VIVA Finance Announces Distribution Partnership with Paychex
- Sep 23, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 12, 2025
The Partnership Accelerates VIVA’s Mission to Provide Affordable Credit Access to Millions of American Workers at Scale
VIVA Finance, one of the nation’s fastest-growing fintech companies, today announced a transformative partnership with Paychex, an industry leading human capital management (HCM) company. This milestone partnership will feature VIVA’s innovative, employment-based lending platform within Paychex Flex® Perks, the company’s curated digital marketplace of employee benefits. This will provide seamless experience and immediate access to affordable personal loans to the ~10 million workers paid by Paychex.
VIVA’s employment-based credit products are disrupting the multitrillion-dollar Alternative Financial Services Industry that caters to nonprime customers with damaged or no credit history who struggle to access traditional financial products and face high borrowing costs and few credit options. Over 1/3 of Americans have below a 670-credit score or no credit history, making it challenging to access fair credit options for emergency expenses or budget shocks. The Atlanta-based fintech elevates borrowers based on employment history–not solely credit score–bringing affordable credit to a workforce that traditional financial institutions too often overlook. The partnership with Paychex in many ways will rewrite the rules of the alternative financial services industry, providing millions of Americans access to more fair and responsibly priced credit options.
“We are thrilled about the partnership with Paychex and know that both our teams share a passion for employee financial well-being,” said Hodges Markwalter, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of VIVA Finance. “This collaboration is a massive leap forward for our goal to become the go-to fintech platform for the American workforce.”
Product Innovation
VIVA’s loans fill a void in the marketplace between earned wage advance (EWA) products offered by companies like Chime, Dave, and DailyPay that help customers with short-term cash flow management, and jumbo loan products offered by companies like SoFi, Upstart and Upgrade that are exclusively available to super prime customers. With loan sizes up to $10,000 and 24-month loan terms, VIVA gives workers the opportunity to access more traditional credit that puts customers on a path to financial prosperity.
Through the strategic partnership, VIVA will integrate with Paychex’s payroll infrastructure, allowing employees to access affordable personal loans with seamless repayment through payroll. This approach simplifies borrowing and strengthens employees’ financial resilience by aligning repayment with pay cycles. With Paychex’s reach across half a million business clients and more than 10 million employees, the partnership opens the door to massive distribution to meet growing customer demand.
Disrupting Traditional Payments
Paychex and VIVA collaborated to build a more efficient and streamlined payments rail for the fully integrated credit solution. At the onset of the customer journey, VIVA creates a digital wallet for its customers that is funded via direct deposit and used to budget for monthly installment payments. The teams envision that this payment rail can ultimately be used for other recurring payments like rent, cell phone plans, and insurance. Lowering borrowing costs and increasing credit access are examples of the power of payroll-linked payments innovation.
Founded in 2019 by brothers Jack and Hodges Markwalter, VIVA Finance has experienced explosive growth–over 4,000% revenue growth since 2020 –earning national recognition from Inc. 5000, Deloitte Fast 500, and Forbes 30 Under 30 for Social Impact. Today, VIVA has grown into a powerhouse with hundreds of thousands of customer accounts and $20M+ in equity raised from VCs, Family Offices and local Atlanta Angel investors.
“We’re chasing impact,” said Jack Markwalter, Co-Founder and CEO of VIVA Finance. “This deal with Paychex puts our product in front of millions of hardworking Americans. That’s the kind of scale that changes lives–and industries.”
By removing barriers to credit and tying repayment to payroll, VIVA is helping Americans take control of their finances. With the Paychex partnership, VIVA steps into a new phase: embedded finance with real distribution power, when financial stability is more essential than ever.
The focus on employment history rather than just credit scores is a game changer for many Americans struggling to access fair credit options. With one-third of the population facing credit challenges, VIVA Finance's partnership with Paychex can truly change lives by providing affordable personal loans to those who need it most. As someone who values financial inclusivity, I believe this innovative approach could help a lot of individuals manage unexpected expenses better. It's exciting to see such advancements in the fintech space! For more on tools that enhance financial well-being, visit Tomodachi Life.
The partnership between VIVA Finance and Paychex shows a significant shift towards more inclusive financial solutions, particularly for those with lower credit scores. By focusing on employment history rather than just credit scores, it opens up access to much-needed loans for millions of American workers. As someone involved in financial planning, I'm curious how this partnership will influence the broader lending landscape. Will we see more traditional lenders adopting similar criteria in the future? Photo From Emoji
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