Company Description
Payfare Inc. (OTCQX: PYFRF) was a financial technology company in the Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities industry within the broader finance and insurance sector. The company’s shares also traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PAY. According to multiple company announcements, Payfare described itself as a leading, international Earned Wage Access ("EWA") company that powered instant access to earnings through an award‑winning digital banking platform for today’s workforce.
In its news releases, Payfare stated that it partnered with leading e‑commerce marketplaces, payroll platforms, and employers to provide financial security and inclusion for workers. The company focused on Earned Wage Access, which it characterized as enabling instant access to earnings, and on digital banking experiences tailored to workforces. This positioned Payfare within the payments and financial technology ecosystem, aligned with the industry classification of financial transaction processing and related activities.
Corporate transformation and acquisition by Fiserv
On March 3, 2025, Payfare announced that 1517452 B.C. Ltd., an affiliate of Fiserv, Inc., had completed its previously announced acquisition of Payfare under a court‑approved plan of arrangement pursuant to the British Columbia Business Corporations Act. The company referred to this as a transformative step as it joined Fiserv. In connection with the completion of the arrangement, Payfare disclosed that its Class A common shares would be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange and withdrawn from trading in the U.S. on the OTCQX, and that it would apply to cease to be a reporting issuer in Canada.
As a result, PYFRF now represents the historical public listing of Payfare prior to its acquisition by Fiserv. Investors researching this symbol are typically looking at the company’s business history, its role in the Earned Wage Access and digital banking space, and the events leading up to the acquisition.
Business focus and partnerships
Across its public communications, Payfare consistently described its core focus as enabling instant access to earnings and providing a digital banking platform for workforces. The company highlighted that it worked with e‑commerce marketplaces, payroll platforms, and employers to reach workers and provide what it characterized as financial security and inclusion. These statements align with its classification in financial transaction processing and related activities.
Payfare’s news releases referenced specific program relationships that illustrated its operating model. The company noted that it powered the Lyft Direct program for Lyft drivers, describing Lyft Direct as a mobile banking solution for drivers on the Lyft platform that offers free instant access to earnings after every ride and a cashback rewards system on everyday spending such as fuel. Payfare also disclosed that it was involved in the DasherDirect card program with DoorDash, which it described as an award‑winning digital banking solution providing cardholders with free instant pay, cashback rewards, and other benefits.
In addition, Payfare announced the launch of the Uber Pro Card program with Uber, describing it as providing free instant payouts after every trip or delivery, enhanced loyalty features for drivers and delivery people, and backup balance for qualifying users on the Uber platform in Canada, powered by Payfare’s digital banking app. The company also reported a pilot Earned Wage Access product with Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) aimed at offering EWA to the Canadian market.
Role in the Earned Wage Access and gig‑economy ecosystem
In its public disclosures, Payfare repeatedly characterized itself as a leading, international Earned Wage Access company and emphasized its work with the gig economy and other workforce segments. The company stated that it powered instant access to earnings and digital banking solutions for workforces, and that it partnered with leading platforms to provide financial security and inclusion for workers. It also described a pipeline of potential new opportunities in the gig economy and Earned Wage Access space.
Payfare’s announcements indicated that its programs processed billions of dollars of transactions and served millions of cardholders over time, as reflected in its description of the DasherDirect program. The company also reported metrics such as active users, Total Gross Dollar Value (Total GDV), gross profit, Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, and adjusted net income in its quarterly financial results, illustrating how it measured the scale and performance of its operations.
Strategic developments prior to acquisition
Before the completion of the Fiserv transaction, Payfare announced several strategic developments. The company disclosed that its core services agreement related to DoorDash’s DasherDirect card program would not be renewed beyond its term in early 2025 and noted that DasherDirect was its largest program and that revenue from this program had been a substantial proportion of total revenues. In response to concentration risk and to support conversion of new opportunities, the Board of Directors announced a strategic review process to explore options such as strategic partnerships, investments, acquisitions, or a potential sale, merger, or other business combination.
Payfare also announced the formation of a Strategic Advisory Board to guide international expansion of its Earned Wage Access platform into new geographies. The company indicated that this board would help navigate expansion and support customers in achieving global scale efficiently and effectively. In addition, Payfare reported that it was expanding its business development, operations, and engineering teams to support anticipated growth, new client programs, and global expansion plans.
Financial reporting and performance indicators
In quarterly financial results, Payfare provided information on revenue, net income, and several non‑IFRS and supplementary financial measures. The company defined and discussed measures such as active users, Total Gross Dollar Value (Total GDV), EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, gross profit, free cash flow, and adjusted net income. Payfare explained that these measures were used to complement IFRS metrics, evaluate financial performance, highlight trends in its core business, and support budgeting and strategic planning.
Payfare also noted that it maintained significant balances of cash, cash equivalents, and guaranteed investment certificates and described itself as well capitalized to fund ongoing operations and new strategic initiatives. The company emphasized that while the loss of the DasherDirect program would have a substantial impact on its revenue profile, it intended to align operating expenses with expected revenues while preserving flexibility to pursue new business and initiatives.
Status of PYFRF for investors and researchers
Following the completion of the acquisition by an affiliate of Fiserv and the planned delisting from the Toronto Stock Exchange and withdrawal from OTCQX trading, PYFRF functions as a historical ticker symbol for Payfare’s former public listing. The company indicated that it would apply to cease to be a reporting issuer in Canada, which means that ongoing public disclosure obligations under Canadian securities laws would end once that process is completed.
For investors and researchers, the PYFRF symbol is therefore most relevant for historical analysis of Payfare’s business model, its role in the Earned Wage Access and workforce digital banking space, and the corporate events that culminated in its acquisition by Fiserv. Historical news releases and regulatory filings provide context on how Payfare positioned itself, how it measured its performance, and how it responded to changes in key client programs and strategic opportunities.
FAQs about Payfare Inc. (historical PYFRF)
- What did Payfare Inc. do?
Payfare described itself as a leading, international Earned Wage Access company that powered instant access to earnings through an award‑winning digital banking platform for today’s workforce. It stated that it partnered with leading e‑commerce marketplaces, payroll platforms, and employers to provide financial security and inclusion for workers. - Which industry and sector did Payfare belong to?
Payfare operated in the Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities industry within the finance and insurance sector. Its activities were aligned with payments and financial technology services focused on Earned Wage Access and workforce digital banking. - What happened to Payfare’s PYFRF stock?
On March 3, 2025, Payfare announced that an affiliate of Fiserv, Inc. had completed the acquisition of Payfare under a plan of arrangement. The company stated that its Class A common shares would be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange and withdrawn from trading on the OTCQX, and that it would apply to cease to be a reporting issuer in Canada. - Does Payfare still trade as an independent public company?
According to the acquisition announcement, following completion of the arrangement, Payfare’s shares were to be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange and withdrawn from OTCQX trading, and the company intended to cease to be a reporting issuer in Canada. This indicates that Payfare no longer trades as an independent public company under PYFRF or PAY. - How did Payfare describe its partnerships with gig‑economy platforms?
Payfare highlighted partnerships with leading platforms, including programs such as Lyft Direct, DasherDirect, and the Uber Pro Card. In its releases, it described these programs as providing free instant access to earnings, digital banking features, cashback rewards, and other tools designed for drivers and delivery workers. - What is Earned Wage Access (EWA) in the context of Payfare?
In its communications, Payfare used the term Earned Wage Access to describe providing instant access to earnings for workers, supported by its digital banking platform. The company positioned EWA as part of its mission to enhance financial security and inclusion for workforces. - How did Payfare measure the scale of its operations?
Payfare reported metrics such as active users, Total Gross Dollar Value (Total GDV), gross profit, Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, and adjusted net income in its quarterly results. It explained that these non‑IFRS and supplementary measures were used alongside IFRS metrics to evaluate performance and highlight trends in its core business. - Why did Payfare initiate a strategic review process?
Payfare announced that its Board of Directors initiated a strategic review process to explore and evaluate a broad range of potential options to enhance value, support conversion of potential new opportunities, and alleviate concentration risk. This followed developments including the non‑renewal of its core services agreement related to DoorDash’s DasherDirect card program. - What was the significance of the DoorDash DasherDirect program for Payfare?
Payfare stated that DasherDirect was its largest program and that revenue from this program had been a substantial proportion of its total revenues. The company announced that the core services agreement related to this program would not be renewed beyond its current term in early 2025 and noted that it expected a substantial impact on its revenue profile. - How is Payfare connected to Fiserv after the acquisition?
Following completion of the arrangement, Payfare became part of an affiliate of Fiserv, Inc., which Payfare described as a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology. The acquisition integrated Payfare’s Earned Wage Access and workforce digital banking capabilities into the broader Fiserv organization.
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No SEC filings available for Payfare.