Employment Hero EWA
$8 est.
- Model
- Employer-sponsored
- Employee fee
- 1.3% (Swag Wallet) or 1.5% (bank account)
- Interest
- None
- Max advance
- Up to 50% of earned wages
- Repayment term
- Next pay run
- Cost of advance
- $8
Employment Hero EWA
Earned wage access built into the Employment Hero platform, 1.3% to 1.5% per withdrawal.
- Model
- Employer-sponsored
- Max advance
- Up to 50% of earned wages
- Interest
- None
- App (iOS)
- 4.3 / 5
Best for
Best for businesses already using Employment Hero for HR/payroll
Pricing breakdown
Every fee we track, grouped by where it applies.
In-person payments
EFTPOS terminal and tap-to-pay transactions.
- Setup fee
- Free for employer
Online payments
Online checkout and keyed-in card transactions.
- Setup fee
- Free for employer
Contract terms
- Contract length
- Month-to-month (via Employment Hero)
Last verified 21 May 2026.
Strengths and trade-offs
Pros
- Low 1.3% to 1.5% fee, no interest
- Free for employers on the Employment Hero platform
- Integrates with Employment Hero Payroll, Xero, MYOB, KeyPay
- Published, transparent fees
Cons
- Employer must use the Employment Hero platform
- Lowest fee (1.3%) requires using the Swag Wallet
- Unavailable if your employer is not on Employment Hero
About Employment Hero EWA
Employment Hero EWA (formerly InstaPay) is earned wage access built into the Employment Hero HR and payroll platform. Employees can access up to 50% of earned wages early, paying 1.3% when transferring to the Swag Wallet or 1.5% to an external bank account, with no interest. It is free for employers as part of the Employment Hero platform and integrates with Employment Hero Payroll, Xero, MYOB and KeyPay. Because it is built into the platform, the employer must use Employment Hero. It operates under an ASIC Credit Licence.
Employment Hero EWA was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.
How Employment Hero EWA compares
Side-by-side with the closest alternatives by estimated cost.
Based on a $500 advance repaid in 7 days.
CommBank AdvancePay
$5 est.
- Model
- Consumer-direct (bank product)
- Employee fee
- $5 per $500 (about 1%)
- Interest
- None (14.90% p.a. only if overdue)
- Max advance
- Assessed individually
- Repayment term
- By next pay
- Cost of advance
- $5
Beforepay
$25 est.
- Model
- Consumer-direct
- Employee fee
- 5% flat
- Interest
- None
- Max advance
- Up to $2,000
- Repayment term
- Up to 62 days (4 instalments)
- Cost of advance
- $25
MyPayNow
$27 est.
- Model
- Consumer-direct
- Employee fee
- 5% of advance
- Interest
- 24% p.a.
- Max advance
- Up to $2,000 (25% of wages)
- Repayment term
- Up to 62 days
- Cost of advance
- $27
Common questions about Employment Hero EWA
The same questions Australian merchants ask before signing up.
Employment Hero EWA does not publish a standard rate in Australia. Pricing is quoted based on your business size, industry, and card mix. Request a quote on their site, or use our free fee calculator to compare against providers that do publish rates.
Employment Hero EWA does not require a lock-in contract for Australian merchants. You can switch providers at any time without an exit fee.
Employment Hero EWA settlement times are not publicly listed.
Employment Hero EWA AMEX pricing in Australia is not publicly listed. Ask their sales team whether AMEX acceptance and rates are included.
Employment Hero EWA does not advertise least-cost routing for Australian merchants. If you take a lot of contactless debit, compare against providers that do support it on our comparison page.
Employment Hero EWA is best suited to best for businesses already using employment hero for hr/payroll. To see how it stacks up for your specific volume and card mix, try our free fee calculator.
We may earn a commission when you click through to Employment Hero EWA and sign up, where a commercial arrangement is in place. This never affects ranking, the data we publish, or the comparisons we make on this page. Read our terms for the full picture.
We may earn a commission when you click through to a provider. This never affects ranking or data shown. Read our terms.
Compare Employment Hero EWA
Compare Employment Hero EWA against every other Australian provider on price, contract terms, and features.