Why mixed-workforce employers offer Alice
Hospitality, healthcare, and food service employers commonly run a mixed workforce with CBA-covered hourly staff alongside non-union management and support roles. Alice was designed for hourly and frontline workers, and it covers both populations through the same payroll connection. There is no up-front employer cost, no manual open enrollment to manage, no employee pre-funding required, and only a small reserve deposit from the employer.
This is different from traditional office-worker pretax benefit companies where you pay up front and manually manage enrollment and payroll on your own. We will get you onboarded in one call.
What union and non-union employees get
Both groups get the same Alice Card, a Visa commercial credit card issued by Celtic Bank and powered by Stripe. Program funds are held at Fifth Third Bank, N.A. (Member FDIC). The card works at transit fare gates, commuter rail vending, bus fareboxes, parking garages, parking lots, parking meters, and parking apps. IRS 2026 limits are $340 per month for transit and $340 per month for qualified parking under Rev. Proc. 2025-32.
Uber and Lyft are not IRS-eligible, with a narrow vanpool carve-out.
Ready to launch across your mixed workforce
Email sales@thisisalice.com or call (929) 552-4625. We will get you onboarded in one call.
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.
Pretax Hero Visa Commercial Card is powered by Stripe and Alice Card is 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.
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.
Alice does not provide tax, legal, or financial advice. Consult your own tax preparer, lawyer, or financial advisor for guidance specific to your situation.
Pretax commuter benefits for cafe and coffee shop teams
Meta description: Baristas, shift leads, and cafe managers can save on transit and parking with Alice pretax commuter benefits. No up-front cost for the cafe owner.
Target keywords: cafe commuter benefits, coffee shop pretax, barista benefits, cafe owner benefits, coffee shop owner pretax
Internal links to add: /how-alice-works, /alice-card, /cafe-coffee, /payroll-connections, /small-business
Cafe and coffee shop teams (baristas, shift leads, and store managers) can use Alice to run transit and qualified parking pretax. They save about 20% on those dollars, actual savings depend on your tax situation, with no up-front employer cost to the cafe owner.
Why cafe employers offer Alice
Independent cafes and small coffee chains compete for staff against larger chains that offer richer benefit packages. Alice is one of the few benefits a 5-person or 15-person cafe can offer without a finance department behind it. There is no up-front employer cost, no manual open enrollment to manage, no employee pre-funding required, and only a small reserve deposit from the employer.
This is different from traditional office-worker pretax benefit companies where you pay up front and manually manage enrollment and payroll on your own. We will get you onboarded in one call.
What cafe employees get
Every eligible W-2 employee gets the Alice Card, a Visa commercial credit card issued by Celtic Bank and powered by Stripe. Program funds are held at Fifth Third Bank, N.A. (Member FDIC). Employees use it at transit fare gates, commuter rail vending, bus fareboxes, parking garages, parking lots, parking meters, and parking apps. IRS 2026 limits are $340 per month for transit and $340 per month for qualified parking under Rev. Proc. 2025-32.
Uber and Lyft are not IRS-eligible, with a narrow vanpool carve-out that rarely applies to a barista's daily commute.
How cafe payroll connections work
Alice connects with 30+ payroll providers, including connections to ADP, UKG, Paylocity, Paycom, Paychex, Toast, and others. Many independent cafes run on Toast Payroll or Gusto, both of which are supported. The deduction posts against the employee's reported wages including tips, so a tipped barista's deduction sits on the right wage base.
Setup speed
We will get you onboarded in one call. Single-location cafes typically launch inside a week of that call.
How much cafe workers actually save
A barista commuting on a $90 monthly subway pass saves about 20%, or roughly $18 per month, actual savings depend on your tax situation. A shift lead paying $120 monthly to park near the cafe saves about $24 per month at the same blended rate. We label that take-home difference as cash back during enrollment.
FAQs for cafes
Do owner-operators qualify? Owners and certain partners are excluded under Section 132(f). W-2 hourly staff is the eligible group.
What if my cafe has only 4 employees? Cafe employers of any size can run Alice. There is no minimum headcount.
Can I add a second location later? Yes, additional locations layer under the same Alice contract through the existing payroll connection.