June 2021, $175M in July 2023 ($25M equity + a $150M Pathward-backed participation program), and a $23.2M Series B led by Upfront Ventures with Thrive Capital participation in June 2025. The company is led by co-founders Nico Simko (CEO) and Alex Kostecki (COO), with a leadership team of approximately 5 named executives (VP Finance & Operations, Director Engineering, VP Data & Growth, Director of Technical Operations, Head of Product, and GM) and 51–100 total employees. The strategic trajectory through 2025–2026 has been toward vertical product extensions (tips, security) and platform expansion toward an explicit 50M+ U.S. employee target.
Clair firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clair
- Legal name
- Maverick Payments, Inc.
- Website
- https://getclair.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Clair is a New York-based embedded fintech (legal entity Maverick Payments, Inc., NMLS 2324313) that provides Earned Wage Access to U.S. hourly workers via real-time API integrations inside HR, payroll, and workforce management platforms, with advances originated by partner bank Pathward, N.A.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clair industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Earned Wage Access Software
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)
- SIC
- Services-Help Supply Services (7363)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Embedded Payroll, Earned Wage Access & Benefits Finance (FSAGALAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Instant Payouts & Earned Wage Access (EWA) (FSAMAKAM)
Keywords
Where Clair is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Clair business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Instant transfer fees from consumers: Standard advances are free (delivered in 1–3 business days). Instant transfer (arrives in seconds/minutes) charges a fee taken out of the advance at the time of disbursement.
- Partner commission on qualified advances: Clair pays partner platforms a commission/revenue share on qualified advances originated through their embedded integrations.
- Bank partnership loan origination servicing: All advances are originated by Pathward, N.A. (FDIC-insured bank), with loan fulfillment services including solicitation, arranging, servicing and/or collecting provided by Maverick Payments, Inc. d/b/a Clair (NMLS 2324313).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Standard advance — free, arrives in 1–3 business days |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Instant transfer — fee applies, arrives in minutes |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Platform partner pricing — quote-based (not publicly disclosed) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Clair product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clair provides an embedded Earned Wage Access (EWA) platform that integrates with HR, payroll, HCM, and workforce management software so employees can access a portion of earned wages before payday. All advances are originated by FDIC-insured partner bank Pathward, N.A., with no interest and no mandatory fees; standard delivery is free in 1–3 business days, and an instant-transfer option (seconds to 30 minutes) is available for a small fee. Clair handles underwriting, KYC, loan origination, servicing, and embedded repayment end-to-end through a real-time partner API.
Product overview
Clair is an embedded fintech platform — a single unified embedded Earned Wage Access (EWA) engine that integrates with HR, payroll, Human Capital Management (HCM), and Workforce Management (WFM) platforms so employees can get early access to earned wages inside the apps they already use. The core offering, Clair Embedded On-Demand Pay, is delivered through two partner-facing modules — Clair for Payroll & HCM (repayment via payroll deduction) and Clair for Workforce Management (repayment from a connected bank account based on hours worked) — plus a vertical-specific extension, Clair On-Demand Pay for Tips (live in 7shifts for restaurant tipped employees). All advances are originated by partner bank Pathward, N.A., with underwriting, KYC, loan origination, servicing, and repayment handled end-to-end by Clair through a real-time partner API. The product is marketed as compliance-first, available in 43–50 states depending on the partner page, with no interest, no mandatory fees, and no employer setup required.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Clair Embedded On-Demand Pay Core embedded Earned Wage Access engine that integrates directly into HR, payroll, and workforce management platforms so employees can access a portion of earned wages before payday. Advances originated by Pathward, N.A.; no interest, no mandatory fees, automated repayment via payroll or connected bank account. Free standard delivery in 1–3 business days; instant transfer option available for a fee.
- Clair for Payroll & HCM Module of Clair's embedded On-Demand Pay tailored for payroll and Human Capital Management platforms. Built-in Earned Wage Access with automatic repayment at each payroll run, plugging into partner APIs and existing wallets with no changes to payroll, no employer setup, and no cost to employers.
- Clair for Workforce Management Module of Clair's embedded On-Demand Pay tailored for Workforce Management platforms. Employees sign up, select advance, choose free vs. instant delivery, and repay from a connected bank account, all inside the partner's app. Designed to increase ARPU, app engagement, and retention.
- Clair On-Demand Pay for Tips Specialized On-Demand Pay offering for tipped employees, embedded in 7shifts. Automatically calculates tip earnings and makes them accessible through Clair shortly after a shift rather than waiting for the next pay cycle, offered at no cost to employers and positioned as a hospitality retention tool.
Quantifiable outcome
- 74% of Gusto onboarding employees took an advance; 70-second median time to first advance
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Clair
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Clair technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
Clair partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- BelfrycoreBelfry (operating platform for security guard services companies) launched On-Demand Pay powered by fintech partner Clair, with advances originated by Pathward, N.A. Included at no extra cost to employers as part of every Belfry subscription; embedded directly in the Belfry app with no payroll process changes.
- 7shiftscore7shifts launched On-Demand Pay for Tips powered by embedded fintech partner Clair. The solution is fully embedded into the 7shifts platform, automatically calculating tip earnings and making them accessible through Clair at no cost to employers; designed to combat 220,000+ job shortage and 130%+ annual turnover in restaurants.
- GustoflagshipClair and Gusto partnered to launch an embedded On-Demand Pay solution through Gusto Wallet, providing Earned Wage Access to employees at Gusto's 300,000 supported businesses. Pathward issues the advances. Results: 74% conversion among onboarding employees, 70-second median time to first advance, 4 months contract-to-beta go-live.
- Intuit QuickBookscoreIntuit QuickBooks is featured as a best-in-class HR platform partner using Clair's embedded EWA solution. Partner page explicitly cites Intuit QuickBooks among the partners that chose Clair.
- TriNetcoreTriNet is featured as a best-in-class HR platform partner using Clair's embedded EWA solution for its HR platform customers.
- BambooHRcoreBambooHR is featured as a best-in-class HR platform partner integrating Clair's embedded EWA solution for its employer customers.
- ConnecteamcoreConnecteam is featured as a best-in-class HR platform partner integrating Clair's embedded EWA solution for its workforce management customers.
- When I WorkcoreWhen I Work is featured as a best-in-class HR platform partner integrating Clair's embedded EWA solution.
- TCP Software (Humanity Scheduling)coreTCP Software's Humanity Scheduling is identified as an existing integration partner; logo featured on Clair's website as a trusted best-in-class HR platform.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clair competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DailyPay: Direct competitor offering embedded Earned Wage Access integrated into employer payroll systems and HR platforms, serving large enterprises with a comparable bank-partner-backed model. Closest analog to Clair in the B2B2C EWA category.
- Payactiv: Direct competitor providing earned wage access, bill pay, and financial wellness tools to hourly and salaried employees through employer integrations. Same embedded distribution model and end-user base as Clair.
- Earnin: Direct competitor offering early access to earned wages via a consumer app rather than an embedded HR/Payroll integration. Same end-user target (hourly workers) and similar non-recourse, no-interest positioning.
- Even: Direct competitor providing earned wage access and budgeting tools, distributed through both employer integrations and consumer channels. Comparable product surface and target user.
- Branch: Direct competitor offering embedded payments, earned wage access, and a digital wallet for hourly workforces, distributed through staffing, payroll, and workforce management platforms — highly analogous to Clair's B2B2C embedded model.
- Dave: Direct competitor offering cash advances, budgeting, and banking products to consumers including hourly workers. Overlaps with Clair on instant-access-to-earned-pay, though distributed more via a consumer app than embedded HR/Payroll.
- ZayZoon: Direct competitor offering earned wage access primarily to small and mid-sized employers via payroll integrations. Same EWA value proposition with comparable fee structure and integration approach.
- Tapcheck: Direct competitor providing earned wage access distributed via employer integrations, with similar focus on hourly and tipped workforces. Comparable target verticals (restaurants, hospitality).
- Rain: Direct competitor offering instant pay advances distributed through payroll and HR platforms; recently expanded into digital wallet and card products. Comparable embedded distribution and end-user monetization.
Broad incumbents
- ADP: Broad incumbent in payroll/HCM with millions of employer customers and an in-house Earned Wage Access product (Wisely/ADP earned pay). Not a like-for-like EWA pure-play but a potential competitor via partner-owned EWA rails and a meaningful distribution threat for embedded EWA vendors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clair social profiles
Digital presenceClair compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Clair financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clair leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Clair funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clair M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clair
What does Clair do?
Clair provides an embedded Earned Wage Access (EWA) platform that integrates with HR, payroll, HCM, and workforce management software so employees can access a portion of earned wages before payday. All advances are originated by FDIC-insured partner bank Pathward, N.A., with no interest and no mandatory fees; standard delivery is free in 1–3 business days, and an instant-transfer option (seconds to 30 minutes) is available for a small fee. Clair handles underwriting, KYC, loan origination, servicing, and embedded repayment end-to-end through a real-time partner API.
Is Clair a public or private company?
Clair is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Clair founded?
Clair was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Clair based?
Clair is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clair make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Instant transfer fees from consumers are the primary driver. The others are partner commission on qualified advances and bank partnership loan origination servicing.
Who are Clair's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DailyPay, Payactiv, Earnin, Even, Branch, Dave, ZayZoon, Tapcheck and Rain. ADP is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Clair have an API?
Yes. Clair offers a Real-time API for partner integration. Clair's technical integration handles data mapping and APIs, loan origination (via Pathward partner bank), servicing, and embedded repayment; partner engineering teams integrate via Clair's APIs to embed On-Demand Pay functionality into their own platforms. The API supports real-time advance delivery (typically seconds to 30 minutes). It is positioned as a partner-facing API, not a public developer API.
What industry is Clair in?
Clair's product category is Earned Wage Access Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGALAI, Embedded Payroll, Earned Wage Access & Benefits Finance, with a secondary code of FSAMAKAM, Instant Payouts & Earned Wage Access (EWA). Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 7363.