The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is poised to issue guidance clarifying that certain earned-wage access (EWA) products, which allow workers to access pay before payday, are not subject to traditional loan disclosure rules. The advisory is expected to largely reaffirm a 2020 position, signaling regulatory continuity that distinguishes employer-integrated cash advances from consumer loans. The move reduces compliance friction for payroll-linked fintechs while reinforcing a regulatory line between wage access as income timing and credit as debt, shaping competition and product design in the EWA market.

CFPB Poised to Exempt Some Fintech Cash Advances from Loan Rules