Pretax benefits for hourly and shift workers: how Alice compares
Alice is the pretax commuter benefits platform built for hourly and shift workers. There is no up-front employer cost and no employee pre-funding. Most frontline workers save about 20% on commuter spending with Alice. That is because Alice runs pretax dollars through Alice Card every pay period instead of asking employees to lock in an annual election.
Why hourly workers get left out of traditional pretax benefits
Traditional pretax benefit companies are built for office workers: you pay up front and manage enrollment and payroll yourself. They assume two things: that employees can predict 12 months of commuting in advance, and that they can afford to lose money if they over-elect and underspend. Neither is true for restaurant servers, hospital aides, transit operators, retail associates, warehouse staff, or anyone whose schedule changes week to week.
Alice was designed around the opposite assumption. Employees swipe Alice Card at parking garages, parking lots, parking meters, parking apps, the transit turnstile, or in the rideshare app for eligible vanpool rides. Each pay period, Alice sets each employee's pretax election from their spending history on parking and transit. No election form, no shoebox of receipts, no use-it-or-lose-it.
See what parking and transit expenses are eligible.
What "no manual open enrollment" actually means
With Alice, there is no open enrollment window the HR team has to chase. New hires can start using their card on day one. If someone moves, switches shifts, or stops commuting for a month, the election follows their spending history.
There is no employee pre-funding. The employer keeps a reserve amount in its Alice plan account so the account does not go negative between a purchase and the next payroll sweep.
Built for the payroll systems frontline employers actually use
Alice has connections to ADP, UKG, Paylocity, Paycom, Paychex, Toast, Workday, and 25+ others. That includes the systems most common in restaurants, healthcare, transit, and retail. The payroll connection is what makes the pretax reclassification work automatically every cycle.
Who Alice is for
- Restaurant and food service operators
- Hospitals, clinics, and long-term care
- Retail and grocery
- Transit, logistics, and warehousing
- Building services, hospitality, and any employer where most of the team is hourly
Talk to sales
You can be live in one call. sales@thisisalice.com or (929) 552-4625.
Savings shown or implied — including any reference to "cash back" or take-home pay — are illustrative. Actual savings depend on your tax rate, benefit elections, and eligible spending each pay period. "Cash back" in Alice's materials refers to the federal, state, and FICA payroll taxes you don't pay on eligible commuter spending. It is income tax you keep, not a cash payment from Alice, your employer, or any third party. Alice does not provide cash back, rebates, or any direct financial benefit in connection with the Program. Alice does not provide tax, legal, or financial advice. Consult your own tax preparer, lawyer, or financial advisor for guidance specific to your situation.
Trademarks, brands, and product names referenced in this article are the property of their respective owners. References are for descriptive purposes only and do not imply endorsement. For definitive information about a third party's products or services, contact that party directly.
Pretax Hero Visa Commercial Card is powered by Stripe and issued by Celtic Bank. Program funds held at Fifth Third Bank, N.A. (Member FDIC). Use of card and program is subject to the cardholder terms and related agreements presented at issuance.