WALMART MISSES THE TARGET WITH ITS EARLY WAGE ACCESS PROGRAM

It’s all about perception

A recent Philadelphia Inquirer article has done a comprehensive breakdown of Walmart’s earned pay access program and how employees were confused by the complex offering.

The article describes one worker who, after realizing that her paycheck was $200 short and with a car payment looming, remembered that Walmart offered a savings platform called Even. After signing up “for free,” in reading Even’s Terms of Service, this worker was surprised to learn that it actually cost $6/month to have any access to half of her paycheck. While the program was advertised as free, she was surprised to learn that the fees began immediately following the first month. With no clear guidance on how to unsubscribe, the employee turned to Walmart for help and eventually stopped using it.