⏰ Est. reading time: 4 mins

💡 What you’ll learn:

• Financial challenges of agriculture workers
• How paycards can help this workforce, especially the unbanked population
• The type of paycards that help agriculture workers flourish financially

Agriculture is the backbone of our food system, and behind every harvest and processed product are hardworking individuals who make it all happen. From the fields of California to the processing plants of the Midwest, farmworkers and food plant employees are essential. Yet, despite their vital role, many of these workers still face barriers when it comes to getting paid, especially if they lack access to traditional banking.

Enter paycards: a modern, flexible way to pay your workforce. For the agriculture industry, which has a high number of unbanked workers, paycards are more than just convenient—they’re transformative. 

Read on to discover five benefits of using paycards to pay your agriculture workers. 

1. Financial inclusion for the unbanked

According to the FDIC, roughly 5.6 million households in America are unbanked, meaning no one in the household has a checking or savings account. That may not seem like a large share of the general population, but the agriculture industry itself has a large concentration of unbanked workers. This may be due to a number of factors, including language barriers, seasonality of work, or mistrust of traditional financial institutions. 

For example, a significant number of agriculture workers are born outside of the U.S, meaning English is not their native language. Many agriculture workers come here on H-2 visas, a way to work in the U.S. in a temporary capacity for up to 10 months performing seasonal agricultural work. They may not have existing bank accounts, or their limited documentation may mean accessing a traditional bank account is difficult.

With paycards, you can eliminate that barrier by sending wages directly to workers’ cards. They can spend with a debit card, access their funds via ATMs, and make purchases online or in stores. This is a major step toward financial inclusion for people who have historically operated on the margins of the banking system.

2. Fast, secure payments

If you’re still paying with paper checks, both you and your workers are likely familiar with their many hassles, including the potential for lost or stolen checks, and delays in payment. Typically, employers issue paychecks on a weekly or bi-weekly basis—and if there is a payroll correction that needs to be made, it requires you to issue additional checks.

Paycards can streamline and expedite the entire payment process. For example, Branch designed our Branch Cards to support your workforce with fast payments and streamline the payroll process for everyone involved. With Branch Cards, you can fund workers’ cards at any time, reducing delays in payments and potential administrative headaches. And if there’s a payroll correction that needs to be made, you can quickly send that money to workers without worrying about cutoff times—nights, weekends, and holidays included. 

Plus, if you choose to adopt same-day payroll, you can even pay out your workers after every shift. 

Say goodbye to lost or stolen checks and the hassles of payroll corrections by adopting a modern paycard solution that benefits your farm or facility and your employees. 

3. Fewer fees—with the right provider

With paycards, your workers will no longer have to cash their checks—and for people who may be unbanked, that can save them a lot of money. For example, farm workers who need to cash their check without a bank account typically have to pay fees; an average of 3.11% of the check, according to the FDIC. Those fees add up over time, especially for workers living paycheck to paycheck.

Though paycards can spare your workers from check cashing fees, it pays to keep in mind that not all paycard providers are created equally. Look for a provider that offers plenty of fee-free options for your workers. At Branch, workers are able to access their money for free and withdraw for free at in-network ATMs, too. We’ve not only done away with many of the fees associated with traditional banking—such as overdraft fees and minimum balance requirements—we’ve also eliminated a number of traditional paycard fees such as inactivity and card replacement fees.

Fewer fees means more money in your workers’ pockets—and a happier workforce clocking in each day.

4. Flexibility and ease-of-use for seasonal workers

Many agricultural workers travel from region to region or even state to state following the seasons, which can be a tricky component to people management. For example, onboarding must be efficient for workers who are signing on to complete a seasonal or temporary job so that they can complete their assigned work on time. 

A paycard gives them a portable form of payment they can take anywhere—even to their next job. Funds are accessible 24/7, and many paycards like Branch’s can be managed via mobile apps. Plus, when you choose a paycard like Branch with easy onboarding, users can self-onboard in as quickly as 90 seconds. 

This flexibility and ease of use is perfect for seasonal or temporary workers, and can help streamline the people management experience for your team as well. 

5. A boost in worker satisfaction

When workers can access their money quickly, safely, and without extra fees, it builds trust. Providing paycards as an option signals that an employer values their team’s time, safety, and financial wellbeing. Plus, paycards such as Branch Cards come with financial wellness tools and perks such as personalized spending insights, cashback rewards, a savings feature, and more. Offering these features is also a win-win for your employees and your farm or facility; data shows that offering financial wellness resources can boost workplace satisfaction and productivity. 

Paycards That Help Farm Workers Flourish Financially

By embracing paycards, farms and facilities can streamline their payment processes, empower their workers, and build a more efficient business from the ground up. It’s time to support our nation’s hardworking agriculture workers with a paycard that provides fast, reliable access to their earnings, fee-free options, and financial wellness tools to help them manage their money. 

We designed our Branch Cards to be a modern paycard that supports your workforce and streamlines payments for everyone involved. Branch Cards can be used to pay all types of workers, including seasonal workers, unbanked workers, workers with limited documentation, and minors 14 +.

Learn more about Branch Cards