Getting paid the day of instead of on a weekly or biweekly payday? It is a novel idea one Memphis company is preparing to launch this spring.

Memphian Alfred Milan is set to launch his startup, Express Wages, in April. The business streamlines how employees are paid, allowing service users quicker access to paychecks as funds are needed — including after a shift concludes. "It makes a difference to a single mother who needs $40 (immediately)," Milan said. He added that the service is designed to help offset struggles for Americans living paycheck to paycheck who may need to cover short-term expenses such as gas, a co-pay for a doctor's visit or groceries and don't have the means to float until the next payday.

Milan said the concept for Express Wages came about in January 2023. He was an executive with Amada Senior Care's Memphis branch and a former employee mentioned "daily pay" to him. It was a payroll option he was unfamiliar with and something the employee had access to on the West Coast, he said. That conversation led him to look into the service and different payroll options, eventually leading him down his current entrepreneurial path.

Milan, who stepped down from his role with Amada Senior Care in January, worked with Memphis-based Epicenter through the organization's accelerator program. Express Wages was also awarded $23,000 in grants through Epicenter.

Epicenter, located at 150 Peabody Place, is a Memphis-based small business and entrepreneurial incubator. The organization helps provide resources for seed funding, investment capital and marketing and networking strategies for existing businesses and new startups.

Milan said working with the organization has been monumental for the business's growth. He credited Epicenter Chief Executive Officer Anthony Young and Epicenter Director of Programs Nate Smith for the mentorship provided as he launched his business.

Express Wages also won second place in Epicenter's "Next Big Thing" pitch competition in 2024.

Express Wages works as an app. Employers register as a customer with the company and employees can download the service via the Apple Store or Google Play Store. Milan said they are connected with 252 payroll agencies and can work with new payroll systems as necessary.

Employees can access a wage transfer the day of for a $4.85 fee. Milan said the option for a next-day transfer is also available for a lesser fee of $3.85. There are zero automated charges for access outside those two windows.

When Express Wages launches in April, it will have 10 businesses under contract including his former employer, Amada Senior Care. The California-based health care provider has a 15,000-employee network, Milan said.

Locally, Express Wages will also provide service for pizza chain Mellow Mushroom's Memphis locations.

Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached

at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter: @neilStrebig.