5 Ways to Win on Black Friday … and All Holiday Season

ZayZoon Guest Blog, by Shane Edrington, VP of Sales, ZayZoon

During the holiday season, your dual role as both a consumer and an HR service provider offers a unique perspective that sheds light on the impact this time of year has on both your clients and their employees. Your insights could prove invaluable in understanding and addressing the needs and experiences of those you serve.

Hear from our Marketplace partner, ZayZoon, on 5 Ways a Consumer Can Win on Black Friday … and All Holiday Season.

Once again, the season of sales is upon us.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Super Saturday, and (for all our Commonwealth friends) Boxing Day are all right around the corner.

Chances are, you, just like your clients and their employees, will be taking advantage of at least one of these sales (I know I will), but before you do, I’ve put together some tips on how your clients’ worksite employees—and you, of course—can save big money and score even bigger deals this holiday season.

1. Budget Before Buying

Before anyone partakes in some good old-fashioned retail therapy, they really should make sure they’ve budgeted for it. Need a refresher on how to build a budget? We’ve got you covered right here.

That’s all to say that if they’re short on change or have bills piling up that take priority, this might be the year to skip out on the season of sales. Don’t let FOMO (i.e., fear of missing out) get to you. Remember: There’s always next year.

If you do have money to spend, find out exactly how much you’re OK parting with. And don’t let those sweet, sweet sales seduce you into spending more than you’re able. In other words, stick to the number you’ve decided on. The “Ooo, that’s a great deal that I can’t pass up” mentality can start to hit people’s pocketbooks in a hurry.

Here are some very practical tips on how you, your clients and their employees can budget for holiday spending.

2. Gain Access to Their Earned Wages

OK, so they’ve looked at their budget and it turns out they do have some cash to spare. Unfortunately, payday is a week away.

So, they decide to borrow money or use a buy now, pay later app, to make their purchase. I have one word for you and them: Don’t. While these solutions do offer a quick path to cash, they come with strings attached, including expensive repayment schemes.

Instead, they can consider Earned Wage Access (or EWA, for short). With EWA, they can immediately access money they’ve earned before their next paycheck. For many employers, providing this benefit is as easy as flicking on a switch. In less than 30 minutes, their employees can access their pay instantly and put a stop to cash flow shortfalls. If they need a little extra cash to make that purchase and don’t want to use credit, EWA can get them that cash in an instant.

Watch Shane Edrington discuss the significance of ZayZoon
winning 2022 PrismHR Partner of the Year honors.

3. Take Advantage of Instant Gift Cards

Through partnerships with some of the nation’s top merchants (think: Amazon, Instacart, Walmart, etc.), employees can receive their pay via ZayZoon Instant Gift Cards—with an added bonus.

Typically, these bonuses include up to an additional 25% in savings. So, if they decide to take out their pay in the form of an Amazon gift card—let’s say $100—they could gain an additional $25. Instant Gift Cards are a great way for them to get more bang for their buck during the season’s sales.

They are sent directly to employee’s email addresses where they can access them instantly.

4. Fuel Savings With a Gas Card

Getting around during the holiday season can be especially expensive and drive home some real pain for consumers. That’s why ZayZoon created the Gas Card.

When employees withdraw their pay to the Gas Card, they get a 5% bonus.

Say you take out $100 in earned wages. With the Gas Card, they’ll get a spending power of $105, thanks to the 5% bonus.

Employees get $5 extra the first time they use the card, no matter how much money they withdraw. Each time after, they get the 5% bonus.

Plus, they can use it forever. ZayZoon will instantly send it to their email so they can redeem it whenever they want.

5. Venmo as You Go

If your clients’ employees are looking at splitting the bill on some gifts (pooling for a Secret Santa perhaps), then they’ve probably got their sights set on using Venmo. Now, they can access their pay early and have it deposited directly to their Venmo account free of charge—another way to supercharge their spending during the holiday season.

Give the power for employees to get the funds they need when they need it this holiday season with ZayZoon.

ZayZoon is the financial empowerment platform for small and mid-size businesses. With ZayZoon, payday comes with the push of a button. It’s free for employers and takes only 30 minutes to implement. Employees can use ZayZoon to get paid whenever, however. The platform also offers educational resources and tools to help workers break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. And it works. 89% of employees who use ZayZoon report less financial stress and employers who offer ZayZoon boast a 29% reduction in turnover.