The instant economy is gradually rendering the traditional monthly pay cycle obsolete. For ambitious businesses competing for talent across the EU, this outdated structure creates unnecessary financial stress for employees and significant friction for employers. The solution is clear for some savvy fintechs: the benefit of Earned Wage Access (EWA).
A benefit that Jixbee enables employers to deliver. Pioneering EWA in the Dutch market, Jixbee offers a powerful, modern benefit that provides workers with instant control over their wages. Unlike some competitors, their model is specifically designed to address the challenges and opportunities of the European market.
We sat down with Gijs Lubberdink (Co-Founder and CEO) and Duuk Biewenga (CIO and Business Developer) to discuss how Jixbee is modernising pay and how their partnership with Brite is set to help them meet the challenge of offering EWA across Europe. Read on to discover how Jixbee uses automation and instant A2A payouts to deliver the 24/7/365 speed and reliability required to build a powerful employer brand and end the wait for earned wages across the EU.
Can you describe Jixbee’s core mission and the key problem you’re solving for employees and employers?
Gijs Lubberdink, Co-Founder and CEO at Jixbee: Jixbee’s mission is fundamentally about enhancing the financial well-being of employees – our users – while simultaneously creating substantial strategic value for the employer, our client.
The core problem we’re solving is that the standard monthly pay cycle is obsolete. It forces workers to wait for their earned money, which is especially outdated in an economy demanding on-demand flexibility. This creates unnecessary financial strain, often driving people to use credit or overdrafts to cover their bills.
We aim to give employees back control over their finances. We provide Earned Wage Access (EWA), which enables employees to access a portion of their income instantly throughout the month, thereby eliminating monthly stress. Jixbee also offer real-time insight into their earnings, which empowers them to manage their money more effectively.
Crucially, we address the specific Dutch context, where employers typically set aside 8% of an employee’s salary for an annual payout in May. We allow users to access this holiday money and overtime pay when needed. Our service is modernising the concept of pay, which in the Netherlands, where the monthly model is highly prevalent, provides a critical financial benefit for both attraction and retention.
Why should an employer use Jixbee’s service for its employees?
Gijs Lubberdink: Our service offers a massive strategic benefit in today’s competitive landscape, where attracting and retaining talent is increasingly difficult.
While employers often offer perks like gym memberships or bike leases – common in the Netherlands – our service addresses the question: “Can you also do something about the money?” Earned Wage Access is a superior employee benefit because it fundamentally improves financial well-being.
Our data quantifies the benefits. Our clients experience an immediate increase in interest; for example, one client saw a 30% increase in CVs for job vacancies simply by including flexible payouts in their job offers. We also see higher shift take-up rates. When people know they can work a shift on Friday and see that money reflected in their wallet that evening, they are far more willing to take that shift or stay longer.
In short, Jixbee allows employers to differentiate themselves as modern, innovative organisations that genuinely care about their people’s financial stability. It’s a powerful way to strengthen your employer brand.
What are the main differentiators between Jixbee and other EWA companies?
Gijs Lubberdink: There are a few key differences:
1. Pure Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Automation. We operate purely as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). When an employer uses our service, we focus intensely on how to automate the entire process for them. Our goal is to make it seamless and better for the employer. It should be an automatic process integrated into their current systems, which provides a massive benefit on the backend.
2. Quick Access to Cash, Not Vouchers. While other market offerings might provide “access to budgets,” these often translate into complex benefits, such as vouchers or the ability to purchase products via a webshop. Our primary focus is simple: you just get your money quicker. That is the big, visible difference for the employee.
3. Backend Flexibility and Integration. We truly stand out from other earned wage providers on the back end. The difference often comes down to:
- Ease of Integration: How easy is integrating our service into your company’s payroll and HR systems
- Flexibility: How adaptable are we to your specific company’s needs?
Our flexibility and ease of integration make a significant difference in how smoothly the service runs for both employers and employees – especially when compared to other market offerings.
How is the Earned Wage Access market evolving in Europe?
Gijs Lubberdink: Earned wage access is a significant trend in the US and UK. For example, in the UK, companies like Wagestream offer this service to NHS employees. Major employers, such as Walmart and McDonald’s, in the US also provide it. However, in mainland Europe, the adoption of earned wage access is not as widespread. The market there tends to be more conservative and lags behind the trends in the US and UK by a few years. We are introducing this concept in Europe, believing it will become more common.
The Dutch market, in particular, has been slow to embrace these financial innovations and fintech ideas. Our goal is to understand how this market is evolving. Currently, earned wage access is gaining more recognition, partly due to the growth in our user base over time. We have established our credibility and proven who we are in the industry.
While the earned wage access market is still in its early stages and not yet mature, it is definitely growing.
Duuk Biewenga, CIO and Business Developer, at Jixbee: In the UK and the US, earned wage access is often provided as a solution to combat high-interest loans. Many individuals take out expensive short-term loans. In contrast, loans and credit are not as common in the Netherlands. Therefore, we must approach this issue differently by creating more financial freedom rather than addressing the problem of high-interest loans. It’s healthier.
Since Eurozone countries have distinct payroll systems, how does your EWA service scale across these markets?
Gijs Lubberdink: The expansion should be straightforward. We partnered with Brite to ensure we have foundational Euro coverage, which simplifies operations across the Eurozone.
While we acknowledge that individual countries have slightly different salary and planning systems, our core technology and software are inherently flexible enough to handle these variations. We’re a tech company, and the platform is already built for cross-border scalability.
Our strategy is not just about expanding the wage access feature and broadening our financial well-being offerings—such as budgeting and financial education—which we plan to integrate into the app. Scaling the technology is the easy part; the immediate focus is on continuously developing and expanding the value we offer to European employees.
How important is offering an instant payout solution?
Gijs Lubberdink: Offering an instant payout solution isn’t just important; it’s absolutely vital.
We offer on-demand payments, and that service fundamentally requires a payment provider that can deliver funds instantly. If there are any delays, the service fails its core promise. That’s why we work closely with partners like Brite – to eliminate delays and guarantee immediate transfers 24/7.
For the last decade, the “next business day” payout has been fast. However, our product challenges that norm entirely.
Employers are accustomed to standard payment cycles, where employees get paid the next day, or possibly the same day if the transaction is initiated before a certain cutoff time. Our model is different: we offer the ability to access funds anytime, instantly, whether it’s 3:00 AM on a Sunday or 10:00 PM on a weekday.
This instant capability must also work seamlessly across borders within Europe. We see more employees working in one country (like the Netherlands) but holding bank accounts in another (like Spain). For our service to be valuable, we must ensure these international transfers happen within five seconds.
Without a system and partners who can reliably execute these instant, cross-border payments, our on-demand business model simply cannot function.
Do employees have greater expectations that payouts should be instant nowadays?
Duuk Biewenga: Absolutely. In markets like the Netherlands, consumers are already spoiled by instant payments for almost everything else. We’ve had it for years; if I transfer money to someone, it’s expected to arrive within seconds. It’s the same mentality as same-day package delivery – expectations are incredibly high.
This expectation is even stronger when it comes to your own earned wages. If an employee requests €1,000, they don’t want to wait; they need it and want it now.
Gijs Lubberdink: While consumers expect instant transfers in their daily lives, the idea of an instant payout from their employer is still relatively new.
If an employee seeks a traditional wage advance, they know it’s a slow, multi-step process: a manager must sign off, the finance department must process it, and it can take up to three days. That’s the baseline we are disrupting.
What is truly revolutionary is the concept of getting money at any time – whether it’s the middle of the night or on a Sunday. While SEPA Instant is making consumers more accustomed to speed, they are not yet accustomed to receiving this speed from their employer, which typically only processes payroll once a month. Our service fundamentally changes the employees’ relationship with their own earned money.
Why is offering an instant A2A payout solution essential as part of your service?
Gijs Lubberdink: Instant A2A is crucial because it aligns with core user preferences and avoids unnecessary friction.
We investigated various alternatives, such as issuing prepaid cards or secondary IBANs, which some competitors use. However, based on our experience, people overwhelmingly prefer to have their funds transferred directly to the bank account they already use.
Employees use their primary bank account for essential monthly expenses, like paying rent and utilities. Introducing a secondary account or card to manage their wages – even early wages – would create an unnecessary hurdle.
The banking infrastructure in markets like the Netherlands is already highly advanced. All major banks offer modern banking apps that provide sophisticated financial management.
Forcing users to adopt an extra intermediary system, like a new card or digital wallet, simply wouldn’t be competitive or efficient. Our A2A solution provides the best user experience by integrating seamlessly with their existing, trusted financial setup. It’s an innovative service delivered through a familiar, streamlined channel.
Innovation is highly valuable – is it about offering employees something extra they wouldn’t otherwise have?
Gijs Lubberdink: Exactly. The difficulty we sometimes face is that employers tell us, “My employees have never asked for this.” We respond that this is the nature of innovation; people don’t ask for what they don’t know is possible. However, once this service is implemented, it cannot be taken away.
The real value of our service, Jixbee, goes far beyond the simple act of a payout. We see significantly more logins than actual cash-outs. This suggests that for many users, the primary benefit is the feeling of financial security.
- They log in to see “How much have I earned?” and “Are my hours processed?”
- Knowing they have instant access to their funds significantly boosts their financial well-being, even if they don’t use them. It’s the peace of mind that matters most.
We recently had a client question the value because their employees weren’t using the payout feature as frequently as expected, arguing that the cost per payout seemed high. We explained that the value is not just the transaction.
Our service allows you to access your earned money instantly. If the goal was simply to execute a cheap payment, the employer could use a Payment Service Provider (PSP). Our value is in offering an innovative, always-on solution that fundamentally enhances the employee experience and overall financial confidence.
How do you quantify the positive value of Brite’s Payouts?
Gijs Lubberdink: When evaluating a Payment Service Provider (PSP), we believe the ultimate success metric is often silence. We view the service as a commodity; we aim for the money to be transferred instantly without any complications, chargebacks, or support issues.
The ideal scenario is that we don’t need to speak with our partner often. If the system handles everything flawlessly, the solution works perfectly in the background. The fact that the payment originates from Brite’s name rather than the employer’s has proven to be a non-issue for users, which validates the seamless integration. Simply put, it just works.
A tangible benefit is the competitive price compared to our previous PSP. While the difference is slight now, the commercial advantage will become substantial once we achieve higher volumes. This is not about increasing our profit margin; it’s about gaining a competitive advantage. By reducing our cost per transaction, we can pass those savings on to our high-volume customers, making our service more attractive and affordable.
How did you find the process of integrating Brite, and what has the support been like?
Gijs Lubberdink: The integration process was smooth and straightforward. Brite provided excellent guidance, including a dedicated contact person who made the technical setup exceptionally easy.
Regarding support, it has been excellent. While we did encounter some technical issues—which can happen with any integration—the response and resolution were prompt and effective. When we flagged serious issues, the Brite team responded quickly and took immediate ownership. The key measure of a good partner isn’t the absence of problems, but how quickly and seriously they act to fix them. We trust that any technical issues will be promptly addressed and resolved, ensuring the partnership remains effective and reliable.
What other qualities do you seek in a payments partner?
Gijs Lubberdink: When we approached Brite, they listened to our growth story. They were willing to support our ambitions, which helped build immense trust – specifically regarding our quick expansion into other European countries. We value being able to call a dedicated contact rather than filling out a generic form. This focus on the human element, support, and relationship is a clear differentiator that makes us feel valued and ensures a smoother partnership.
Staying one step ahead with Instant Payouts and Earned Wage Access
If you would like to find out more about how your financial product or platform can also benefit from Brite Instant Payouts, then get in touch with our payments experts today.
Or, if you would like to learn more about how Jixbee and Brite work together, please click below to read our customer story featuring Jixbee.
