Commuter benefits pricing for small business
Alice has no up-front employer cost. The fee is capped at the payroll tax savings the employer earns when commuter spending runs pretax. The employer's net cost is at or near zero, because the fee is set equal to the payroll-tax savings.
How commuter benefit pricing usually works
Most pretax commuter benefit platforms quote a per-employee per-month (PEPM) fee plus implementation. At a hypothetical $4 to $8 PEPM, a 50-person team would spend roughly $2,400 to $4,800 a year before anyone has saved a dollar in taxes. For a small business, that flips the math: the platform takes the savings.
Alice prices differently. The employer fee is structured so the platform fee cannot exceed the FICA savings the employer earns from employee pretax commuter spending.
If your employees spend, you save on the employer side of FICA and Alice's fee comes out of those savings. If they don't spend, there is no fee.
What you don't pay for
- No up-front employer cost
- No manual open enrollment to manage
- No per-seat monthly fee that scales with headcount whether or not the seat is using the benefit
- No employee pre-funding (the employer keeps a reserve amount in its Alice plan account; it belongs to the employer and is not a fee)
What employees pay for
Employees pay nothing to participate. They get Alice Card (a Visa commercial credit card issued by Celtic Bank, powered by Stripe, with program funds at Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Member FDIC) and swipe it for eligible commuter spending.
Pretax dollars come straight off payroll, up to $340 a month for transit and $340 a month for parking under the 2026 IRS limits.
The hidden costs of "cheap" providers
A pretax provider that charges a low PEPM but makes the employer manage enrollment, reconcile claims, handle forfeitures, and field employee questions usually costs more in HR hours than it saves in fees. Alice handles enrollment, the card, the receipts, the questions, and the payroll line item.
See it in writing
The pricing model is described in Alice's Employer Program Terms, which we will send before you sign. Setup starts with one call.
Need help?
Talk to sales: 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.
Specific benefits, election rules, and run-out periods depend on your employer's plan design. Check with your HR team or plan administrator for details.
Figures shown are for the 2026 plan year and are set by the IRS. Limits are indexed annually by the IRS.
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.