To help make sure that more workers get access to Branch and financial services, Branch has three types of Branch accounts available for an organization’s workforce: Premier*, Essential*, and Minor. All three account types have access to the Branch Wallet and Card, but Essential and Minor accounts have limited features.
*Premier accounts were formerly known as Standard accounts; Essential accounts were formerly known as Paycard accounts.
About Essential Accounts
An Essential account is a type of Branch Wallet account for:
- Underbanked employees
- Employees with no banking history
- Employees who only want a paycard
Workers who are eligible for an Essential account can still manage their funds through a Digital Wallet and physical card, but will not be able to add funds via check or cash deposit. They also do not have a visible ACH account and routing number.
- Important to Note: Essential account holders have access to Branch’s other tools and features, such as Rewards, Savings Goal, and up to eight free ATM transactions at 55,000+ AllPoint ATMs.
Who can have an Essential account?
The Essential account is available to workers who meet the following parameters:
- Your organization must have Essential accounts enabled as a payment type.
- The worker is unable to complete our standard onboarding process.
- The worker must still be able to submit accurate and verifiable documentation or requested information.
Who isn’t eligible for a Branch Wallet, including an Essential account?
Branch is unable to provide any type of Branch account, including an Essential account, to users who violate our Terms of Service. These instances may include but are not limited to:
- Providing false information or supporting documentation
- Prior misuse of a Branch digital wallet
- Illicit activity
What features are available on an Essential account?
While Essential accounts do not have all the same features as a Premier Branch account, there are a range of great features for your workers.
Available Features:
- Physical plastic card (usually an Instant Card)
- Access to mobile app (App Store or Google Play) with balance, transactions, and card controls
- Ability to add their card to Apple Pay/Google Wallet
- Up to 8 free ATM transactions at 55,000+ AllPoint ATMs (Can also access out of network ATMs for a small fee)
- Ability to spend with merchants who accept Mastercard
- Direct deposit from employer that is a Branch Customer
- Rewards
- Savings Goal
Unavailable Features:
- Additional ways of adding funds to the card, such as:
- Mobile Check Deposit
- Cash Deposit
- OCT Transfer in
- A visible ACH Account and Routing number
- Note: This is only available to the employer for the sole purpose of posting their wages. It cannot be used for paying bills or adding other sources of income.
- Transfer out options (ACH or Instant)
- Earned Wage Access (i.e., Advances)
Where can I see if my worker has an Essential account?
To check to see whether your worker has an Essential, Premier, or Minor account:
- Log into Pay Admin.
- On the landing page Workers (where you are directed upon login), use the search bar to look up specific workers.
- Click the row of the worker you’re searching for and an info panel will appear on the right side of your screen.
- Scroll within this info panel to Payment Details → Account Type.
- This field will indicate if this worker has a PREMIER, ESSENTIAL, or MINOR account.
How do I offer Essential accounts to my workers?
As long as you retain an I-9 form for each employee, your organization can offer the Essential account option. If you’re interested in learning more or getting started, please reach out to your Account Manager or email accountmanagement@branchapp.com.
How can my workers upgrade from an Essential to Premier account?
An extra level of verification is required to upgrade an Essential account into a Premier account. Workers can access the self-service option to upgrade their account in the Branch app using the instructions in this article: How do I upgrade from an Essential to a Premier account?
Important to Note:
- Workers have one allowed attempt to upgrade from an Essential account to a Premier account via self-service in the Branch app.
- If they fail verification during the upgrade process, they are advised to reach out to the Customer Support team for further help.
Branch is not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC and Evolve Bank & Trust, Member FDIC, which are Branch’s bank partners. The name of the bank partner for your account is listed on the back of your debit card and can also be found in the Branch App under “Your Account Information”. FDIC insurance only applies to eligible accounts should the bank holding your funds fail. Branch Mastercard Debit Cards are issued by Evolve Bank & Trust or Lead Bank, Member FDIC, as applicable, pursuant to a license from Mastercard and may be used everywhere Mastercard debit cards are accepted.