What Extraordinary does

Extraordinary (legal entity Extraordinarypay Limited) is a New Zealand-based employee benefits fintech founded in 2021 by Steven Zinsli and headquartered in Takapuna, Auckland. Originally launched as HealthNow with a healthcare allowance focus, the company rebranded to Extraordinary in early 2025 and repositioned as an all-in-one employee benefits payment platform that consolidates gifting, rewards, recognition, allowances and tax-free public transport into a single digital ecosystem with a Mastercard-backed prepaid card, employee mobile app and employer dashboard. Its most differentiated product is the pre-tax public transport salary sacrifice module, which leverages Inland Revenue Product Ruling BR Prd 25/03 (issued 16 May 2025) — the first and only such ruling in New Zealand — to enable employees to fund commuting via pre-tax income and reduce transit costs by approximately 30%+, while making the scheme cost-neutral for employers via KiwiSaver offset.

The platform architecture consists of a core card-and-wallet infrastructure (digital and physical Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay support) integrated with New Zealand's four major transit card schemes (AT HOP, Snapper, Metrocard, Bee Card) and the forthcoming Motu Move national ticketing system, alongside payroll and HRIS integrations (notably Workday). Distribution is hybrid: a consultative enterprise sales motion targeting HR and Finance decision-makers in corporates of 200+ employees, supplemented by an employee referral channel that drove 1,103 employer referrals in a single quarter, a self-serve portal for smaller organisations, and a strategic partnership with Workride covering bike/e-bike benefits across 98% of NZ bike shops. Named enterprise customers include Air New Zealand, Spark, 2degrees, BNZ, ASB, Deloitte, PwC, Chorus, Southern Cross, Connetics, Simpson Grierson and Dentons.

Revenue is generated through two primary streams: a $4.17 per active employee per month platform subscription covering all modules, and a 5% take rate on funds loaded via the gifting module (with unspent balances returning to the employer rather than breaking, unlike traditional gift cards). The company operates solely within New Zealand, holds no disclosed institutional VC funding beyond the NZ Fintech Fund, and has 11–50 employees.

Name

Extraordinary

Legal name

Extraordinarypay Limited

Website

https://extraordinarypay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Extraordinary is a New Zealand fintech operating an all-in-one Mastercard-backed employee benefits platform that consolidates gifting, rewards, allowances, recognition and tax-free public transport salary sacrifice for NZ employers, anchored by an Inland Revenue product ruling unique to its public transport module.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employee Benefits Management

NAICS

Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Embedded Payroll, Earned Wage Access & Benefits Finance (FSAGALAI), Pay Card Programs & Earned Wage Access (EWA) Administration (BPACAIAK)

Keywords

• Employee benefits platform
• Salary sacrifice administration
• Digital rewards distribution
• Prepaid benefits card
• Tax-free public transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Platform Subscription: Monthly platform fee per active employee using the system. Fee covers all modules (gifting, rewards, allowances, public transport). Cost-neutral for employers at typical usage levels due to KiwiSaver savings offsetting platform fees.
2. Per-Employee Platform Fee: $4.17 per active employee per month ($50 per year). At $28/week salary sacrifice, employer KiwiSaver savings cover the platform cost. At $50/week typical sacrifice, employer saves ~$28/year on KiwiSaver.
3. Gift Card Module: 5% flat fee on amount loaded to cards. Unlike traditional gift cards, unspent funds return to the employer when cards expire. Digital cards are free; physical cards may have costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Extraordinary provides an all-in-one employee benefits and non-payroll payments platform for New Zealand employers, delivered through a Mastercard-backed prepaid card, an employer management dashboard, and an employee mobile app. The platform bundles gifting, rewards, allowances, peer-to-peer recognition, and tax-free public transport salary sacrifice into configurable modules, with pricing structured as a per-active-employee monthly subscription plus a transaction fee on the gifting module.

Product overview

Extraordinary is an all-in-one employee benefits platform that consolidates multiple benefit types into a single unified system. The platform architecture consists of a core Employee Benefits & Rewards Card Platform complemented by four distinct modules: Gifting & Rewards, Allowances, Tax-free Public Transport, and Peer-to-Peer Recognition. The platform also includes an Employer Portal for management and an Employee App with a linked Extraordinary Card (Mastercard) that supports Apple Pay and Google Pay. A partnership with Workride extends the offering to include bike/e-bike salary sacrifice benefits. The platform is designed for both sides of the experience—giving management control, visibility, and compliance while providing employees with simplicity and flexibility in accessing their benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employee Benefits & Rewards Card Platform A unified employee benefits platform for NZ employers that brings together gifting, rewards, recognition, allowances, and tax-free public transport into a single digital ecosystem, delivered through an employer dashboard, employee mobile app, and a Mastercard-backed prepaid card with merchant-level category controls.
• Gifting & Rewards Module Module that lets NZ employers distribute instant digital rewards and gifts for performance, long service, or special occasions, with a 5% fee on amount loaded and unused balances returned to the employer rather than lost to breakage.
• Allowances Module Module that allows NZ employers to set flexible employee allowances — including wellbeing, learning, or custom categories — that workers can spend across approved merchant categories, with full visibility and reporting for HR and Finance.
• Tax-free Public Transport Module Module that enables NZ employees to fund public transport commuting using pre-tax income through salary sacrifice, reducing effective commuting costs by approximately 30% or more and qualifying for FBT exemption under Section CX 19C of the Income Tax Act 2007.
• Peer-to-Peer Recognition Module Recognition module that lets employees instantly send personalised messages and pre-defined monetary distributions to colleagues, reinforcing company values and recognition culture in real time.
• Workride Bike Benefit Partnership Partnership product with Workride that enables NZ employees to access FBT-exempt salary sacrifice for bikes, e-bikes, and scooters through a fully digital platform, saving 30-50% on cycle costs via Workride's network of 98% of NZ bike shops.

Quantifiable outcome

• Employees save 30%+ on public transport ($900+/year for typical Wellington commuter)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• DentonsflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2026Major law firm launched public transport salary sacrifice program with Extraordinary. Employees in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch can fund commuting using pre-tax income. Initiative launched on Earth Day. Builds on existing benefits partnership. Dentons promotes program as supporting employee financial wellbeing and sustainability goals.
• WorkridecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Joint go-to-market for salary sacrifice commuter benefits. Workride handles bike/e-bike benefit with 98% of NZ bike shops in network. Extraordinary handles public transport via its IRD-ruled platform. Combined offering gives employees commuting choice (PT or cycling). Workride pioneered FBT-exempt bike benefit after 2023 tax legislation changes. Shared mission of empowering NZ employers with meaningful benefits.
• HealthNowminorOthersPredecessor company founded by Steven Zinsli. HealthNow gave employees funded access to healthcare and wellness support. Proved technology and empathy can work together, sparking the vision for Extraordinary. Extraordinary evolved from this foundation to become all-in-one benefits platform.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Workride: New Zealand salary-sacrifice bike and e-bike benefit platform with a national bike shop network. Directly comparable to Extraordinary's transport module as a competing tax-free commuter benefit channel; already a GTM partner but operates a parallel benefit rail for the same employer buyer.
• Boost Benefits (formerly Boost Mobile Vouchers): NZ-based digital gift card, rewards, and employee benefits platform used by NZ employers. Closest domestic head-to-head competitor to Extraordinary's Gifting & Rewards and Allowances modules.
• Wildcard: New Zealand digital gift card and rewards platform widely used by NZ corporates for employee recognition and incentives. Overlaps directly with Extraordinary's gifting and P2P recognition modules.

Broad incumbents

• Reward Gateway: Global employee engagement, rewards, and recognition platform serving mid-market and enterprise employers. Comparable in target buyer (HR leaders) and recognition/rewards functionality, though broader in scope and far larger scale.
• Pluxee (Sodexo Benefits & Rewards Services): Global benefits and rewards issuer (spun out of Sodexo) offering prepaid cards, vouchers, and employee benefit platforms. Directly comparable to Extraordinary's prepaid card, gifting, and allowances modules at global enterprise scale.
• Blackhawk Network: Global prepaid and gift card network with employer-facing rewards and incentives products. Comparable to Extraordinary's card-issuance infrastructure, gift card module, and merchant-level controls.
• Perkbox: UK-headquartered employee benefits, perks, and recognition platform. Comparable in modular benefits delivery and employer target segment to Extraordinary's all-in-one positioning.
• Ben (Benefex): UK employee benefits platform (Benefex) providing flexible benefits, total reward statements, and recognition. Comparable in modern, mobile-first benefits UX and employer SaaS go-to-market.

Emerging players

• PayActiv: US earned wage access and payroll-linked financial wellness platform. Comparable in pre-tax/payroll-integrated employee financial benefit model, though adjacent rather than direct on transport/commuter benefits.
• ZayZoon: North American earned wage access and employee wellness benefits platform integrated with payroll. Comparable as a payroll-anchored employee financial benefit product targeting the same HR/Finance buyer as Extraordinary.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Extraordinary